First Article in Jour 241

By: Stephen Roesler

Malibu Global Awareness held it’s 4^th annual charity event on Saturday, September 15^th, to raise money for the non-profit organization Doctors Without Borders.

Dedicated to humanitarian aide, Malibu Global Awareness was founded by Annie Thiel, PhD, to honor her late spouse, Dr. Richard Thiel, a supporter of Doctors Without Border for more than 20 years.

Aiding people who are affected by “armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from health care in the more than 70 countries,” Doctors Without Borders send doctors and nurses to 4,700 assignments worldwide. Offering a smorgasbord of services, Doctors Without Borders will heavily benefit from the money raised by Malibu Global Awareness.

Founded in 1971, Doctors Without Borders is the English language version of Medecins Sans Frontières.  Qualifying as the first non-governmental organization to offer emergency medical aide in addition to creating awareness as they witness the many troubling scenes outside of the U.S, Doctors without Borders is mostly recognized for taking quick action in emergency situations and the aftermath although it offers long term help as well.  Treating people with Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDES and even providing psychological help for those in need.

Doctors Without Borders thrives in responding to war-torn towns in desperate need of clean water, Southeast Asian villages without electricity, or tackling the ever present need for contraceptives and AIDES awareness.  Winning the Noble Peace Prize in 1999, sends a clear message that this organization works and will continue to benefit our world thanks to people like Annie Thiel.

Most encouraging remains the fact that almost everything at Saturday’s event was donated.  From the auction items to the catering, Malibu Global awareness maintains that 95 percent of what was raised goes straight to Doctors Without Borders.

Step into the cozy beach house placed on the infamous sands of Malibu and you will find live and silent auction items, Latin Jazz music by Louie Cruz Beltran, plenty of fine wines and of course, Fred Segal.  It’s an event most would not want to miss.

The live auction accomplished its task by selling “Anastasia Africas,” a five star, luxury, South African safari, valued at a mere $25,000, a helicopter ride over Los Angeles went for $1,000 and the “Morocco Journey Package” went to an adventurous and generous attendee.

Malibu locals drooled over 4 surfboards, going for $2,500 each, by artists Guy Dill, Miriam Wosk, Lita Albuquerque and Charles Arnoldi who some say will be the next Andy Worhol.

The silent auction offered a variety of categories to choose from such as: fashion and jewelry, travel and leisure, health and beauty, home garden and pets and sports and fitness.

“It is my pleasure to make this possible,” said Renowned Malibu Artist and proud donator, Diane Yunck Neale.

Aside from auction items, Saturday’s event held Stephen Collins’ 7^th Heaven Band and Wade Hubbard- a Grammy Nominee musician.  Restaurant Cha Cha Cha, a West Hollywood establishment, dealt with catering the event.

While Powers Booth and the owner of Polaroid Homes spoke about the benefits of Doctors Without Borders, it was Congressman Brad Sherman, Democrat of California’s 27^th District in the San Fernando Valley who caught most of the attention.   Presenting a flag that was once flown over the capitol, the honored award was graciously accepted by the founder of Malibu Global Awareness, Anne Theil.

It’s going to take some generous people and hint of innovation to continue raising the money.  With help from Marmalade Café, the Sunset Restaurant and Geoffrey’s, local support persists to allow this crucial event to take place.

Doctors Without Borders relies 89 percent on the general public to contribute to its annual income of  $714 Million.  America alone maintains almost 489,000 private contributors that have donated over $118 million to the foundation. With Malibu Global Awareness now maintaining 25 members and over 400 active supporters, Doctors Without Borders is blessed to have the support of Annie Thiel.

The event hopes to continue its annual event night in the future.  For those interested, you just might want to invest in a few raffle tickets and have a shot a winning some cup cakes.  A cup cake with a diamond and topaz ring inside may just brighten your night.