Friday, January 29th, 2010 | Celebs, Fab Events, Los Angeles, News, Philanthropy

The Story of the Gifting Lounge that Gave Back

By Samantha

During awards season, everyone frequently hears about gifting lounges, which provide the latest and greatest swag to celebrities. The Golden Globes may have passed, but the story of the Madison & Mulholland charity-themed suite is still just as relevant.

This suite provided something a bit new to famous faces. In the suite, celebrities filled up “swag” bags, to be auctioned off for their personal charities. The bags went up for auction on January 25th at Clothes Off Our Back online. One charity that garnered quite a few celebrity bags is Help for Orphans International, which is helping raise money for disaster relief in Haiti.

Held at a private residence in Beverly Hills, celebrities like Evan Handler, Joe Mantegna, Joan Collins and Shar Jackson showed up to fill up their bags with goodies. Each bag included a personalized item from the celebrity as well, from autographed photos to scripts.

Some of the participating vendors were Judith Leiber, Shakers Vodka, Luggage Forward, Verragio Diamonds, Clutch for Cures and Dara Ettinger Jewelry. Hooray for celebs and charities working together.

Images courtesy of John M. Heller