Farmingville, NY - October 11, 2016 - Save the Children and 8-year-old Colette Prainito, from Farmingville, N.Y., lit the world-famous Empire State Building red with actress and Artist Ambassador Dakota Fanning on Tuesday, Oct. 11, in a special ceremony celebrating International Day of the Girl. Marked globally by the United Nations, International Day of the Girl is a designated day for communities and policymakers to discuss how to end discrimination against girls and create opportunities for girls to reach their full potential. Worldwide, girls are frequently marginalized in their families, communities and societies. By lighting the Empire State Building red, Save the Children is raising awareness of these issues and illuminating the need to educate and empower girls around the world.

Photo by Save the Children.

Colette is in third grade at Kreamer Street Elementary School in Bellport Village, N.Y. She lives with her father Nick, who signed his daughter up for sponsorship after being approached by a Save the Children canvasser at a mall in California. Sponsorship provides children in the United States and around the world with essential aid and education to improve their well-being. Colette sponsors a little girl named Diala from Indonesia.

“I feel awesome! I feel like a shining girl on top of the world. I can’t wait to write Diala about today,” said Colette of lighting the Empire State Building. “Girls should be able to express themselves in any ways they want to and follow their dreams, like be a ballet woman, a famous singer or a famous actress like Dakota.”

Colette and Fanning were joined by Carolyn Miles, Save the Children’s president & CEO, fellow girl sponsors from the Tri-State area and a sponsored girl from South Carolina. On Oct. 11, the Empire State Building will light up beginning at sunset to recognize girls and the unique challenges they face globally.

“Every girl deserves to follow her dreams no matter where she comes from or what her circumstances are,” said Fanning, known for roles in notable films such as “I Am Sam,” “The Runaways,” “The Twilight Saga” and the upcoming “American Pastoral.” “The first step in doing that is bringing attention to the barriers girls face globally. The second step is empowering young girls to reach their full potential. This is why I am here today, honoring International Day of the Girl and lighting up the Empire State Building with Save the Children.” 

Too often, girls are barred from the opportunity to learn, forced into marriage or even trafficked – limiting their lives and risking their futures. Save the Children believes it is possible to build a world in which every girl survives, thrives and realizes her dreams.

“Worldwide, girls are far more likely to miss out on school, marry too early and grow up too fast. People often talk about women’s empowerment, but that begins with girls. Together, we need to do more to ensure every last girl has a childhood, and a better and brighter future," said Carolyn Miles, president & CEO of Save the Children. "That’s why today, on International Day of the Girl, Save the Children is shining a light on girls.”

Save the Children believes that reaching girls is a critical component of ending early marriage, preventable maternal and child deaths and ensuring our collective future. The Save the Children sponsorship program, in particular, helps provide girls and boys with the necessities for a healthy and successful start to their life – nutrition, early childhood and adolescent development, education and school health. To join Colette and Fanning as a child sponsor and learn more, please visit online.

About Save the Children
Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In 120 countries around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.

We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share. Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

About the Empire State Building
Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna), the Empire State Building, owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., is the “World’s Most Famous Building.” With new investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects, and the Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world’s most beloved attractions as the region’s #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.empirestatebuilding.com, Facebook, @EmpireStateBldg on Instagram, Youtube or Pinterest.

About Empire State Realty Trust
Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the Empire State Building, the world's most famous building. Headquartered in New York, New York, the Company's office and retail portfolio covers 10.1 million rentable square feet, as of March 31, 2016, consisting of 9.4 million rentable square feet in 14 office properties, including nine in Manhattan, three in Fairfield County, Connecticut and two in Westchester County, New York; and approximately 724,000 rentable square feet in the retail portfolio.