Former TV sports show presenter Amy Green (née Heart) and her businessman husband Gary Green hosted a fundraiser on August 19 at their home near Sag Harbour, New York in The Hamptons to support the philanthropic and conservation efforts of African Community & Conservation Foundation (ACCF) and Tusk, the UK-based African conservation charity led HRH Prince William, who has been its Royal Patron since 2005. The event raised over $500,000 to help fund the two charities’ work in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Covid-19 devastated jobs and livelihoods across the African continent and simultaneously put years of conservation projects at risk. Moreover, Russia’s war in Ukraine has collaterally created a global food crisis, as wheat and other grain shipments to Africa have been cut off or dangerously delayed.
World Food Program supporter and singer, Paula Abdul said, "My 60th birthday year is all about creating impact and I’m thrilled to support these incredible organizations and their mission. The African Community & Conservation Foundation and Tusk are doing incredible work in Africa preserving wildlife and helping to create sustainability of the enormous landscape."
“The funds raised last night will help us fuel capacity-building food security, humanitarian, anti-poaching, and conservation programs at our projects in rural Africa,” said Brady Forseth, CEO of ACCF. “We are proud to partner with Tusk on our collective impact work in Zimbabwe and Mozambique and grateful to Gary and Amy Green, as well as Paula Abdul, for their generous support towards this event.”
“Following the huge success of the Hamptons Lion Trail last summer, we are delighted to be coming together once more with our partners ACCF to co-host this summer soirée to raise vital funds for our combined conservation efforts across Africa,” said Charles Mayhew, MBE, CEO of Tusk.
Other celebrities included Academy award winner Cuba Gooding Jr, The Blind Side star, Quinton Aaron, and Bakithi Kumalo, the famous South African bassist, composer, and vocalist who toured with Paul Simon and enthusiastically performed for guests with an African drum group.
“We are honored to have been able to host this year’s ‘Karibu Africa’ event at our home in the Hamptons. Raising money for such an amazing cause is so important to us,” said ACCF Ambassador and event hosts Amy and Gary Green. “Sustainability, education, and love of animals have always been close to our hearts. We have been promoting these causes throughout our lives and are honored to take this a step further by Amy becoming an ambassador for the African Community & Conservation Foundation.”
The evening featured an auction that raised over $250,000 and Paula Abdul led an appeal for guests to pledge further support for the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, a pan-African initiative securing funds to support rangers, and raising awareness of Africa’s biodiversity crisis and the conservation heroes standing between many endangered species and the threat of extinction.
The event concluded with music entertainment by End of Code, the renowned Malibu/ Monaco electro-DJ duo of Nicolas Saad and Shawn Pereira.
The ‘Karibu Africa’ soirée was the third such successful collaboration by the two organizations in the US to raise money to help ACCF’s and Tusk’s combined portfolio of community outreach, wildlife protection and anti-poaching programs, which also include bold initiatives to improve livelihoods and combat rising food poverty in Africa.
Event photos available here.