NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Avon Products, Inc.
celebrated the culmination of its 125th anniversary year last night
at the Avon Foundation for Women Global Voices for Change
Gala by honoring global champions working to end breast
cancer and domestic violence, and by announcing the winners of
Avon's first-ever global online
singing talent search for women and songwriting competition for
women and men, Avon Voices. Avon Chairman and CEO Andrea Jung, Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, Delta Goodrem, Ashley Greene and more than 800 guests and
performers from 39 countries attended this star-studded celebration
at the Marriot Marquis in New York
City's Times Square, which raised more than $2.3 million for the Avon Foundation for
Women.
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release,
please click:
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"This year we are thrilled that our awards reflect the truly
global nature of our critical work to eradicate breast cancer and
violence against women. Tonight, we honor the dedication and
support of our partners around the world who share in our
commitment to improve the lives of women," said Andrea Jung. "By the end of this year – our
125th year – Avon global
philanthropy will have donated more than $860 million, thanks to the grassroots efforts of
our network of 6.5 million Representatives, 40,000 Associates and
hundreds of millions of consumers – making us the largest corporate
philanthropy focused solely on women's causes in the world."
"The Avon Foundation Gala is one of the most anticipated nights
of the year, and I'm excited to be a part of it and to celebrate
Global Voices for Change – those true champions around the world
who work tirelessly to empower women and improve their health and
safety," said Fergie, six-time GRAMMY award winner, Avon Voices
judge and Gala Co-Host with Andrea
Jung. "It has been my great pleasure to serve as a judge for
Avon Voices, and I'm so pleased that our year-long global talent
search came to its conclusion at the Avon Foundation Gala
tonight."
Avon Foundation for Women Global Awards
Recipients
Every year since 2001 at its annual gala, the Avon Foundation
for Women has recognized individuals and organizations in
the United States for their
leadership in the causes that are most important to women. To date,
the Avon Foundation Gala has raised more than $22 million. This year, Avon Foundation Gala
honorees span the globe, honoring organizations that improve access
to breast health care and assist victims of domestic and gender
violence. Avon Voices celebrity judges were honored to help present
these awards.
Global Breast Cancer Medical Advancement Champions
(Brazil and Poland)
Andrea Jung, Colombian singing
star Maia, and Brazil's biggest pop star Ivete
Sangalo, presented the first Global Breast Cancer Medical
Advancement Champions Award to the Barretos Cancer
Hospital, a center of excellence in oncology care located in
rural Brazil that assists nearly
3,000 patients per day, nearly all of them low-income and all part
of the Brazilian public health system. Avon Brazil has supported the Barretos Cancer
Hospital since 2002 and helped fund the creation of the Avon
Institute Breast Cancer Prevention Center, purchase digital
mammography and ultrasound equipment, and upgrade the hospital's
mobile mammography van. Through this partnership, the program now
screens 60,000 women each year and has improved the detection of
early-stage cancers. Barretos Cancer Hospital General Director
Henrique Duarte Prata accepted the
award.
Stowarzyszenie Amazonki, the Association of Amazon Women
– an organization providing support to women affected by breast
cancer throughout Poland –
received the second Global Breast Cancer Medical Advancement
Champions Award. Andrea Jung and
Russian singing sensation Valeriya presented the
award to the organization's board member, Ewa Grabiec-Raczak, who is also a breast cancer
survivor. Stowarzyszenie Amazonki has received funding from the
Avon Breast Cancer Crusade in Poland since 1997 to provide cancer
rehabilitation and education activities for 15,000 breast cancer
survivors at 140 sites throughout Poland.
2011 Global Community Advocacy Champions (Philippines and United Kingdom)
Avon Foundation for Women President Carol Kurzig, Filipina singer and actress
Lea Salonga, and
Australian Artist of the Decade Delta Goodrem,
presented the first Global Community Advocacy Champions
Award to the Women's Crisis Center in Quezon City,
Philippines, for its life-saving
work to support victims of domestic violence. The Center provides
crisis intervention, counseling, temporary shelter, education and
training services and serves as secretariat for the National
Network of Family Violence Prevention Programs. Theresa Balayon, Women's Crisis Center Executive
Officer, accepted the award.
Refuge, the largest single provider of specialized
domestic violence services in the United
Kingdom, received the second Global Community Advocacy
Champions Award. Lisa King, an
advocate in the effort to end violence against women and head of
communications for Refuge, accepted the award from Carol Kurzig and
GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Natasha Bedingfield. Refuge helps
disadvantaged, homeless and abused women and children rebuild their
lives. Avon U.K. funding supports
Refuge's network of independent domestic violence advocates who
work with women who are at the greatest risk of serious injury and
harm.
