(April 11, 2012, NYC): The parents of Amy Winehouse, Mitch and Janis Winehouse, launched The Amy Winehouse Foundation in the United States (AWF-US) on Wednesday, April 11th during a press conference held at Joe’s Pub in NYC from 6pm-8pm. Joe’s Pub was chosen as the perfect location for the announcement as it was the venue where Amy made her American performance debut on January 16, 2007.
During the event, Mitch & Janis Winehouse spoke about their daughter and the importance to them , their respective families (both parents are remarried) and Amy’s friends and fans, in setting up the Foundation in Amy’s memory and keeping with her passion of wanting to help children in need . The Foundation was formally established in the UK last year and to date has allocated over £275,000 to various organizations. A brief film showing the achievements of the Foundation in the UK was shown during the conference.
The US Foundation’s mission is to support and empower children in need through music therapy and music education. All monies raised in the US will go to US programs. One of the first programs to be assisted will be the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, a program first introduced to the Winehouses by CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien. During the launch, Mitch talked about the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra Program and told the audience that the AWF-US plans to work with the organization this year to help support after school music programs for children in those districts still struggling from the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina.
It was also announced that The AWF-US will host the Amy Winehouse Inspiration Awards and Gala on September 10, 2012 at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC. The star studded event will feature special guest performances and present special honorees with the Amy Winehouse Foundation Inspiration Award for the work they have done to help inspire greatness in others. This year’s honorees will be announced in the upcoming weeks. The 2012 Amy Winehouse Inspiration Awards & Gala will be the first of what Mitch Winehouse and Janis Winehouse plan to be an ongoing annual event to help raise awareness and resources for the US Foundation.
Mitch Winehouse has also secured a deal with Harper Collins for the release of his story about his daughter that will benefit the AWF-US. The book entitled “Amy, My Daughter” will be released on June 26, 2012 in the US and the book cover was unveiled at the event. All proceeds from sales in the US are going to the AWF-US. Music during the evening was provided by Mitch Winehouse’s US musicians, The Dominick Farinacci Group. All monies from Mitch Winehouse performances also go directly to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
For more information about the AWF (US) please contact Tracey Miller, TMA 609-383-2323, ext.11 or tracey@tmapublicity.com