KELLY RIPA & TERRENCE HOWARD from PHILADELPHIA, BOTH SELLING LEMONADE FOR CHARITY

When I was in NYC for the Tony Award's Weekend, I heard that Kelly Ripa was doing something at the Boathouse in Central Park. I thought I would run over there and see if I could get in to cover it 'cause I love me some Kelly Ripa. No, nope, no way, and I was in good company as about 6 other photographers couldn't get in either, seems the 3 premiere agencies got the "exclusive" shots, or so they thought.
Kelly was tuned into the paparazzi in the rented row boats, she's a professional , she knows how to work it, she walked to the edge of the pier posed for photos and some of these shots ended up being published. As for me I was across the lake with my 300mm which just couldn't make the reach. (now this is a good example on the two kinds of photographers. The one's shooting the event inside the tent are credentialed photographers, the guys in the boat well this is paparazzi photography, me in the bushes across from the Boathouse same thing. We are taking candid photos of a celeb not as invited press.)
But I was pretty excited as it looked like Kelly was doing something for Alex's Lemonade. Now I knew I needed to get a shot of her to bring back to Philly with me, as she's a home town girl living in a lonely world, oh I digress. Anyway when I could tell the press conference was winding down I beelined it to the parking lot to look for her SUV. It was already at the door to carry her away. The other photographers were there too. I took a lot of great shots, none of them available to my blog.

I had a chance to ask Kelly if this lemonade stand was connected with Alex's Lemonade.



"No, it's for Ovarian cancer" Now most of you know that my sister has Ovarian Cancer, and there really is so little awareness for it, but a lemonade stand for Ovarian Cancer in June which is Alex's Lemonade Stand's big campaign month; wouldn't that be confusing? (Ovarian Cancer Awareness month is September and their color is purple. So maybe a grape drink stand would have been less confusing.)

Surely Kelly has heard of Alex's Lemonade Stand, or at least her family must have heard about it when she I'm sure told them about this campaign? (Hopefully some of you made it out to the Great Chefs Osteria 2009 event. I was there last year, but this year was covering the Octo Grille Opening)

-This summer, exclusively at electroluxappliances.com, you can get “Cool For A Cause” and design and open your very own virtual lemonade stand. You can even pick the flavors of lemonade you want to feature like Rosemary Watermelon Lemonade, Raspberry Mint or Citrus Twist, just to name a few. For every stand opened, Electrolux will donate $1 to OCRF as part of its $500,000 commitment to help fight ovarian cancer. - Michael Klein got on the case to get down to the bottom of it and this appeared in last weeks Sunday's Inqlings:

Feeling the squeeze

Competition - in the nonprofit world? Now there are two campaigns based on lemonade stands.

For nearly a decade, there has been the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, inspired by Alexandra Scott, who at age 4 in 2000 set up a lemonade stand at her home to raise money to fight childhood cancers. The Wynnewood girl raised $1 million before her death in 2004, and parents Jay and Liz Scott are continuing the fight.

On Monday, at the height of the foundation's annual fund-raising blitz, Electrolux rolled out a national campaign to help the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. The appliance maker and its spokeswoman, South Jersey-bred talk-show host Kelly Ripa, are calling for people to create online lemonade stands.

Electrolux, promising $500,000 to the fund, has done similar charitable endeavors, but none involving beverages.

"The timing struck me as unusual," said Liz Scott, making lemonade out of what one might call a lemon. "Then I stepped back and realized they're also doing a good thing."

(Liz Scott a class act)

(Outisde the Marriott Hotel last Friday)
Mary Kay Kopf, chief marketing officer of Electrolux Major Appliances North America, said through a spokeswoman: "We applaud a decade of Alex's 'Original' Lemonade Stand efforts and wish them continued success. We support all efforts to raise funds and awareness for cancer research."

Jonathan Vendrick outside Loew's Hotel last Friday.

A photo I took of Terrence Howard outside the Ritz-Carlton last Friday. (My photos appear every week in Michael Klein's Sunday column pg. B2) What a great Father's day shot too, as Terrence Howard sells the charity lemonade with his son Hunter. As we wind down the month of June, the need for donations doesn't dwindle, please find it in your heart, in your wallet to donate to this worthy cause http://www.alexslemonade.org/home and if you have a little something left over please share it with the Ovarian Cancer organization through electroluxappliances.com
If you can't find an Alex's Lemonade Stand but want to donate money virtually, they just Tweeted: Drive a Volvo? Buy a cup of Virtual Lemonade to benefit childhood cancer & you could save $ on your next service appt! http://bit.ly/13mHZX

Also accepting prayers for my sister Judy. Thanks for your support, I've received inquires lately and Judy is holding her own. I'm just holding my breath. Hopefully this week we will hear some great news. The doctors at Sloan-Kettering are awesome.