Gift basket to do good Gift basket to do good (February 18, 2005)

Pleasanton company teams with US Weekly to raise thousands for tsunami victims
by Cathy Jetter

Julie Kenney's Pleasanton office could easily be mistaken for a designer boutique waiting for opening day. Expensive handbags line the walls, satin blankets are stacked next to silk pajamas, and a famous-name evening gown, carefully wrapped in tissue and plastic, is draped across the back of the couch.

"It's only like this for a little while," said Kenney with a laugh, cheerfully surveying the lavish display. "It all ships off tomorrow."

As the founder of Jewels and Pinstripes, a Bay Area company specializing in creating luxury gift bags for nationwide charity events, Julie Kenney's daily job is to collect items of sumptuous and sublime design, compile them into extravagant totes, and present them to celebrity and A-list names under the humble guise of "gift bag."

"Charity events require so much work and effort to be successful," explained Kenney. "The organizations want to honor their most valuable people in a way that makes a statement beyond 'thank you.' Jewels and Pinstripes does that."

"Every day I receive calls from charitable groups sponsoring events to raise money for medical research or to help those in need," said Kenney. "Without the constant efforts of these benevolent organizations, a lot would be lost."

This daily work with charities has brought Kenney a keen awareness of how much hardship exists in the world.

"Since I started Jewels and Pinstripes last year, we have gotten to work with so many brilliant people," Kenney said. "Many of these individuals have all the money they will ever personally need, but they are out there dedicating an incredible number of hours, creating resources to help others. Still, there is never enough."

It is no wonder, then, that when Kenney heard of the tsunami tragedy that struck Southeast Asia in December, her first thoughts were of how she could help. While Jewels and Pinstripe's over-the-top gift bags are primarily created for event VIPs, the company also donates one bag to be auctioned off on behalf of the sponsoring charity. It is the success of those auctions that inspired Kenney.

"In the past, our gift bag auctions have brought in thousands of dollars for the charities we work with," said Kenney. "An online auction is a perfect venue for raising funds."

Putting her company's talents and resources to good use, she decided to gather together a lavish assortment of trinkets, treasures and travel opportunities, assemble them in a designer handbag and declare it the "Help Them Heal" gift basket.

"I sent out a press release in January, and posted the idea on my Web site," said Kenney. "I wanted to create the world's biggest and most expensive gift basket, auction it off online, and donate the proceeds to tsunami relief."

No good deed goes unnoticed, and before long the "Help Them Heal" bag had taken on a life of its own. Kenney was elated when US Weekly, an entertainment periodical, called to offer help.

"People at US Weekly had read my press release," Kenney said gleefully. "They had been considering a similar idea and thought we would make good partners." Knowing that coverage in a national magazine would benefit the cause, Kenney was happy to collaborate with the publication.

First on the agenda was deciding the best way to get the money to the people who needed it. The two companies elected to donate the funds raised to Save the Children, a leading nonprofit humanitarian relief and development organization.

"There are so many well known associations all working hard to ease the suffering in Asia," Kenney said. "Save the Children has an incredible reputation, and we feel confident they will put the donations to the best use possible."

Then came the fun part: finding fantastic, fabulous, glitzy and glamorous gifts to fill the basket. That, of course, is Kenney's specialty.

"We have several designers, artists and companies who regularly contribute to our bags," Kenney said. "I called to let them know what we were doing. They were all so gracious, every one of them offered something marvelous.

As word of the project spread, the donations kept coming, until Kenney's office acquired its current state of organized chaos.

"The basket ended up with 65 items and gift certificates worth over $22,000," said Kenney. "Though some of the items are one-of-a-kind, so it's hard to assign a value to them."

That "one-of-a-kind" description certainly includes the celebrity-signed Maria Lyons Corduroy Garment Bag. Set to play the starring role of "basket" in the gift ensemble, the generously sized bag has been signed by numerous celebrities including Naomi Watts, Keira Knightley, Glenn Close, Michael Keaton, John Goodman, Ted Danson ... the list goes on and on, reading like a Hollywood roll call.

"Last month I was at the Sundance Film Festival," said Kenney with a smile. "We created a gift bag for the event, which benefits several local and global charities. While I was working there, I explained what we are trying to do with the 'Help Them Heal' basket. The celebrities were incredibly generous with their time, very happy to help the tsunami victims."

Once all the goods have been safely tucked away inside the heavily Hancocked bag, everything gets shipped to US Weekly. Promotional photographs will be published in the magazine during the 10 days the basket is available for bidding on eBay.

"The auction runs from Feb. 14 until the 24th," said Kenney. "Having US Weekly publicize the bag is huge. A national audience should really help keep the bids moving."

Whatever the outcome, Kenney is happy to know she and her partners have put their time and talents to good use.

"I love my job," said Kenney. "Everyday I get to wake up and work at something I am passionate about. To be able to do that and help others in the process, that is the greatest gift in the world."
Highlights of the 'Help Them Heal' gift bag

€ Four-night stay at Marquis Los Cabos in Mexico ($3,600) € T-Mobile Sidekick II camera phone and six months of service ($1,200) € Three-night stay at Ho'oilo House on Maui ($1,165) € Tempurpedic Deluxe Swedish Mattress ($2,099) € Sue Wong beaded gown and shawl ($878) € Six-month supply of Smart Water ($600) € After-hours private tasting at Napa Valley's Corley Family Winery ($250) € Amy Schwab Designs Handbag and Scarf Belt ($150)

The "Help Them Heal" gift bag will be available for bidding on eBay through Feb. 24. For easy access to the site, visit www.jewelsandpinstripes.com and click on the Help Them Heal link.

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