2011 Voice for Change Champion (United States)
Andrea Jung and Ashley Greene, brand ambassador for
mark, Avon's beauty and
fashion boutique brand, presented Cynthia Leive, editor-in-chief of
Glamour Magazine, with the 2011 Voice for
Change Champion Award in recognition of Glamour's
commitment to empowering and educating women by calling attention
to the critical issue of partner violence. Earlier this year, the
Avon Foundation partnered with Glamour in the Tell Somebody
text-to-donate campaign that raised awareness and funds for the
National Domestic Violence Hotline. Through this campaign, Glamour
encouraged women to talk about relationship violence – both to ask
for help and to offer it without judgment. In support of the Tell
Somebody campaign, the Avon Foundation donated $200,000 to the National Domestic Violence
Hotline to help ensure that no call goes unanswered when a victim
makes the difficult decision to reach out for help.
Avon Voices
Also at the Gala, the Avon Voices talent search concluded with
the announcement of the two Avon Voices winners: Selena Gittens of Canada, an Avon Representative, and Evelina Anusauskaite
of Lithuania, who were chosen from
among the top ten finalists, based on a combination of their live
performances at the Hard Rock Cafe on November 1, and 2.5 million votes received from
around the world. The eight other finalists were: Pauline Alencar (Brazil); Cissy Crutcher (US); Jaclyn Dustin (US); Joy
Loria (Philippines –
Avon Representative); Roslynn Mahe (UK); Rapeeporn Pratum-Anon
(Thailand); Claudia Santos Morandi (Venezuela); Natalia
Terekhova (Russia).
The winners of the Avon Voices talent search will record an
album that will be sold through Avon distribution channels in select markets,
and will include an original song, "Be What You Believe," written
by GRAMMY and Golden Globe award-winning music industry legend,
Diane Warren, and produced by
seven-time GRAMMY-winning producer/engineer, Humberto Gatica. The Avon Voices finalists
joined many of the celebrity judges to debut this song live at the
Gala. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this album in 2012
will go to the Avon Foundation for Women. Additionally, Avon Voices
made a $25,000 donation to the Avon
Foundation in honor of its commitment to advancing women's
empowerment around the world.
Please visit
http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr158768298
for Avon Foundation Gala photos.
For more information about Avon Voices, please visit:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/45814-avon-voices/.
To view a recap of the event via Twitter, reference the official
event hashtag: #avon125.
To view an archive of a Livestream video of the Avon Foundation
Gala, please visit www.facebook.com/avonvoices.
About Avon Foundation for Women
The Avon Foundation for Women, the world's largest
corporate-affiliated philanthropy focused on issues that matter
most to women, was founded in 1955 to improve the lives of women.
Through 2011, Avon global
philanthropy has donated over $860
million in more than 50 countries for causes most important
to women. Today, Avon philanthropy
focuses its funding on breast cancer research and access to care
through the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, and efforts to reduce
domestic and gender violence through its Speak Out Against Domestic
Violence program. Avon also
responds generously to provide support for relief and recovery
efforts in times of major natural disasters and emergencies. Learn
more about the Avon Foundation for Women at
www.avonfoundation.org.
About Avon Voices
Avon Voices, the company's first-ever global singing talent
search launched a year ago as part of Avon's 125th anniversary celebration and was
open to consumers from more than 60 countries along with its 6.5
million Sales Representatives. Contestants were judged by a
combination of public online voting and renowned music industry
leaders from around the world, including six-time GRAMMY award
winner Fergie; legendary songwriter Diane
Warren; Natasha Bedingfield,
GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter; Delta Goodrem, Australian
Artist of the Decade; Lea Salonga,
Filipina singer and actress; Ivete Sangalo, Brazil's biggest pop star; Maia, Colombian
singing star; and Russian sensation, Valeriya. Learn more about
Avon Voices at www.avonvoices.com.
About Avon Products, Inc.
Avon, the company for women, is a leading global beauty
company, with over $10 billion in
annual revenue. As the world's largest direct seller, Avon markets to women in more than 100
countries through approximately 6.5 million active independent Avon
Sales Representatives. Avon's
product line includes beauty products, as well as fashion and home
products, and features such well-recognized brand names as Avon
Color, Anew, Skin-So-Soft, Advance Techniques, Avon Naturals,
and Mark. Learn more about Avon and its products at
www.avoncompany.com
SOURCE Avon Foundation for Women