MAREAS GIFT TO CHARITY – 1-week stay gift certificate

GIVING BACK: Sunday’s ninth annual John Varvatos Stuart House benefit, hosted by Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow, brought out Zoe Saldana, Emmy Rossum, Steven Tyler, Cindy Crawford, Bryan Cranston and David Schwimmer.

Mareas donated a one-week stay that was purchased by John Varvatos himself for over $10,000 in the silent auction.

The event, held in and around Varvatos’ Melrose Avenue store, featured live and silent auctions, a kids’ tent, shopping and a private performance by Dave Matthews.

The celebrities turned out and the wallets opened up on Sunday, as a capacity crowd of 1,700 turned out to the ninth annual charity event that put $700,000 in the coffers of Stuart House, a UCLA Rape Treatment Center program that helps sexually abused children. In addressing the crowd, both fashion designer John Varvatos and the organization's founder and director Gail Abarbanel mentioned recent headlines in citing the need for programs like Stuart House.

Leslie Mann and husband Judd Apatow, the latter of whom was able to add a dose of levity to the seriousness of the cause. "I think paying $8,000 to get your nails done might be worth it," he said in reference to the assorted high-end items up for bid in the silent auction. "Now I'll go buy a candle for $20,000."

Whether it was for expensive waxing or wax or something else, the Spotted in the crowd also were Gerber, Rachel Zoe and husband Rodger Berman, and Steven Tyler, who was mobbed -- yes, like a rock star -- from the moment of his arrival, by autograph seekers and fans hoping to get their picture taken with the Aerosmith front man and "American Idol" judge.

We are proud members of Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that allows travelers like you to make a lasting impact in the community at your travel destination. If you save just a few kilos of space in your suitcase and bring supplies for area schools or medical clinics in need, you’ll make a priceless impact in the lives of our local children and families. Please click here to see what supplies are needed for our projects. http://www.packforapurpose.org/docs/countries/costa-rica/mareas-villa.shtml

Pack for a Purpose is a Raleigh, N.C., based non-profit that assists travelers with up to date information about needed supplies for community-based projects supported by lodgings around the globe. Travelers use their luggage to bring school, medical and other supplies to the communities they visit.

There is need everywhere in the world. It can sometimes be difficult, however, to identify specific needs in places far from home. We believe people fortunate enough to travel to other countries often wish they could make meaningful contributions to help meet the needs of the places they visit. Such contributions are one way of expressing appreciation for the experiences and hospitality they enjoyed in other lands.

Our goal is to assist travelers who want to say thank you in this manner, or who simply want to expand their generosity beyond their own communities. The supply lists for destinations on our website are provided directly by the local community-based projects that will receive them, enabling travelers to make informed decisions and bring items which meet the needs of the people who will be using them.

The Members of the Board are experienced travelers and active members of their communities. Collectively they have traveled to all 7 continents and have a cumulative life experience of 350 years. The Members of the Board are actively involved with many other non-profits and committed to enhancing the global community in which they live. Additionally, the Board Members are entrepreneurs and work in corporate America.

We are proud members of Pack for a Purpose, an initiative that allows travelers like you to make a lasting impact in the community at your travel destination. If you save just a few kilos of space in your suitcase and bring supplies for area schools or medical clinics in need, you’ll make a priceless impact in the lives of our local children and families. Please click here to see what supplies are needed in our region. Mareas is directly supporting both the Uvita Elementary and High School with classroom materials to insure our children have the brightest future ahead of them.