ABOUT
Funds from black-tie fundraiser with benefit The Clara Lionel Foundation, founded in honor of the singer’s grandparents .
Rihanna backstage at Milk Studios on October 29th, 2014 in Hollywood, CA.
By Rolling Stone | November 7, 2014
UPDATE: Jimmy Kimmel has signed on to host the ball, with Brad Pitt joining the event to introduce Rihanna’s performance.
Rihanna has revealed details of the first annual Diamond Ball, a black-tie fundraiser benefitting The Clara Lionel Foundation. The singer will perform with a live orchestra at the event, which takes place December 11th at The Vineyard, a private 157-acre enclave located in Beverly Hills. According to a press release, the Diamond Ball – which also includes a dinner and live auction – will host an estimated 600 guests, “ranging from entertainment and business executives to celebrities and philanthropists.”
Rihanna founded the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012. Named in honor of her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite, the organization seeks to improve quality of life in areas of health, education, culture and arts for communities across the globe.
“One of the greatest benefits of my job was being able to start the Clara Lionel Foundation in honor of my grandparents,” the singer says in a statement. “There is truly nothing I’m more proud of, and we’ve just gotten started. I’m excited to continue my work and thrilled to be able to host the Diamond Ball – a night that promises to be elegant and inspirational.”
In 2012, Rihanna established the Clara Braithwaite Center for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine after donating $1.75 million dollars to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, Babados. The center was named after her grandmother, who died that same year after losing her battle with cancer. Those funds aided in purchasing the facility’s first modern radiotherapy machine, the Equinox Beam; additional funds raised from the Diamond Ball will go toward improving the center, infrastructure planning and purchasing additional radiotherapy equipment – which, combined, has a projected cost of $2.4 million.
Spark Of Love