HBO's Bryan Greenberg to Host Charity Brunch for The Olevolos Project

NEW YORK, May 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 21st, Bryan Greenberg, musician and star of HBO's "How to Make it in America," will host The Olevolos Project's May 21st Brunch Party at New York City's Le Cirque on 151 E. 58th Street from 1:00-4:00pm. The proceeds from the ticket sales to the open bar brunch and silent auction will benefit children of the village of Olevolos, Tanzania.

On his first trip to Africa, Bryan visited his cousin Dory Gannes in Tanzania, Africa, where he was deeply moved by the philanthropic work she had started. The Olevolos Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was formed to benefit orphans and disadvantaged children in the local village of Olevolos. Two years after opening their doors, the fledgling organization continues to work tirelessly to develop young leaders in the village through formal schooling, tutoring programs, and extra-curricular activities.

"We believe that all kids have a right to meet their full potential; but in our world today, too many kids never get a chance," says Dory Gannes, The Olevolos Project Founder. "In January, 2010, we opened our doors to the first class of nursery school students; this year, we welcomed our second class. We have also started three community initiatives: an adolescent counseling group, a youth recreational program, and a women's microsavings group, in addition to our ongoing educational sponsorship program."

Bryan's contagious enthusiasm and passion for The Olevolos Project brought HBO, Don Julio, Brandsway Creative team and Exquisite Surfaces on board to help coordinate and produce this fundraising project. An anonymous donor will match each dollar raised on May 21st up to $25,000.

"I'm trying to raise money to build an extension onto the orphanage so that they have a library," says Greenberg. "I'm just trying to help out a little bit, and these kids are amazing, and I want to give them an opportunity."

To help spread the word about this fundraising effort, Greenberg created a Host Committee consisting of Alexis Nataf & Melanie Nataf, Dave Annable & Odette Annable, Dory Gannes, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Eugene Remm, Gabe Saporta, Gina Gershon, Geoff Stults, Hilarie Burton, Ian Edelman, Jamie Hector, Jared Jeffries & Jenni Jeffries, Jonathan Azu & Rosa Azu, Justin Long, Kelly Brady, Lake Bell, Luis Guzman, Mark Birnbaum, Margarita Levieva, Matt Levine, Rabia Ahmad and Victor Rasuk.

In addition to music and other entertainment at the event, there will be a silent auction to help raise additional funds for The Olevolos Project including:  Electric Bike from FlyKly, Tanzania Safari Trip for 2 from 2AFRIKA, vintage bottle of Moet & Chandon, Delta roundtrip in the US for two, David Letterman tickets, Kenneth Cole Luggage, DKNY Handbag, Bowery Lane Bicycle (unisex), Custom Fragrance smelling session with lead perfumer Ruth Sutcliffe (COTY Beauty – clients include Halle Berry and Beyonce), 2 tickets backstage passes to San Francisco 'Outside Lands Music Festival,' a vintage Chanel handbag and a Set visit for the filming of Season 2 of How to Make it in America.

To purchase tickets for the Brunch Party, which can be reserved for $150 each, or to learn more about The Olevolos Project, please visit http://theolevolosproject.org/.

Press Contact:
Kelly Brady
Brandsway Creative
[email protected]
(212) 966-7900

SOURCE The Olevolos Project