Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Lady Gaga to Perform, Goldman’s Solomon Will be Honored at Robin Hood Gala

By Patrick Cole Bloomberg
Grammy Award-winning pop singer Lady Gaga will help the Robin Hood Foundation divert money from hedge fund managers to the needy when she performs at its annual gala on May 9.


The gala’s co-chairmen will be BlackRock Inc. (BLK) chairman and co-founder Laurence D. Fink, New York real estate developer Richard S. LeFrak and David M. Solomon, co-head of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS)’s investment banking unit. Brian Williams, anchor of the NBC Nightly News, will return this year as the event’s host.

The fashion-forward pop star born Stefani Germanotta will serve as the event’s after-dinner entertainment at New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, according to an e-mail invite sent to patrons.

“The good people of Gotham are gathering in Sherwood Forest (Javits Center) to celebrate the work we’ve done and raise funds to do more,” the invitation said of the annual “no black tie, green tights optional” event.

The Robin Hood gala, Wall Street’s biggest single-night fundraiser, has become a hot ticket in New York’s charity circuit for music fans who want to see top rock and pop acts. Past gala performers include Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Shakira and the hip-hop/pop crossover group, the Black Eyed Peas. Last year, Stevie Wonder performed before an audience of more than 3,500 guests at the $2,500 per person event.
Lady Gaga, whose 2010 Monster Ball show was one of the top ticket-selling concert tours of last year, will be a draw for the organization that stages the gala to aid over 100 poverty- fighting organizations in New York. Last year, the nonprofit defied the economic downturn, raising more than $88 million in one evening and beating its 2009 record of $72.7 million.

(The Robin Hood Foundation gala is Monday, May 9 at 6 p.m. at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. Information: +212-245-6570, ext. 20; debbief@eventassociatesinc.com.)

To contact the writer on this story: Patrick Cole in New York at pcole3@bloomberg.net.

No comments:

Post a Comment