Marching In for St. Jude
Soap stars from both coasts will flock to the Marriot Marquis Hotel in New York for the 11th Annual Daytime Television Salutes St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital benefit Oct. 14. Event creator/organizer extraordinaire Martha Byrne (Lily, AS THE WORLD TURNS) offers a sneak peek into this year’s biggest party.
“We are trying some new things,” reveals Byrne. As usual, there will be a buffet dinner, entertainment by some of daytime’s most talented actors and fabulous auction items. Plus, “the actors will have more time with the fans this year. The actors are going to eat first, backstage. When they come [out], they can play, talk and mingle with people. They have a place to go and hang and regroup, and then come back out. The actors get bombarded, so I think that this way they are kind of spread out more.”
Byrne counts on other actors to help her with the event. “I get one person from each show to rally the troops,” she shares. “Terri Ivens (Simone) is great at ALL MY CHILDREN. I talked to Kassie (DePaiva, Blair, ONE LIFE TO LIVE), and, hopefully, she can come and rally her people. That’s what I lose sleep over. I’m thinking no one is going to come. No actors are going to show, and I’m just there holding the ball.”
Not a chance. Even West Coast actors come out specifically for the event. “People are still waiting on their schedules,” she acknowledges, “but we have 12-15 actors coming in from California right now.”
And what is a celebrity event without some swag? “The goody bags for the actors and the fans are outrageous this year,” smiles Byrne. “I’m trying to give the fans something to remember, something to go home with.”
Byrne also hopes to educate stars and fans alike on St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “I’m showing a video that I saw at Marlo Thomas‘ Runway for Life event in L.A.,” she notes. “It was so powerful. I was on the fence about it because it’s a long video and it’s a story about a boy who ends up passing away. It’s very sad, but it is also the reality. We are going to show how the hospital really does reach out to everybody. I feel bad for the fans who don’t get to meet their favorite star if they don’t show up or whatever happens, but we are there to raise money for children. I’m trying to make everybody happy, but the bottom line is, let’s raise money for the hospital. It’s a great, amazing place.”
For ticket information, visit www.stjude.org/daytimetv, or contact Beth Desai at (212) 239-3239 or via e-mail at beth.desai@stjude.org.
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