A Day of Remembrance: 2nd Anniversary of the Earthquake in Haiti

Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 January 2012 11:44 Written by Urban Zen Wednesday, 11 January 2012 04:19

Exactly two years ago, on January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake changed the lives of the Haitian people forever. The earthquake devastated large portions of a country already seen as one of the poorest in the world, killing or displacing hundreds of thousands as buildings and livelihoods were reduced to rubble.

In the intervening two years, we at Urban Zen have witnessed a vibrant and dedicated outpour of support from external sources, as well as the determined resilience of the Haitian people themselves. Rebuilding efforts have been slow and arduous, but not for lack of effort. We are determined to help Haiti not just rebuild the brilliant and beautiful culture it had in 2010, but become a nation that turns their passionate culture into a strong, self-sustaining economy.

The story of Haiti in the past two has been one of hardship, but also one of strength, and of the ability to turn destruction into creation and beauty. As they continue on the long road away from disaster, the Haitian people have emerged glorious and triumphant, and Urban Zen is firmly committed to the continuing support of this journey through our Hope, Help & Rebuild Haiti Initiative.

Please join the Urban Zen Foundation this Thursday, January 12 as we open the doors of the Urban Zen Center on the second anniversary of the earthquake. Come and celebrate the progress we have made together, and be with us as we turn our eyes towards hope for the future.

For more information please call 212.414.8520 or email rsvp@urbanzen.org

4th Annual Holiday FEED-Raiser and Market

Last Updated on Friday, 16 December 2011 04:07 Written by Moira Monday, 12 December 2011 01:02

4th Annual FEED-Raiser and Market

Please join Urban Zen Foundation and the FEED Foundation for a Holiday cocktail and market of sustainable, fair-trade, and giveback goods.

Each year the FEED Foundation hosts a holiday FEED-Raiser & Market. This event raises money to provide essential school meals for children around the world and will also support Urban Zen’s three initiatives: well-being, empowering children, and preservation of culture. The FEED-Raiser provides guests with the opportunity to shop for holiday gifts from a wide selection of artisan goods that have been specially selected for their far-reaching philanthropic and humanitarian capacities.

GENERAL TICKET: $100
VIP TICKET: $250

Tickets will be available at the door.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CLICK HERE

In collaboration with:

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Vanity Fair

New York Times

Goldman Sachs

Disney

Judith Leiber

Equinox

Godiva

Travel, Culture & Creativity: a Whirlwind Day in Haiti

Last Updated on Friday, 16 September 2011 05:46 Written by Donna Karan Tuesday, 30 August 2011 11:59

The past few days have been another whirlwind of travel, culture, and creativity. I traveled to Haiti to pick up all of the last-minute artisan products that we needed for the Nomad Two Worlds exhibition in Berlin.

Once in Haiti, the day started where it all began: with Joey Adler and Richard Coles. It was so great to see the industrial revolution that they are helping to ignite with the LEED certified factory that they’re building, a place and a space for the artisan culture of Haiti to thrive and flourish.

Hugh Jackman In Performance: A Remarkable Experience

Last Updated on Saturday, 17 September 2011 06:31 Written by Donna Karan Saturday, 16 July 2011 04:03

Last week I visited Canada to see Hugh Jackman In Performance. Through the stage, Hugh took us on a journey of his life through music, multimedia, style and personality. I have to say, Hugh leaves me in awe – as a performer, an artist, a father, a husband, and a spiritual person. It was just remarkable to see him in the spotlight, and I absolutely loved that he brought Russell James’ Nomad: Two World to the stage.

Hugh has always supported the amazing work of Nomad founder Russell James, and together they created a “Nomad Two Worlds” segment for his new show. I was blown away by the multi-media screening and the artists, and absolutely I loved the moment when Hugh’s son joined him on stage to play the didgeridoo, it was a perfect example of empowering our children through the preservation of culture. The result of Russell and Hugh’s collaboration was truly spectacular.

Talking Unconditional Love and Fantastic Adventures with Alison Thompson

Last Updated on Thursday, 14 July 2011 03:44 Written by Urban Zen Friday, 8 July 2011 12:09

The heart of Philanthropist Alison Thompson is an endless source of inspiration for the team here at Urban Zen. We love the way she has dedicated her life to being of service and we are thrilled that we can learn more about her extraordinary experiences through her new book, The Third Wave.

Not only is Alison our Community Ambassador for the month of July, we are also exceptionaly proud to be hosting her book-signing party at our Sag Harbor location. We encourage you to come out on July 15th to meet this trailblazing, impassioned woman for yourself and in the interim, we are excited to share with you our recent conversation with Alison:

URBAN ZEN: How did you become inspired to live your life in such an impassioned way?

ALISON THOMPSON: I’ve had a great life with many adventures around the world, but I’ve also led quite a selfish one which was all about me, me, me. When the September 11th attacks struck NYC, I lost many close friends that day. When the tower was first hit I roller bladed down to the World Trade Center to help with my little first aid kit and ended up living in the streets for the first six days collecting bodies and washing out the soot from tired firemen’s eyes. I then stayed down there another nine months helping as a volunteer doing all sorts of odd jobs. I learned that in these growing large disasters that everyone is needed and that you don’t have to belong to an organization to help out. I also realized that you don’t need many skills or a masters degree to give out water or give someone a hug, it’s really just common sense. Volunteering has filled a hole in me that has expanded my world into one of unconditional love and a fantastic adventure.