BABY GIVE BACK - 80 year old philanthropist offering $10,000 to best thank you note

NEW YORK, NY. Sept. 20. - New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced today that philanthropist Henry van Ameringen, 80, of Manhattan, is suspected on one count of evading gratitude and one count of laundering good deeds. The charges come in the wake of the discovery that Ameringen and In The Life Media, producers of the hit TV show "IN THE LIFE" were using online social media to recruit people to help move money. According to public record, van Ameringen contributed over $4 million to 200 charities worldwide last year alone. “Let me sum it up by saying there are very few organizations in the City of New York that have not benefited from Henry,” said Speaker Quinn. “He just doesn’t want you to know about it.” Apparently, the only thing better than giving away $4 million is selecting a stranger to help you do it again.

vanAmeringen, is to celebrate his 80th birthday as the recipient of the 2010 Pioneer Award at In The Life Media’s 13th Season Premiere Gala at The Morgan Museum and Library on October 4, 2010, at 7pm. In anticipation of the event, a Facebook page was created where the public started to post "thank yous" to van Ameringen. Hoping to avoid any publicity and seeing an opportunity, van Ameringen allegedly said, "Don't thank me," and devised a plan. He switched his personal thank you page to a national application where visitors post notes to their favorite charities. The author of the best note receives $10,000.00 and the chance to give back. "I'm sure he saw an opportunity to stay under the radar," said Duke Greenhill of Greenhill+Partners, LLC, In The Life Media's special project's advertising & PR consultant. "To take the attention off himself and put it on the charities where it belongs."

Beginning Wednesday, September 22 and continuing through Sunday, October 3, visitors to van Ameringen's and In The Life Media's "BABY GIVE BACK" site can post a personal thank you to any 501c3, and at once, enter for a chance to "launder" $10K, which will be provided by van Ameringen in the winner's name to the charity of the winner's choice. Van Ameringen himself will select and announce his new conspirator at the gala.

For information about the contest and its rules and regulations, navigate to:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thank-You-Henry/145832015452750?v=app_95936962634

For information and tickets to the In The Life Media Season Premiere Gala, go to http://www.inthelifetv.org/gala2010/

For press credentials, call 212-255-6012 x321.

In attendance will be:
Edward Albee
Charles Busch
Patricia Clarkson, 2009 Producing Change Award Honoree
André De Shields
Senator Tom Duane, State of New York
Regan Hofman, POZ Magazine
Dan Karslake
Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir
Christine C. Quinn, NY City Council Speaker
Bishop Gene Robinson, Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire
Shorty Roc
Doric Wilson
WNET, Neal Shapiro

About In The Life Media
In The Life Media produces change through innovative media that exposes social injustice by chronicling lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender life and providing our audiences with effective ways to advance equality within and beyond our communities.

About IN THE LIFE
Produced by In The Life Media, IN THE LIFE is the longest running television show documenting the gay experience. IN THE LIFE is a three-time Emmy Award nominee, a Lambda Legal Liberty Award honoree, and the recipient of the Courage Award from the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, the Seigenthaler Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for excellence in network television, and a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Journalism-Newsmagazine.

Contact: Duke Greenhill
GREENHILL+PARTNERS, LLC
greenhill_partners@me.com
917.434.7368
447 W. 43rd Street, Suite 2A
New York, NY 10036

INTERVIEW WITH SUBJECT AVAILABLE
PRESS CREDENTIALS AVAILABLE
IMAGES & VIDEO AVAILABLE

This release was published on openPR.