While it's highly unlikely that President Obama will be attending this soiree where his good friend George Clooney is to be honored, there will still be plenty of other big names/star wattage coming together on October 20th in Los Angeles for the Carousel of Hope Ball, presented by Barbara Davis and Mercedes Benz, with proceeds of the event benefiting the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes (BDC).
Clooney will receive the Brass Ring Award in recognition of his commitment to philanthropy and social causes and his artistic achievements. "Here's a man who really cares -- for Haiti, for Darfur. He is to be admired," said Ms. Davis -- herself known to all as a philanthropist, and longtime patron of the arts and various charities. For this time around, Ms. Davis will bring together some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Clive Davis, Shirley 'Downton Abbey' MacLaine, Cindy Crawford and Jay Leno.
Mercedes-Benz will auction off a limited edition vehicle during the live auction. This year's vehicle will be a 2013 G63 AMG design valued at $137,000. In addition, numerous items will be up for grabs at the silent auction including a Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy Integrated Program -- a teen driver education and training course designed to go beyond the state minimum requirements by providing 30 hours of driving theory and 16 hours of behind-the-wheel lessons.
Ms. Davis has also grabbed Neil "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" Diamond to join in and perform, as well as Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, (with others yet to be announced -- as is typical in Hollywood -- expect names to come to the table about 12 hours prior). But, just to note: Previous surprise attendees for this benefit have included famed musicians like Stevie Wonder and Sir Paul McCartney.
Carousel of Hope events have raised more than $75 million for the center, which provides specialized care for children and adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.