Over the weekend, entrepreneur and philanthropist Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter hosted the inaugural Shawn Carter Foundation Gala Weekend at the newly-renovated Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
It kicked off on Friday night with a high-stakes poker tournament, where Marcelo Claure was crowned winner as he edged out JAY-Z and Yo Gotti to victory. Claure donated his $500,000 in earnings back to the Shawn Carter Foundation.
The weekend continued with a black-tie gala event on Saturday night, with celebrities from various sectors of music, entertainment and sports coming together for a spectacular night of dinner, drinks and good music as the sound track to the evening provided by The World Famous DJ Trauma. All in support of an important cause. The gala raised a total of $6 Million.
Robin Roberts commanded the room as Master of Ceremonies at the gala, while guests enjoyed cocktails courtesy of D’USSE Cognac and Armand de Brignac throughout the evening. The night culminated with a live performance by Alicia Keys.
All proceeds from the weekend benefitted the Shawn Carter Foundation’s scholarship fund, college prep workshops and bus tours, study abroad opportunities, and community goodwill programs for youth and families in need. For more information the Shawn Carter Foundation, please visit Shawncartersf.com
Photos by: Kevin Mazur and Thaddaeus McAdams
