Thursday evening, Hollywood and Silicon Valley came together to celebrate the Sierra Club’s 125th Anniversary Trail Blazers Ball and their tireless work to protect the planet. The San Francisco event honored Shailene Woodley, Yong Jung Cho, LaDonna Brave Bull Allard and Michael R. Bloomberg. Other guests included Jack Dorsey, Michelle Pfeiffer, David E. Kelley, Thomas Middleditch, Kristi Yamaguchi, Darren Aronofsky, and many others. Event details are below.
PHOTOS:
LINK 1 (courtesy of Getty Images)
LINK 2 (courtesy of Drew Altizer Photography)
VIDEO EPK (courtesy of Sierra Club)
SAN FRANCISCO (May 18, 2017) – This evening, the Sierra Club – the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization – celebrated its 125th Anniversary at the Trail Blazers Ball in San Francisco with Honorees Shailene Woodley and Michael R. Bloomberg. The event feted the Sierra Club’s historic work at the federal, state, and local levels to protect millions of acres of our wild America, and to accelerate a new era of American prosperity by moving to a 100% clean energy economy.
The Sierra Club’s 125th Anniversary Trail Blazers Ball was held at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Event co-chairs were Jack Dorsey (Twitter and Square CEO), and Guy & Jeanine Saperstein (former Oakland A’s owners). The event was hosted by Thomas Middleditch (Emmy-nominated star of HBO’s hit series “Silicon Valley”). The Host Committee included Oscar-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, actress Chloë Sevigny, and Model/Actress Amber Valletta.
Additional guests included Michelle Pfeiffer (HBO’s “Wizard of Lies”), David E. Kelley (Creator of HBO’s “Big Little Lies”), U.S. Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, U.S Hockey Hall of Famer Michael Richter, and many more. DJ heyLove* provided music for the soiree.
Golden Globe-nominated actress and environmental activist Shailene Woodley was honored for her powerful grassroots activism. "All we're fighting for is love,” said Woodley. “Every human being wants to experience love and wants to give love. We've gotten lost along the way... Remember why we care about this planet and remember why we care about each other."
The star of HBO’s "Big Little Lies" has been an outspoken opponent of the Dakota Access Pipeline, demonstrating alongside the Standing Rock Sioux and hundreds of other tribes and allies to fight back against the crude oil pipeline that threatens their drinking water, culture, and livelihood.
Businessman, politician, and philanthropist Michael R. Bloomberg was honored for his enduring commitment to combat climate change. “The Club had just successfully fought the opening of hundreds of coal-fired power plants and they had the audacious idea of launching a campaign to close down one-third of the nation's existing coal-fired power production,” said Bloomberg. “As soon as I heard about the idea of local action leading us to a new energy future, it knew it was something we could achieve with the right partners the right plan and the finances to get it done. Today, I can tell you that it really has been one of the most rewarding projects I’ve ever been involved in and it would be It’s hard to find a better return on investment, when you count both the lives saved and the emissions reduced.”
Through his foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, he has partnered with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, which has helped retire more than 250 coal plants across the country. Bloomberg Philanthropies, with RadicalMedia, is also producing From the Ashes, a documentary about the legacy of the coal industry. Bloomberg is the co-author of Climate of Hope with Carl Pope, former executive director of the Sierra Club. Additionally, Bloomberg has advocated for cities to commit to ambitious climate-related goals as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change.
The Sierra Club, the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, has more than 2.7 million members and supporters, and chapters in every state. The Sierra Club has helped protect millions of acres of wilderness and helped pass the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. The Sierra Club is working to accelerate the transition to a 100% clean and renewable energy economy. They just announced the 29th city to commit to 100% clean energy and have helped retire nearly half the nation’s coal plants.
Host committee members included Darren Aronofsky, Kathy Barry & Bob Burnett, Steven & Nicey Berkenfeld, Loren Blackford & Michael Dubno, Andre Carothers & Firuzeh Mahmoudi, David desJardins & Nancy Blachman, Chuck & Debbie Frank, Gail & Roy Greenwald, Anna Hawken, Robert & Rosemary Heil, Alex Honnold, Kristin Hull, Michael & Jackie Klein, Thomas Middleditch, Paula Rantz, Chloë Sevigny, Dan & Kathleen Shugar, Amber Valletta, Kevin Vilkin, and Bill Weihl & Lisa Mihaly.
Sponsors included A. Maciel Printing, Betty Zlatchin Catering, Big Basin Vineyards, Blueprint Studios, Do Good Events, Golden State Distillery, Immersive Environments, Leki USA, Lowa Boots, Non Plus Ultra, Inc., O.A.R.S., Tompert Design and Wynn E. Derr.
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Sierra Club’s 125th Anniversary Trail Blazers Ball
Honorees Included
Shailene Woodley and Michael R. Bloomberg
SOCIAL MEDIA: @SierraClub #SierraClub125
WHO:
Golden Globe-nominated actress and environmental activist Shailene Woodley was honored for her powerful grassroots activism. Businessman, politician, and philanthropist Michael R. Bloomberg was honored for his enduring commitment to combat climate change. LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, who founded the first resistance camp of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, was recognized for her activism. Yong Jung Cho was honored for building political power and using it to save the planet.
Event co-chairs in included Jack Dorsey (Founder, Twitter and Square) and Guy and Jeanine Saperstein* (former owners, Oakland A's). The host committee included Darren Aronofsky (Academy Award nominated filmmaker), Bob Burnett (Founder, Cisco Systems), Robert Heil (renowned wildlife photographer), Alex Honnold* (legendary free-solo rock climber), Thomas Middleditch (HBO’s “Silicon Valley”), actress Chloë Sevigny*, and model and actress Amber Valletta*
Additional guests included Michelle Pfeiffer (HBO’s “Wizard of Lies”), David E. Kelley (Creator of HBO’s “Big Little Lies”), U.S. Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, U.S Hockey Hall of Famer Michael Richter, and many more. DJ heyLove* provided music for the soiree.
*Denotes person did not attend event.
WHAT:
The Sierra Club’s 125th Anniversary Trail Blazers Ball – the green-tie gala of the year –celebrated the Sierra Club’s historic work at the federal, state, and local levels to protect millions of acres of our wild America and accelerate a just and equitable transition to a 100% clean energy economy.
WHEN:
Thursday, May 18, 2017
WHERE:
The Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.7 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
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