KIRSTEN DUNST hosted The Art of Elysium annual Art Benefit on Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 at Minotti in Beverly Hills. The event featured an exhibit of the first collaboration between two internationally acclaimed artists, photographer HENRY DILTZ and pop artist RUSSELL YOUNG. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sales of the artwork will benefit the charity. Prior to the event, a special workshop took place where a group of 20 children from TEEN IMPACT, a support group for children with cancer and other blood diseases, and celebrities painted canvas messenger bags provided by BALLY. The bags were auctioned off at Minotti in addition to photographs by Henry Diltz and a special painting which was created by Kirsten, Russell and a group of children at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. $175,562.00 was the total raised for the evening! Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers especially BRIDGET FIORI, SPIN SHOPPE PR, SOULKID #1, MARY TA and the entire MINOTTI team and JOHNNY FAYVA performed by RUSSELL STEINBERG for being such an incredible auctioneer! We would like to extend a special thanks to the host committee. Without you, this event would not have happened: ALLISON AZOFF, SAMUEL and ERICKA BAYER, MATT BOREN, ETHAN EMBRY and SUNNY MABREY, JAMES FRANCO, BALTHAZAR and ROSETTA GETTY, ERICA GRAY, FINOLA HUGHES, KIDADA JONES, ALI LARTER, MARGARET MALDONADO, DEBORAH MARINOFF, MICHAEL and KIMBERLY MULLER, MARK and BRIGETTE ROMANEK, REBECCA SKINNER, AMY SMART and BONNIE SOMERVILLE.

On December 2, 2006, The Art of Elysium hosted the 4th Annual GIRL TALK Graduation Fashion show with Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Girl Talk is a self esteem workshop that was established at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles by The Art of Elysium's Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Susan Miller, to help adolescent teenage girls (10-16) who have facial disfigurement and scarring due to medical conditions and trauma. Each girl attended an 8-week course designed to decrease depression and anxiety, increase body image and self-esteem, and increase social skills. The Art of Elysium Staff and Volunteers were thrilled to support the amazing 15 girls as they “worked it” on the runway. We would like to extend a special thank you to "Ugly Betty" AMERICA FERRERA who emceed the event and JORDAN LAWHEAD for performing, as well as all of the amazing volunteers, artists and designers who donated their time, talent and clothing to help make Girl Talk an event to remember. We are thrilled to announce that we will be expanding the Girl Talk program to more of the hospitals we work with this year.

MATT BOREN, KIRSTEN DUNST and JAMES FRANCO worked with DAVID ANGUIANO, a patient at All Saints, on an original play for the holidays. It was a wonderful collaboration that involved many writing sessions, rehearsals and meetings with our producers, VINCE JOLIVETTE and JACQ LESKO, our wardrobe department, NATASHA ANDRES, our set and graphics department, MIA TORRES and LESLIE WARREN and our great makeup team LANCE ANDERSON and CAMILLE HENDERSON. This was our second high end play by and for the kids at All Saints. "Greet This!" is the story about two friends, Mercutio and Romeo, who had gone their separate ways after an argument several years before. Since then, Mercutio, had become lonely and bitter especially during the holiday season. In an effort to get his friend back, Romeo sends Mercutio a greeting card. Magically the characters on the cover of the card come to life one night and confront Mercutio about his negative attitude. This reminds him that he was given the greatest gift of all: friendship. Thank you to an incredible cast: MATT BOREN, KIRSTEN DUNST, JAMES FRANCO, MELISSA JOAN HART, EVA MENDES, VESSY MINK, NAFEESA MONROE, MIMI MOSS and MARC SENTER. Volunteers and The Art of Elysium staff followed the play with a holiday party and handed out hundreds of donated gifts to the children. A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to PATRICIA ARQUETTE, United Talent Agency's RENE JONES and TRACEY JACOBS, RYAN SEACREST, HtoO's TOM SCHLEUNING and EDDIE PLASCENIA.

The 2006 holidays were a very exciting time at The Art of Elysium. We celebrated the holidays by bringing music and the arts to 575 children and families from 4 different organizations! We kicked off the holiday season by bringing mural art, jewelry design, sculpting, and live music to THE EPILEPSY FOUNDATION’s holiday party in Downey, CA. The following day we had a very special celebration with ALL SAINTS HEALTH CARE CENTER (see "Greet This!" article). Our next stop for the holidays was CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER where we brought Polaroid art, sculpting, live music, and a special visit by Santa Claus to the Holiday Party for the Hematology/ Oncology Unit. We finished off our holiday celebrations by throwing an exciting holiday party for The Division of Plastic Surgery at CHILDRENS HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES where we had a blast creating gingerbread houses, sculpting, and face painting. We also enjoyed a special live music performance by Ricky, one of our amazing guitar students, and a visit from Santa Claus who had a present for each child and their family. Thank you to all of the volunteers and donators who helped to make this holiday a very special one for so many seriously ill children in 2006!

PENELOPE CRUZ hosted an event to raise awareness for The Art of Elysium on December 13th, 2006 at the Chateau Marmont. Famed Italian fashion house, DOLCE & GABBANA, and internationally acclaimed actress, CRUZ, partnered to donate for online auction four stunning Dolce & Gabbana gowns. The gowns worn by Cruz on the red carpets of some of the most glamorous world-wide premieres and events were first on-display at the chic, intimate soiree hosted by the design house. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised from the sale of the gowns directly benefitted our programs! We are so grateful to the following for their involvement in this incredible event: DAYA FERNANDEZ (you are our angel), KATIE MAY and ALI WISE at Dolce & Gabbana, Everyone at BLUPRINT PR and RABIN ROGERS.