Gift of Giving Project Red Carpet Fundraiser Happening at North Hollywood High Saturday

Today, the Gift of Giving Project is hosting a at North Hollywood High School that will feature dance, music, fashion, celebrities and an artwork silent auction by Jesse Raudales.

The project's mission is to raise the funds needed to reach the three goals of The Gift of Giving Project, which is being led by students, teachers and parents of North Hollywood High School and Oakwood High School. The first goal was to fill up a 40-foot shipping container with much-needed items, send it to orphans in Kenya, East Africa and then use the items to help build a library.

, the project's coordinator, told Patch that just this week the container had been filled thanks to a large donation by a contractor in Los Angeles that donated, among other things, 100 televisions. Before his large donation, the container had only been half full.

Tickets cost $25 and the event will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the school's courtyard and auditorium.

But the Gift of Giving Project has two other goals, and funds and support are still needed to:

• Build a community library out of the shipping container. The library will be located at the Joy Divine Children’s Centre in Nairobi and will be available to the local orphanages, schools, and the surrounding communities.
• Help send students to Nairobi, Kenya on a missionary trip to assist in the distribution of the donated items and participate in “hands-on” humanitarian activities.

Saturday's fundraiser will feature a number of celebrities that are supporting the project, including Kim Whitley (who can be seen in the attached YouTube video), Mario Van Peeples, Terrel Tilford, Bai Ling and others.

Read our interview with Martinez: