EVENT UPDATE : THE LEONARDO DICAPRIO FOUNDATION GALA 2014 .. ST TROPEZ .. JULY 23RD 2014..



Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has raised more than $25 million (18 million euros) at a charity gala in France for his foundation which aims at protecting the environment and endangered species.The fundraiser late Wednesday in the chic Riviera seaside resort of Saint-Tropez included an auction of Hollywood and rock and roll memorabilia and works by Damien Hirst and Pablo Picasso.

It also included DiCaprio's Harley Davidson motorbike bearing the signatures of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro and a guitar belonging to U2 frontman Bono.

DiCaprio told the 500 guests -- who included stars ranging from US soap star Joan Collins to French actress Marion Cotillard -- that animal and flora species were rapidly disappearing on a scale last seen when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Guests shelled out between $7,000 and $130,000 to attend the event.

A sculpture by British artist Damien Hirst was snapped up for $6 million by Russian-born billionaire Len Blavatnik, while South African tycoon Patrice Motsepe paid $1 million for a Picasso drawing.



Leonardo Dicaprio Foundation:
Dedicated to protecting Earth’s last wild places and fostering a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world. 
Since 1998, the Foundation has been working on pressing
environmental and humanitarian issues through grant making, campaigning and media projects. Areas of focus include; wildlife and habitat preservation, healthy oceans, water access, climate change and disaster relief. The Foundation’s strategic approach to philanthropy for a better planet relies upon active collaboration with effective organizations as well as with other funders who share our goals and can magnify our impact.
Philanthropy Providing grants to innovative, results-driven conservation projects, collaborative initiatives, and trusted nonprofits.
Recent philanthropic efforts include;

•  Protecting Tigers from Extinction:  a conservation effort in Nepal to protect critical tiger habitat led by World Wildlife Fund in collaboration with local communities, and the Nepali government
• Saving the Last Rainforests: a collaborative effort with WWF, Frankfort Zoological Society, the Australian Orangutan Project, Kehati and Eyes on the Forest to save the largest remaining block of rainforest in Sumatra, home to wild tigers, orangutans, elephants and two indigenous tribes
• Protecting Our Oceans: an international funders collaborative called “Oceans 5” dedicated to stopping overfishing and establishing marine reserves, the two highest ecological priorities identified by scientists
• Saving Sharks: a successful effort of six organizations from five different countries to secure international trade restrictions for five species of threatened sharks at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
• Protecting Antarctica: a grant for the Antarctic Ocean Alliance, a coalition of over a dozen organizations working on five continents to secure the largest network of marine reserves on the planet  
• Providing Access to Clean Water: a grant to Concern Worldwide, providing 430,000 people in Tanzania, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Darfur with sustainable access to clean water

In tandem with LDF’s philanthropic efforts, the foundation uses digital media and Leonardo’s website & social media channels with 10 Million+ followers, to inform and rally the public on specific calls-to-action. LDF also works behind the scenes to encourage collaboration between organizations, other celebrities and decision-makers.
Justin Winters is Executive Director, she has been working at the Foundation since 2006.
For more information visit www.leonardodicaprio.com.
A component fund of the California Community Foundation.
Follow us on Twitter: @LeoDiCaprio
Facebook: Facebook.com/LeonardoDiCaprio
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation welcomes inquiries and ideas for potential projects, however does not accept unsolicited proposals