BON JOVI AND FRIENDS BUILD HABITAT

Jon Bon Jovi and Kenneth Cole spearheaded a benefit for Habitat For Humanity and other charities on Thursday night

Jon Bon Jovi and Kenneth Cole spearheaded the “R.S.V.P. To Help” event Thursday night with proceeds going to organizations to fight homelessness. The event was a release for the RSVP fragrance, and proceeds were split between Habitat For Humanity, HELP Usa, and the Philadelphia Soul Foundation.

Attending the event was Bon Jovi’s bandmate Richie Sambora, Howard Stern, model Petra Nemcova and Deborah Gibson. Jon Bon Jovi talked about how the benefit event came to fruition.

“Well, we had collaborated initially this year on these coats, these Kenneth Cole designed coats, that we sold over the holiday season, and all of the profits benefited this homeless initiatve that we’re both very involved in which is called HELP USA and it provides affordable housing and job training and services to those in need, and as an extension of that the opportunity came to get involved with RSVP. What attracted me to it, aside from the donation to the foundation so that we can continue to do good, was that there was a social message. Most of what Kenneth does, as you well know, is that he’s got these great social messages in his advertising. Instead of me sitting there and saying, ‘Buy this cologne and I get some money to build houses,’ what it really is is a call to action. You see these questions being posed across your TV screen that will catch your eye and are more or less are asking, ‘Did you do the right thing?'”

Attendees Howard Stern, Petra Nemcova, and Deborah Gibson all chimed in on the event and the cause.

[Stern] “I think it’s real important. I think guys like that are great. They’re doing something nice, they’re doing something good for the community. You see a lot of people suffering these days and having hard times. You see a guy like Jon and Kenneth, they don’t have to do this kind of thing, but the fact that they’ve gotten together and done it, I think is a great thing.” [Nemcova] “There are so many people, they will follow them. If they start to take care of some important cause, I think other people will follow them, and it will help the cause. So I think have to use the gifts and opportunities they have to help others.” [Gibson] “I always feel so grateful to be in a position, be it financially or through music to be able to give. I just think people underestimate the power of giving whatever they can — whether it’s a dollar to the homeless guy at Starbucks or if it’s the gift of music I think everybody’s got a responsibility.”

Before the event there was a live auction. The auction raised over $700,000 for Habitat For Humanity, HELP USA, and the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation. The general public won’t be left out as many other auction items will be available starting February 5 at www.rsvptohelp.org.