Celebrities, including Ilan Hall (Top Chef), actor Tony Sirico, and special guests from America’s Next Top Model, gathered in New York City in June to raise money for homeless, abandoned, and abused Jewish children. The event, Tikva Drive for Life, was a gathering of celebrities and high-profile personalities celebrating the work of Tikva Children’s Home, a Jewish orphanage in Odessa, Ukraine.

Tikva is home to over 200 children— newborn to age 16—who come from dysfunctional homes or who are living on the streets. Before they arrive at Tikva, these children often have only the shirts on their backs, only the food they get by begging or stealing, and no heat, running water, or even toilets in their homes. They often have psychological, developmental, or social problems, and many of them have never experienced a parent’s love. Tikva nurtures these children within a caring, Jewish community, providing them with quality education, social services, and an opportunity to immigrate to Israel for a brighter future.

Fashion designer Marc Ecko funds the celebrity event, which challenges guests to golf for prizes. This year alone Tikva Drive for Life raised over a quarter of a million dollars for the children in Odessa.