Amy Brenneman and Brad Silberling Receive The Help Group's 2007 'Help Humanitarian Award' At Annual Teddy Bear Picnic

Sherman Oaks, CA (PRWEB) June 15, 2007 -- Captivating musical performances by more than 60 children with special needs along with celebrity guests created an unforgettable experience at The Teddy Bear Picnic, The Help Group's 30th Annual Spring Luncheon, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on June 12. The Help Group saluted Amy Brennenman ("Judging Amy," "N.Y.P.D. Blue," and "Private Practice") and husband, acclaimed writer, director and producer, Brad Silberling ("10 Items or Less" and ''Lemony Snicket's, A Series of Unfortunate Events'') with the 'Help Humanitarian Award' for their commitment to many philanthropic causes. Maria Bello ("Thank You for Smoking" and "A History of Violence") took part in the afternoon program sharing eloquent remarks about the humanitarian spirit of Brenneman and Silberling.



This event chaired by Bruce Berman, Village Roadshow Pictures; Elizabeth and Lee Gabler, FOX 2000 and Worldwide Pants respectively; Ann and Jim Gianopulos, Fox Filmed Entertainment; Brian Grazer, Imagine Entertainment and Stacey Snider, Universal Pictures, raised significant funds in support of The Help Group's schools and programs serving pre-K through high school children with special needs on four major campuses in Los Angeles.

The Teddy Bear Picnic opened with The Help Group's Children's Choir's enthusiastic performance of Sing a Song, led by Help Group Performing Arts Director, Sarah Taylor. Gary. H. Carmona, Chairman of the Help Group Board, welcomed luncheon attendees and Dr. Barbara Firestone, Help Group President and CEO, thanked everyone for their friendship and support and remarked, "We are at another crossroads at The Help Group. Each time we open a new campus we think how wonderful--we'll be able to serve many more children--but before we know it, there are many more children who need our help, your help, our collective help. We are most grateful that we can count on you to join us hand in hand as we move forward in our goals to expand our campuses over the next several years."

With wit and warmth, Phillip Palmer, Co-Anchor of ABC 7 "Eye Witness News This Morning," introduced The Opportunity Fund Auction, established in 2003. President of Christie's, Andrea Fiuczynski, led the traditional auction of teddy bears, which provides for scholarship support, mentoring and vocational training, or needs as basic as food, clothing and shelter to children with special needs and their families who have limited financial means.

At this gathering, Help Group COO, Dr. Susan Berman, joined Firestone and Carmona to present The Help Group's 'Professional Excellence Award' to two outstanding professionals, Pamela Clark, Director of The Help Group's Autism Schools, and Nancy Rosenfelt, Director of Summit View Schools for children with learning differences. Jocelyn Moorhouse, (Executive Producer, "Peter Pan" and "Muriel's Wedding") spoke movingly about her son's learning disability and her daughter's autism and about the impact that 'Professional Excellence Award' honorees, Pamela Clark and Nancy Rosenfelt, have made on the lives of her children.

Pamela Clark joined The Help Group in 1986 as a Teacher Specialist. During her tenure she became the founding Director of The Help Group's Village Glen, Bridgeport and Sunrise Schools, currently serving more than 750 students with autism spectrum disorders. 'Professional Excellence Award' honoree, Nancy Rosenfelt joined The Help Group family in 1992 as a program administrator. Rosenfelt is the founding Director of Summit View Schools overseeing more than 400 students on two campuses.

Ann Gianopulos, former Help Humanitarian Honoree and wife of Jim Gianopulos, Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman, introduced a video tribute of the past Help Humanitarian Honorees and welcomed Amy Brenneman and Brad Silberling to The Help Group family. As a tribute to the honorees, former lead singer of the Temptations, Louis Price and The Help Group's Children's choir sang ''I Believe I Can Fly,'' with a stirring solo by Natasha, a student from The Help Group's Pacific Schools for children with emotional and behavioral challenges.

In his heartfelt acceptance remarks, Brad Silberling said, "As we think about today, what for me stands out is the idea of the strength in community," said Silberling, "To spend time at The Help Group's campus is to really discover the meaning of community and love and possibility." Joining her husband, Amy Brenneman, poignantly reflected, "At The Help Group, there are not only services to help children thrive, but there is a celebration of the great, beautiful, rainbow range of humanity that these children bless us with…We are so honored to have been here today and we look forward to all of the work that The Help Group will continue do in the future."

Both Brenneman and Silberling are committed to giving back to the community. Brenneman is a spokesperson for Healthy Child, Healthy World and has participated in numerous television and radio shows to help educate the public about children's health and the environment. She is a founding member of the Cornerstone Theater Company and through her involvement with Women in Film, she spends her time encouraging current and future generations of women to explore and pursue careers in all fields of the entertainment industry.

Silberling is actively involved in the Sundance Institute, where he has made an on-going commitment to share his talent as a mentor to aspiring filmmakers, and is an active member of the Director's Guild of America where he sits on leadership councils concerned with, among other issues, violence and social responsibility. Together, Brenneman and Silberling teach a course about creative collaboration at the UCLA School of Film and Television, and are longtime supporters of The Brady Campaign to Control Gun Violence and of the Los Angeles Children's Hospital.

Major sponsors of the event included: The Walt Disney Co., Imagine Entertainment, Zenith Insurance, The Milken Family Foundation, Keyes Automotive Group, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and The Tisch Family.

For more information about The Help Group, please log on to www.thehelpgroup.org or call
877-943-5747.

ABOUT THE HELP GROUP
Founded in 1975, The Help Group is the largest, most innovative and comprehensive organization of its kind in the United States serving children with special needs related to autism, Asperger's disorder, learning disabilities, ADHD, mental retardation, abuse and emotional problems. The Help Group's six specialized day schools offer pre-K through high school programs for more than 1,300 students. The Help Group's wide range of mental health and therapy services, child abuse, foster family and residential programs extend its reach to more than 5,000 children and their families each year. With over 800 staff members, The Help Group's state-of-the-art schools and programs are located on four major campuses in the Los Angeles area. Through its professional training programs and efforts at the state and national levels, The Help Group touches the lives of children with special needs across the country and in other parts of the world. At the heart of its effort is its commitment to helping young people fulfill their potential to lead positive, productive and rewarding lives. For more information about The Help Group, please call 818-779-5212 or visit www.thehelpgroup.org.

Editor's Note: photos and media interviews available upon request

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