Pharrell Williams Chairs Event For Soledad O’Brien & Brad Raymond Foundation

Award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien and banker Brad Raymond will host the inaugural fundraising event, “New Orleans in the Hamptons” August 12 for their eponymous foundation dedicated to providing promising young women a bridge between obstacles and opportunities. O’Brien, who has built a broadcast career giving voice to under-served communities, knew that a lack of resources often limits the success of disadvantaged young women. “We take young, talented young women who really just lack money, and pay for their tuition, their books and their daycare. Whatever they need,” said O’Brien. “It’s incredibly rewarding.”

Informed by their life experiences and fueled by a shared passion to help, O’Brien and husband Brad Raymond, quietly awarded scholarships from their own pockets for the past several years, sponsoring fifteen scholars and spending tens of thousands of dollars.  Buoyed by success, the couple formally launched the non-profit Soledad O’Brien & Brad Raymond Foundation this year to fill the gaps in available financial assistance and support. They hope to award six more scholarships in 2012.

“Soledad has always mentored young women. We’ve always supported education. This (foundation) was a natural progression, an extension of what we’ve been doing, and allows us to do so in a formal way,” Raymond says.

The Board’s Selection Committee will open the application and intake process early next year. Scholarships are available to young girls ages 15 through 21 years.  Full details and submission criteria will be placed on the Foundation’s website.

O’Brien and Raymond hope the festive event – also paying homage to the can-do spirit of New Orleans — and inspiring stories from young women who have been supported by their efforts will encourage/embolden donors to join the cause.  Among the early supporters:  Dick Parsons, Cicely Tyson and Pharrell Williams, will serve as event chairs. The highlight of the evening will be a live jazz concert featuring members of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and Grammy-Award® winning trumpeter Irvin Mayfield, also Chairman of the Foundation’s board of directors.

Alina Cho, Cory Condrey, Dr. Scott Cowen, Kirk Franklin, Dr. Eva Simmons O’Brien, Jason Binn, Rose-Lee Reinhard and Steve Stoute are serving on the host committee for the event.

All proceeds from ticket sales for the “New Orleans in the Hamptons” event in Bridgehampton, Long Island will fund scholarships for young women awarded by the Soledad O’Brien and Brad Raymond Foundation.

Target Corporation, Exact Target, Prudential, Sara Lee Corporation, CNN, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and Morrison & Foerster are sponsors of the event, with additional support provided by Delta Airlines, L’Oréal and Belvedere Vodka.

O’Brien is an anchor and special correspondent for CNN who has won numerous awards for her commitment to stories about under-reported communities including the popular series’ Black in America and Latino in America. She cites the frustration she has felt when meeting people – many during her coverage of Hurricane Katrina — whose lives she couldn’t help beyond the telling of their stories, as an impetus for her decision to start the Foundation.

“My foundation’s work allows me to change the outcome of these girls’ stories. It is more than the money. It is saying that I am here for you. You take one step and I’ll take two. It’s a practical definition of love,” O’Brien explains.

Both raised by educators, Brad Raymond and Soledad O’Brien met in college at Harvard University, married and have four children. Raymond is the Co-Head of Investment Banking at Stifel Nicolaus Weisel and is also involved in education as a member of the board of New York City Outward Bound program and as a Trustee for the Westminster School.

“New Orleans in the Hamptons” will be held at a private residence in Bridgehampton, Long Island, August 12, 2011. An outdoor cocktail reception at 6:00 PM (EDT) will precede the concert and main event at 7:00 PM. Information: https://www.obrienraymondfoundation.org

Media Contact:
Forbes Public Relations
305-531-8241
Denise Sullivan: denise@forbespr.com
Angella Forbes: angella@forbespr.com

Donations/Tickets:
O’Brien Raymond Foundation Executive Director
RicaTrigs: rtrigs@obrienraymondfoundation.org