NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ By Anne Poling/ Harvard University) - At a star-studded gala in New York City,
Quincy Jones and the Harvard School of Public Health presented the first-ever Q Prize to Scott Neeson, who quit a successful career in Hollywood and moved to Cambodia to build and run a residential school serving hundreds of formerly homeless and impoverished children. The Q Prize was created by
Quincy Jones and the Harvard School of Public Health to recognize extraordinary leadership in advocacy for children.
The highlight of the event, held Jan. 24 at New York's prestigious Core Club, came when Neeson told the overflow crowd of celebrities and financiers that he needed help to stay afloat. Motivation coach Tony Robbins called out, asking how much Neeson needed. When he answered $600,000, Robbins pledged one-third if others matched him. Famed designer Donna Karan raised her hand, followed quickly by nutrition guru Dr. Dean Ornish, and the deal was done, giving "Let's Make A Deal" new meaning.
The Jan. 24 event was underwritten entirely by Audemars Piguet, maker of fine Swiss watches. The inaugural Q Prize was funded by Sterling Stamos Capital. Additional support for the Q Prize was provided by Time Warner and DaimlerChrysler.
Scott Neeson is executive director of the Cambodian Children's Fund (CCF), a safe house for Cambodia's orphaned, abandoned, and abused children. Created by Neeson in 2003, the CCF serves 240 children from amongst the most impoverished and uneducated of Cambodia's population, those at greatest risk of child trafficking. Most of CCF's children were rescued from Stoeng Meanchey, Phnom Penh's notorious rubbish dump. It is there that hundreds of other children continue to live and work, picking through the refuse for recyclable metals and hard plastics.
Neeson left a successful career as an executive at 20th Century Fox and Sony, and moved to Phnom Penh in 2004 to work full-time on the charity. The CCF offers shelter, nutritional meals, a comprehensive education that includes English and Khmer reading and writing, math, computer training plus in-house medical services a cultural program of dance and drama, and a vocational training program.
"Scott Neeson's selfless, remarkable commitment to the children of Cambodia represents a genuine profile in courage," Quincy Jones said in a statement. "I am humbled by what Scott Neeson has done, and am privileged to recognize his contribution by presenting him with the first-ever Q Prize."
The Jan. 24 event was a highlight of National Mentoring Month (NMM), a campaign held each January to recruit volunteer mentors for at-risk youth. This year, the Harvard School of Public Health has named Quincy Jones as its first-ever Mentor of the Year.
"Quincy Jones' leadership in creating the Q Prize breathes life into the concept of 'Pass It On' by shining a spotlight on Scott Neeson's profound contribution, and encouraging each of us to do our part to help the world's children," said Dr. Jay Winsten, an associate dean at the Harvard School of Public Health. "We are proud to honor Quincy Jones as Mentor of the Year."
National Mentoring Month 2007 is spearheaded by the Harvard Mentoring Project of the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Sponsors include MCJ Foundation and MetLife Foundation. Information on National Mentoring Month is available at https://www.WhoMentoredYou.org.
Audemars Piguet is the oldest Haute Horlogerie watchmaker still in the hands of its founding families, perpetuating a legacy based on three fundamental values: tradition, excellence and creative daring, particularly in the field of complex watch mechanisms where it holds a record number of world firsts. For further information, please visit https://www.audemarspiguet.com.
