Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation Announces Gala Event Honoring Chairman Emeritus Steven Spielberg

Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation Announces Gala Event Honoring Chairman Emeritus Steven Spielberg

The Foundation Celebrates Working Together to Brighten the Lives of More Than Two Million Seriously Ill Children and Their Families Each Year

LOS ANGELES, March 14 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 24 at The Beverly Hilton, Steven Spielberg will accept an award for his vision, leadership and commitment. But this time, the award is not a golden statuette or a globe-shaped trophy. This Swarovski crystal award, presented by the newly formed Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation -- previously two separate Los Angeles-based charities, Starlight Children's Foundation and Starbright Foundation -- is to recognize and celebrate Spielberg's tremendous impact on the lives of seriously ill children and their families.

In addition to honoring Spielberg, Starlight Starbright's upcoming event, "A Stellar Night," will introduce some of the children and families touched by the foundation's efforts. A girl who was confined to her bed for five years -- paralyzed almost completely from the neck down -- and has since experienced a miraculous recovery, will speak in front of an audience, two thousand miles away from her home town, and share her plans to attend film school in the fall. A young doctor, who survived heart disease nearly twenty years ago, will speak about how his ongoing relationship with Starlight Starbright and led him to medical school.

As co-founder of Starbright Foundation, Spielberg helped the organization tap into the newest technology to create and develop software designed to empower children suffering from serious or chronic illness. For the past 15 years, the organization has continued to grow; it is now well known for its online community, Starbright World, which connects seriously ill children across the country and for producing films and computer programs to educate and empower children and teens about their disease.

This year, Starbright Foundation joined forces with Starlight Children's Foundation, and Spielberg's continued support ensures the newly formed organization will continue to make a world of difference by offering the very best resources to a wider range of children. Spielberg, who serves as the Foundation Chairman Emeritus, said, "With the merger, more kids than ever will be able to reclaim a sense of their childhood, reducing their fear and isolation. Above all, this expansion is a reminder that behind every serious child illness is a child and a family."

Starlight Starbright's "A Stellar Night" brings together organizations, corporations and people who are committed to making a difference in the life of a child. Over the years, many of the country's leading corporations have supported Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation; in specific regard to "A Stellar Night," the following corporations have shown remarkable support through their generosity and innovative contributions to the event:

* Creative Intelligence, for creating the evenings invitations, the tribute journal and the exclusive note cards for the event's gift bag

* Corum Watch Company, for their continuous support and for donating a designer piece for the auction

* Nintendo of America Inc., for providing Fun Centers along the red-carpet and Game Boy Advance SP for the event's gift bag

* Swarovski, for donating crystals for the invitations, tribute books, note cards and table decor, as well as the evening's award

About Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation

Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation is an international non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of seriously ill children and their families through imaginative programs that educate, uplift their spirits, foster a sense of community and help alleviate the pain and fear of prolonged illness. Starlight Starbright offers an impressive array of in-hospital, outpatient, school and home-based programs and services that touch the lives of more than 180,000 children and families each month. To learn more about the organization, visit their web site at www.starlight.org.

Source: Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation

CONTACT: Allison Schwartz, allison_schwartz@cohnwolfe.com, or Polyna Berlin, polyna_berlin@cohnwolfe.com, both of Cohn & Wolfe, +1-310-967-2900, for Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation; or Jenny Isaacson, jenny.isaacson@slsb.org, or Talia Cohen, talia.cohen@slsb.org, both of Starlight Starbright, +1-310-479-1212

Web site: http://www.starlight.org/

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