Eva raises funds for Dubai Cares on Diff sidelines
Eva Longoria tells us how she got her friend Terrence Howard to come to Dubai for her annual charity gala at Diff
Eva Longoria hosted the star-packed Global Gift Gala for the third year in Dubai on Saturday night, raising funds for Dubai Cares on the sidelines of Dubai International Film Festival (Diff).
The red-carpet event was held in a ballroom at the Four Seasons hotel, and included a dinner and performance by Empire star Terrence Howard. As if an evening with Longoria and Howard was not enough, there was also an auction of experiences that money normally cannot buy: A trip to the set of Eva’s new TV show, Telenovela, and a trip to the set of Howard’s Empire.
The evening was hosted by Nayla Al Khaja, and there seemed to be a star everywhere you turned: Howard, British actor Rupert Everett, Creed star Michael B. Jordan and Thor star Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, to name a few.
Longoria gave a short speech in which she referred to one of her main sources of inspiration: her sister, who is mentally disabled, and the opportunity they had to meet the Pope.
“I asked her, ‘so what are you going to ask the Pope when you meet him?’ And she said, ‘I am going to ask him to heal the world.’” The story brought awws and tears around the room. But in true Longoria style she soon put the smile back on everyone’s faces by saying: “I thought, wow, I would have asked for something for myself … I’m kidding, but she always thinks this way, she always puts other people first.”
Dressed in a dazzling white gown by Ali Younes, she got on stage a number of times to entice the audience to bid for items at the auction. She walked around the room, talked and joked with guests all evening and everyone loved her for it. She didn’t disappoint anyone who wanted a moment to speak with her or snap a picture.
One lucky buyer outbid everyone at the auction to spend a day on the set of her new show with her for $25,000 (Dh91,813).
Howard was as much the focus of the evening as Longoria as he took the stage to play the piano and sing one of his own songs.
He then surprised everyone by getting on stage and announcing that the lucky bidder for a day with him on Empire “will
have a line in the show, too”. The demand for that was high, so he increased the number of people allowed to three people; the highest bidder got the trip for $27,000 and two others also managed to grab the opportunity for $25,000 each, although the validity of those bids was unclear on Sunday.
The $2,000-per-seat event raised over $300,000 by the auction’s end, and one generous gentleman gave a direct donation of Dh500,000 to the foundation. Other auction experiences included a trip to Milan, a trip to the Formula One and a sign by Andy Warhol.
Later, Howard stood for around half an hour after the event for what seemed like a picture marathon with a long queue of people.
Speaking to tabloid! on the sidelines after the event, Howard said: “I thought the gala was wonderful. The generosity shown by everyone here made all the difference.” He also said he thought the gala, which helps more than one charity, was a great choice for people who want to help but are not sure who to give to. “For me, the gala represents what the entire world needs to do … Everyone is gathering here for the Dubai [International] Film Festival and everyone is here for the gala, and I think it’s all really wonderful, that’s what we need.”
He went on to say that he loves Dubai and he will be back here “very soon”.
Money raised from the event went to four charities: Dubai Cares, which provides education to children in the developing world; the Sunrise K Foundation, to help children with the eye condition glaucoma; the Eva Longoria Foundation, which provides education and micro loans to Latinas in the US; and the Global Gift Foundation, which has opened the first Casa Global Gift for children with special needs, providing medical treatments and therapy for those affected by rare diseases.
‘BEST GALA EVER’
Tariq Al Gurg, executive chairman of Dubai Cares, told tabloid! that the ambience of the gala had made the event one of his favourite fund-raisers. “I loved it [the gala], I really loved it. We have been doing a lot of galas and fundraising events but this one was unique because it was in a smaller ballroom than all the previous years, it kept the people together and you could see the donors sitting, I really loved it.” Laughing, he said: “I am not saying I didn’t love the other ones [the other galas] but this one to me was unique.”
We also caught up with host Nayla, who said, “I really liked it this year [the gala] because it was very intimate … I was honoured to be on stage again and hosting it, and raising money for this amazing Global Gift Foundation and all the other charities that were involved.”
Asked whether she would return again to host it next year, she said: “I hope so, I’ve been doing it for three years now.”