August 26th, 2009 · No Comments

From Green Right Now Reports

Oceana raised nearly $900,000 at last weekend’s second annual SeaChange Summer Party, where it honored celebrities Glenn Close and Morgan Freeman.

The gathering supporting the ocean protection group was star-studded. Attendees included Oceana board member Ted Danson, last year’s honorees Harrison Ford and John Picard; Kate Walsh, Aaron Peirsol, Lauren Hutton, Anne Heche, Jeff Goldblum and many others.

Actress Close works with Arbor Day programs in her native New York City and has been a longtime supporter of human and animal rights, including assisting the Fountain House in New York City, a recovery facility for people with psychological disorders.

Freeman, an advocate for fighting global warming, has been active in the recovery efforts related to Hurricane Katrina. The Memphis native helped co-found PlanIt Now, a non-profit focused on hurricane preparedness.

Glenn Close has been nominated for five Academy Awards for her work in Dangerous Liaisons, Fatal Attraction, The Big Chill, The Natural and The World According to Garp.S he won both a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for her role as ‘Patty Hewes’ on Damages and is a three-time Tony Award winner.

Freeman won an Oscar for Million Dollar Baby in 2004, and was nominated for an Oscar three times before for acting turns in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy and the Shawshank Redemption. He has narrated many movies including March of the Penguins.

Oceana has been cited by Kiplinger Magazine as among the nation’s most effective environmental groups.  The summer party took place at a private residence in Laguna Beach. The event had a long list of sponsors, including Lugano Diamonds, the Harriet E. Pfleger Foundation and many national and local businesses.