Mission High School - San Francisco
Mission High School - San Francisco

News & Events


Oct 23 2008 12:00AM

Carlos Santana, Honored with the ONEXONE Difference Award



On the evening of October 23rd, music icon and legendary performer Carlos Santana was honored with the ONEXONE Difference Award. Santana, an accomplished social activist and humanitarian, co-founded the Milagro Foundation with founding Board member Deborah Santana, to support organizations promoting the welfare of vulnerable children in the areas of health, education, and the arts and is deeply involved with Artists for a New South Africa, working to fight the African AIDS pandemic and care for children orphaned by the disease. For his work with these organizations and his decades-long history of profound dedication and personal generosity to charities around the world, ONEXONE is proud to honor Carlos Santana with the Difference Award.

The ONEXONE Foundation was founded in 2005 by Diesel Canada President, Joelle Berdugo Adler, to celebrate the life of her late husband Lou Adler.

Spearheading the U.S. initiative are Marc Joubert, President, and Skylar James, Managing Director, both formerly of LivePlanet, the production company founded by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The addition of Joubert and James will allow ONEXONE to have increased presence in the States, greater visibility for the issues, and to grow as an organization, supporting two new fundraising events in 2008; Ben Affleck hosted a benefit event in Calgary on June 14th, and Matt Damon brought the charity to American soil with the fundraising gala in San Francisco on October 23rd.

ONEXONE has made headlines for a good cause with an annual star-studded benefit gala held in Toronto during the Toronto International Film Festival. Matt Damon hosted the event in 2006, 2007, and hosted again on September 8, 2008. Last year’s event raised more than $3.5 million dollars in a single night, supporting ONEXONE’s charitable initiatives and philanthropic partners throughout the year.

Matt Damon has been a dedicated frontman for the foundation, not only acting as master of ceremonies for three years running, but taking an active role in both fundraising and fact-finding. Damon’s own charity, H2O Africa, which he founded in 2006, is a major philanthropic partner of the ONEXONE umbrella organization. And Damon has made two trips to Africa to visit the local children and communities in Zambia, Tanzania, and South Africa, and to gain first-hand knowledge of the crises ONEXONE works to alleviate.

“I want people to know that these problems can be solved, that it’s not impossible and it can be solved in our lifetime,” stated Damon when interviewed. “If we don’t do it, the outlook for the world is extremely bleak, and if we do, it will be truly wonderful as this is about the world that we’re leaving behind for our kids.”

Wyclef Jean has also demonstrated unwavering commitment to ONEXONE, serving as the music ambassador at the Toronto fundraising gala three years running and this year’s San Francisco event. Wyclef’s own Yéle Haiti is a philanthropic partner of ONEXONE, working to make a difference in the fields of education, health, environment, and community development. “The objective of Yéle Haiti is to restore pride and a reason to hope, and for the whole country to regain the deep spirit and strength that is part of our heritage” says Wyclef Jean.

In just three years ONEXONE has raised over $7 Million for its charitable partners, including H2O Africa, Yele Haiti, Millennium Promise, War Child, and Spread the Net. With its U.S. operations established, ONEXONE is committed to spending a portion of all funds raised on its American charitable partners.





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