In its inaugural year, the event hailed Hollywood’s elite including Academy Award winner Halle Berry, Golden Globe and Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson, Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle, C.S. Lee of CBS "Dexter’, Brian Baumgartner of NBC’s "The Office", R&B Sensation Teena Marie, Chef G. Garvin, Hanna Montana’s Bubba Lewis, bond girl Rachel Grant, Shawn Toub from "Crash", fitness guru Donna Richardson and many other celebrities, athletes, elected officials, dignitaries, business leaders and philanthropists. Receiving rave reviews from world class and aspiring golfers alike, the event ultimately achieved its goal, to raise funds to protect American families from the ravages of domestic violence. The event was the 1st Annual Halle Berry Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting the nationally acclaimed non-profit family advocate group, the Jenesse Center.
Jenesse Center is a non profit organization that provides a holistic, comprehensive program to nurture victimized families back to a place of mental, financial, physical and emotional well being. The organization promotes strong, healthy, happy American families, draws strength and support from a brilliant staff, dedicated board, powerful host committee, key sponsors Nielson Media, Allstate, Brotherhood Crusade, Darden Restaurants, General Motors, Northrop Grumman, Sempra Entergy, SMS Transportation Services, Southwest Airlines and Verizon as well as philanthropists Vida Spears, Avis Frazier Thomas and their most dedicated supporter of all, Halle Berry.
Next to Jenesse Center’s fearless leader and Executive Director, Karen Earl, Halle Berry has been the beacon to galvanizing national and international support for the Herculean task the Jenesse Center performs to restore hope and rebuild lives of women and children who have been crushed on every level from domestic violence. Halle Berry. "Over the past 8 years I’ve watched the lives of countless families be transformed. While it’s very important to help those in need around the world, it’s equally important not to forget those that suffer right here in our own communities."
It is an expensive task because Jenesse covers these families like a parent, from legal counseling to financial planning, career counseling, nutritional and exercise support, psychological counseling, safe housing and transportation. It is an expensive and exhaustive undertaking. But the return on investment is one hundred fold and results in broken families being put back together stronger, wiser and happier. To creatively raise more funds for the Jenesse Center, Halle Berry wanted to build on the organization’s already successful annual fundraiser, the Silver Rose Gala and Auction. An avid golfer, she talked it over with Karen Earl and had an "a ha" moment, they decided to extend the annual one-day event to a weekend celebration, creating the Halle Berry Celebrity Golf Classic and the Jenesse Silver Rose Weekend.
Hosted at the posh Mountaingate Country Club in Los Angeles, the golf event featured green fees, access to all the amenities of the country club, practice range, continental breakfast, golf cart lunch, refreshments including a lively cigar and cocktails bar, a lounge with stunning models performing an informal fashion show and presenting guests with fabulous swag gifts, a team photo with Halle Berry and a perfect afternoon finale with the Awards Dinner and Live Auction that featured a special tribute to golfer Renee Powell, who changed the face of golf for women. For golfers and anyone with a penchant for charity, this event is an ace.
To register for the 2009 Halle Berry Celebrity Golf Classic, become an event sponsor or make donations to the Jenesse Center, go to www.jenesse.org or call (323) 299-9496. To participate in the online auction to raise money for the families of the Jenesse Center, go to www.jenesse.cmarket.com.
