On Thursday October 19th, we attended the Daniel E. Straus & CareOne Starry Night Masquerade for Puerto Rico Relief at Skylight Clarkson North in New York City where $4 Million were raised to help the cause. JoJo and Pitbull were the musical performers. Notable guests included Chanel Iman, Danielle Brooks, Joan Smalls, Victor Cruz and Johannes Huebl.
As guests entered the venue, they were greeted by masked models wearing shorts with the Puerto Rican flag printed on them. They set the tone with big trays full of masks so every guest could select the perfect mask to let them enjoy the night and most importantly support Puerto Rico.
Jason Carroll from CNN was co-hosting the night along with Daniel and Lizzie Straus. He spoke of his time in Aguadilla, and the shock of the lack of reach that the resources had in places outside of San Juan.
He went on to introduce Daniel and Lizzie Straus along with the wonderful initiatives that CareOne has funded. The assisted living company from New Jersey has helped not only with Puerto Rico, but with various causes such as Make A Wish, Breast Cancer Foundation, Hurricane Sandy Relief and more.
Once Jojo took the stage as the first performer of the night, she made sure to let guests know how important the event was for her. “Puerto Rico means a lot to me, I went there not for work but because I love it!” said Jojo before gracing the crowd with a throwback favorite, Leave (Get Out).
After warming up with Jojo, Pitbull took over the stage with his recognizable Latin flare and a set of vivacious dancers. But before the fun and the dancing began, Pitbull made a point to share his reason to be part of the event. “To help those that are really in need.”
The night peaked when the Miami native sang Timber, a crowd favorite, and the sign that everyone was having a wonderful time. He went on to perform I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho), Echa Pa’lla (Manos Pa’rriba), Fireball, Hotel Room Service and ended the evening with Give Me Everything.
The perfect closure to the night was to hear the father daughter duo, Daniel and Lizzie Straus announce that they had raised over four million dollars for Puerto Rico.