Gucci's Fancy Fund-Raiser for Children

Last night, the lush lawns of the United Nations Headquarters in New York, was the venue of an unusual, fun-filled, star-studded charity event.

The event organized by famous singer, Madonna (pictured above) and underwritten (paid for) by Gucci, a premier fashion brand, raised 5.5 million U.S. Dollars, which will be split between a charity called "Raising Malawi" and UNICEF (The United Nations Children's Fund).

The tickets to this event cost between 2,500 U.S. Dollars to 10,000 U.S. Dollars. In return, the guests got to dine on salmon, wild striped bass, goat cheese tart, truffled mushrooms, mashed potatoes and for dessert - sticky toffee pudding ! They also got a chance to watch a video of the children in Malawi and meet some of them.

After dinner, there was a lavish auction, where the attendees could bid for fun items like - hanging out at the Yankee Stadium with Alex Rodriguez as well as a private soccer session with David Beckham (both were included) - Tom Cruise tried to bid for this one (100,000 U.S. Dollars) but was easily outbid by someone who paid a whopping 350,000 U.S. Dollars for this package. This however wasn't the most sought after item. A chance to go on tour with Madonna and a dance lesson with her and Gwyneth Paltrow (an actress), was the most popular and went for 600,000 U.S. Dollars.

The two charities that will benefit from this event are both amazing, and very focused on children all over the world. Here is a brief introduction to both of them.

"Raising Malawi"

Malawi is a small land-locked country in Southern Africa, with a population of about 14 million people - of which 1 million are orphan children. Additionally, Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, suffering from famine and deadly diseases.

"Raising Malawi" was co-founded by Madonna to help the children of Malawi become self-sustaining (independent). The charity provides food, clothing, shelter and schools so that these young children can grow up and be able to make a living for themselves.

Since it was established in 2006, the charity has helped find a shelter for 4,000 orphans, graduated 7,000 kids from schools and settled over 8,000 kids within village communities.

UNICEF -The United Nations Children's fund is very much like "Raising Malawi", except that it is much larger and helps children all over the world.

What a great cause for a party! Enjoy a small snippet of the event. Don't miss the fabulous "Gucci" gowns worn by all the stars.