Saturday, February 16, 2008
12:00pm to 2:30pm
Hotel Renaissance
700 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA
Russell Simmons' Diamond Empowerment Fund, Debra Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET, Chris Duhon of the Chicago Bulls and Peja Stojakovic of the New Orleans Hornets honored as Influential Leaders.
New Orleans, LA (February 20, 2008) – Charitable foundations spearheaded by leaders of the athletic and entertainment communities accepted awards in New Orleans, February 16th, when Jaci Wilson and Morris L. Reid of Westin Rinehart hosted the 7th Annual Luncheon honoring Behind the Bench, the National Basketball Wives Association. This stylish annual event is a staple on the calendar of events leading up to the NBA All-Star game.
This year the Luncheon presented an award to Ellen Haddigan, Executive Director of Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF), a non-profit founded by Russell Simmons, Co-Owner of Simmons Jewelry Co. DEF raises funds to educate and uplift poverty-stricken African communities through sales of the Green Initiative jewelry collection.
This year's festivities also celebrated the efforts of community leaders who have dedicated themselves to improving the conditions of a post-Katrina New Orleans. The 2008 honorees included, Debra Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET, Chris Duhon of the Chicago Bulls and Peja Stojakovic of the New Orleans Hornets. Actress Gabrielle Union, who can be found most recently on the ABC hit show Ugly Betty and the upcoming movie Meet Dave in which she co-stars with Eddie Murphy, presented the award to Debra Lee during the luncheon presentation.
The Annual National Basketball Association Luncheon started in 2002 as an intimate gathering for 50 women and has now become a staple on the NBA All-Star weekend festivities calendar for the more than 200 ladies that attend. This much-anticipated and stylish event is held on the Saturday prior to Sunday's All-Star Basketball Game and is used to celebrate the work of the members of Behind the Bench and their vision of supporting families and children in the 30 NBA cities.
The luncheon raises awareness of the outstanding charity work that the National Basketball Wives Association has accomplished over the course of the year and celebrates their achievements. Additionally, this event recognizes women worldwide that significantly impact their communities and honors their contributions with an award presentation.
PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS:
