LOS ANGELES, California—Michael Copon, Cher Calvin, Dante Basco, Camile Velasco, Kelly Hu and other Filipino-American talents graced a recent benefit dinner held to raise funds for several child abuse facilities in the Philippines.
Fil-Am Gina Alexander, whose photo handbags are used by celebrities from Jennifer Lopez to Elizabeth Taylor and have been featured in Elle, People, Vogue Italy and other magazines, hosted the event with Hope worldwide Philippines, which runs a model child welfare and protection system for underprivileged Filipino children. Twin Palms, a restaurant in Pasadena, California, owned by Kevin and Cindy Costner until they split, was the place to be last weekend for news-making Filipinos.
Heartaches
These personalities came in support of Gina, whose personal heartaches spur her philanthropic efforts. After an ectopic pregnancy that nearly ended in death for Gina while in surgery and the loss of the baby she was carrying and other subsequent failures to have a child through in vitro, adoption and surrogacy methods, she and her husband, Richard, were finally able to adopt a baby, Katelyn Alexander, through Hope for Children, a sister organization of Hope worldwide.
