NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 The star-studded Prince鈥檚 Trust Global Gala raised more than $1.7 million Thursday night at Casa Cipriani in New York City, as a wide range of grantees 鈥 past and present 鈥 explained how King Charles III鈥檚 charity has improved their lives.
鈥淟uther鈥 star Idris Elba revealed that without a grant from The Prince鈥檚 Trust when he was 17, he would not have been able to join the 春色直播 Youth Music Theatre, which launched his career.
鈥淥ne thing The Prince鈥檚 Trust gave me was confidence,鈥 said Elba, who mingled among celebrities including actress Sienna Miller, supermodels Kate Moss and Winnie Harlow and fashion designers Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors among others. 鈥淚t gave me the confidence to believe in what I do, who I am and what I can be.鈥
The Prince鈥檚 Trust hopes to offer that kind of support in the United States, where it plans to further expand this year.
鈥淗is majesty couldn鈥檛 be with us this evening 鈥 I know he wanted to be,鈥 said Charlotte Mensah, owner of the Hairlounge salon in London and a past grantee of The Prince鈥檚 Trust.
鈥淗e has something next week,鈥 joked Mensah, referring to King Charles III鈥檚 coronation on May 6.
In a letter to the gala鈥檚 attendees, read by Mensah, King Charles III said he could not have dreamed The Prince鈥檚 Trust would have expanded to 23 countries when he launched it in 1976 with his severance pay from the Royal Navy.
鈥淚 am thrilled to say that it has now worked with over 1 million young people, helping them to start careers, launch businesses and reengage with education,鈥 King Charles III wrote. 鈥淚 am enormously inspired by the determination and commitment of young people.鈥
Will Straw, CEO of The Prince鈥檚 Trust International, told The Associated Press that the charity鈥檚 mission is as essential as ever.
鈥淭his year, we鈥檒l support around 100,000 young people directly around the world, helping them gain the skills for meaningful work,鈥 Straw said. 鈥淎nd this is so important because young people have been hit so hard economically by the pandemic."
The International Labor Organization and others have highlighted a gap between the skills that employers need and those young people gain during their education, he said.
鈥淪omething鈥檚 missing," Straw said. 鈥淏ut all around the world, our programs are closing that gap.鈥
Greece鈥檚 Crown Prince Pavlos said he has seen what The Prince鈥檚 Trust accomplished in his homeland and is hopeful it can succeed on the same level in the U.S., where he now lives.
鈥淲e have so much capacity in America for people to help entrepreneurially, but we also have a lot of people in need,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his can be a real stronghold for The Prince鈥檚 Trust.鈥
British singer Rita Ora stepped in to perform at the gala Thursday night after original host Lionel Richie had to travel to the United Kingdom to prepare his performance for the king's forthcoming coronation.
Ora, who performed her new single 鈥淧raising You鈥 in public for the first time, said she was happy to show her support for the cause.
鈥淚t鈥檚 everything I believe in,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 think the truth really lies in the results and that鈥檚 why I back it.鈥 ____
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