BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 03: Viola Davis (L) and Route 91 Strong Co-Founder, Lisa Fine, attend GBK Pre-Oscar Luxury Lounge on March 3, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images for GBK Productions )
BEVERLY HILLS, CA (LA ELEMENTS) 3/12/2018 – “What we did is we gathered survivors to help survivors and we founded the Route 91 Strong non-profit,” says Lisa Fine, the activist who came face to face with the tragedy that was the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival shooting back in October of last year. “Our mission is to offer support, hope, strength, change and love.”
We discovered Route 91 Strong, as well as many other impressive charity and gift sponsors, at the 2018 GBK Pre-Oscar Gifting Lounge, which was held on March 2nd, and 3rd at the St. Supéry Tasting Salon in Beverly Hills. The stars turned out en masse for this event. Past Oscar winners such as Susan Sarandon (Best Actress, Dead Man Walking) and Viola Davis (Best Supporting Actress, Fences) were in attendance as were Oscar presenters, Mark Hamill (Star Wars and Wes Studi, Penny Dreadful). Oscar winners at this lounge included Alexandre Desplat (Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, The Shape of Water) and Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton (Best Live Action Short Film, The Silent Child)
Fine discussed the resources that Route 91 Strong utilizes to help people who have been affected by the devastating acts of violence such as the one she personally experienced at the Harvest Festival, and the more recent one in Parkland, Florida. “Not only do we want to help survivors from the Route 91 Harvest Festival Vegas shooting, we want to support people from other tragedies. What just happened in Parkland Florida… I fell to my knees when that happened. I just thought, ‘Not these kids. Not again.’ It’s just too many. I want people to feel safe at school, church, movie theaters, concerts, everywhere. I will be a voice for those that didn’t make it and all the people suffering, forever. I will talk to anybody, speak anywhere, I just don’t want people to forget. Because if I didn’t make it, I would want somebody to do that for me.”
How exactly does Route 91 Strong get the funds to help people who have gone through what you yourself went through?
“We have our non-profit. We’re doing benefit concerts, auctions, We have a website, we’re taking donations. We want to just reach everybody that we can to stop this madness. These tragedies are happening every week now and we can’t become immune to it, and numb to it. It can happen to you, me, anybody and so that’s why we have to come together to and unite.”
Fine noted that the money raised from fundraising, does go directly to help people most affected by acts of violence. Acts of violence which keep happening again and again.
“So with our money, the first woman we gave funds to, her name is Polly. She was pregnant and she had to scale a 10 foot wall while being shot at. She had a two-year old at home, single mom. After this happened, this tragedy, she couldn’t get out of bed or work. So what we did is we said, ‘Girl, we do not want let you fall. We are family and we know exactly how you feel.’ So what we did is we threw her a baby shower and we paid her bills. She could not work. She was going to lose her car, her home, couldn’t pay her utilities and we just wanted to grab her and say, ‘we’re going to help you.’ And that’s just one story. And we have story after story after story. Our mission is to collect funds to help those that are suffering. And not only that but to have resources and build hope and reach the public and say, ‘that is enough.’ And if we come together as survivors, because I have met with many survivors of tragedies, sadly because this happened, and what we want to do is come together, and do like an annual conference of healing and not only that but come together with solutions because enough is enough.”
The following were among the impressive selection of gift sponsors at the 2018 GBK Pre-Oscars Gifting Lounge:
Susan Sarandon with a piece from the Safi Kilima Tanzanite Collection. Photo courtesy of Diamonds International.
The exquisite jewelry of Safi Kalima Tanzanite was a huge hit with the celebrity crowd in attendance as well as members of the media. Tanzanite itself is coveted for its rich blue color. This gem stone is extremely rare as it is in limited supply and can only be sourced from the country of Tanzania. Diamonds International (parent company of Safi Kalima Tanzanite) representative, Samantha Eng, explained how to acquire an exclusive piece from the Safi Kalima Tanzanite collection. “Diamonds International has over 125 stores in the Caribbean, Mexico and Alaska, but we also have a website, safikalima.com where you can see a lot of the accessible jewelry price points. We also offer custom made designs.” The stylish Safi Kalima Tanzanite bolo bracelet was gifted to celebrities as well as select members of the media.
