By YESTERDAY, October 4th, Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer and his husband, Dan Hendrick co-hosted a fundraiser to support Puerto Rico hurricane relief in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Majority Leader Van Bramer was joined in hosting by MoMA PS1 Director Klaus Biesenbach, James Franco, Sarah Arison, and Rosie Perez. Last night’s event was the largest benefit for Puerto Rico hurricane relief to occur in New York in the wake of Hurricane Maria. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Maria Fund, administered by the Center for Popular Democracy. The fundraiser was attended by over a thousand people.
“Last night, over a thousand New Yorkers showed up and gave back to “La Isla del Encanto”, Puerto Rico, an island and people that have given us so much,” said Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer. “The incredible turnout and the fantastic support from all of the co-hosts last night demonstrate the commitment we all share in helping Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican people rise again. I am immensely grateful to all who attended last night and all who have donated to support the essential relief efforts on the island.”
“More than 1.1 million New Yorkers have roots in Puerto Rico, including many members of the MoMA and MoMA PS1 staff,” said Klaus Biesenbach, Director, MoMA PS1 and Chief Curator at Large, The Museum of Modern Art. This past January, MoMA PS1 collaborated with Puerto Rican artist Papo Colo and many members of the local artist community on a large scale performance in El Yunque rain forest, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria. We are planning to return to the island in January 2018 for a climate change march – an issue that urgently needs to be addressed. The incredible turnout of over 1000 people last night to support Puerto Rico is inspiring, and this is only the beginning of our efforts.”
