On May 8, 2005, Celine Dion dedicated a special Mother's Day performance of her Las Vegas show A New Day..., created by DRAGONE at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, to raise money for the victims of the Asian tsunami. Proceeds from the Sunday, May 8 show, totaling more than $1,029, 714 were donated to UNICEF's Tsunami Recovery Fund to help with relief and reconstruction efforts in the tsunami-affected region.
The evening's event was hosted by Master of Ceremonies and Honorary Committee Member Larry King. At the end of the performance, Celine Dion and King presented UNICEF President USA, Charles J. Lyons and UNICEF President, Canada, David Agnew, with a donation check.
The show exceeded it expectations to raise over one million dollars from show proceeds, sponsorship packages, a special commemorative program book, collection boxes in The Colosseum and a silent auction preceding the show that evening to help the families who have suffered as a result of the tragedy.
The special event was chaired by Celine Dion with her husband Rene Angelil, and co-chaired by Caesars Palace President Mark Juliano with his wife Jacqueline Juliano, and AEG President and CEO Timothy J. Leiweke with his wife Bernadette Leiweke.
Honorary Chairpersons President George H.W. Bush and President William Jefferson Clinton gave a pre-recorded address and with some of the most respected VIPs and celebrities from the entertainment world and government endorsed this fundraising effort and lent their names in support. The Honorary Committee is comprised of the following individuals:
Président George H.W. Bush
Président William Jefferson Clinton
Stefanie Graf et Andre Agassi
Cher
Michael Douglas et Catherine Zeta-Jones
Linda Thompson & David Foster
Le Maire de Las Vegas Oscar B.Goodman
Le Gouverneur du Nevada Kenny C. Guinn
George Hamilton
Sir Elton John
Wynonna Judd
Larry et Shawn King
Bette Midler
Kathleen et Wayne Newton
Shaquille O'Neal
Barbra Streisand
Dame Elizabeth Taylor
UNICEF has a strong presence in the regions most affected by the tsunami, making it especially well positioned to provide urgent and sustainable help when the disaster struck. Working with governments, other UN agencies and the broader relief community, UNICEF's work has focused on four chief areas: child survival, family reunification, child protection and getting schools up and running.