Anthony Anderson and Yara Shahidi from the acclaimed tv show, Blackish join Chef Sinigalli of Il Palatto at the GBK Pre-Oscar Gifting Lounge
How wonderful would it be to have a home cooked Italian meal prepared by the staff of Michelin starred chef Filippo Sinisgalli! Chef Sinisgalli made this happen for the celebrities in attendance at GBK’s invitation only event. His company, Il Palato, gifted a panettone, a deluxe gift box with organic tomato sauce, organic pasta and extra virgin olive oil and a certificate for an intimate dining experience complete with wine pairings for a gathering of up to 15 people.
ICON Air easily impressed with the production of their carbon fiber airplane. When not in use, you can fold up the wings for easy transport. “It’s a very revolutionary design,” says representative, Ryan Arndt. “We’ve got a lot of safety technology built into the airframe itself, including spin resistance. We’ve got a parachute. It lands on land and water so it’s considered amphibious. The coolest part about it, the wings fold up and you can trailer it around behind your truck. So no airport necessary anymore. We offer the training for people that have never flown. We offer training for people that are already pilots and essentially it’s a one-stop shop for getting into this plane and getting into aviation. It has everything you need and nothing you don’t.” Once completely fueled, the Icon is good for about four and a half hours of flight time. ICON Air gifted celebrities the chance to get up close and personal with their aircraft via private flying lessons.
“All seeds: pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and hemp seeds,” says Betsy’s Bar None CEO and founder, Betsy Langton of the main ingredients found in her nutrition bars. Langton was accompanied to GBK by her son Tyler who noted the universal appeal of their product. “It’s 100% organic and vegan and kosher. It’s also naturally gluten free, nut free and grain free. We’re trying to make it as successful to as many people as possible.” Betsy’s Bar None may be purchased directly through their website as well as select stores in the Seattle and Portland area. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the Insight Prison Project. The Insight Prison Project emphasizes healing and rehabilitation so that those incarcerated might experience an easier and lasting transition back to civilian life.
Betsy Langton from Bar None with son Tyler attend the GBK Oscar Gifting Lounge. Photo: LA ELEMENTS
How many singer songwriters can say that they have created their own hot sauce? Mia Rebel can. Rebel wrote and performed, “She Says” from the Universal Pictures movie, “Empire.” She also gifted attendees bottles of her OG Hot Sauce. The onion and garlic flavored hot sauce comes in mild and hot and spicy options.
ADM is one of the premiere management forums in Asia as well as one of the biggest exhibitions of ideal life fair in China. They have recently partnered with GBK and will be creating a luxury gift lounge in China in November. Celebrities were gifted exclusive invites to their upcoming luxury lounge. They also gifted VIP guests a 4 night stay at a 5 star hotel as well as a VIP experience during their ADM conference.
The Artisan Group never fails to impress. Never. This collective of talented artisans gifted celebrities and media with their ever-popular gift bag filled with hand crafted jewelry and toiletries.
Treasures from the Artisan Group at the GBK Pre-Oscars Gifting Lounge
Amethyst and peacock ore bracelet from The Artisan Group member, Codruta Cadis, of I Was Born To Shine
For more information on the luxury and charity sponsors mentioned in this article, please visit their websites.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 03: GBK founder, Gavin Keilly, and Mark Hamill attend GBK Pre-Oscar Luxury Lounge on March 3, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images for GBK Productions )
GBK, formerly GBK productions, is a luxury lifestyle gifting and special events company, specializing in entertainment marketing integration. To learn more about GBK please visit their site.
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