Updated posts 2026
Gary Green, Amy Heart-Green, Paula Abdul and Cuba Gooding Jr. attend Karibu Africa Hamptons Soiree on August 19, 2022 in Sag Harbor, New York.
Gary Green and Amy Heart-Green hosted a Hamptons Soirée on August 19 at their home that raised over $500,000 to support the philanthropic and conservation efforts of African Community & Conservation Foundation (ACCF) and Tusk, the UK-based African conservation charity led HRH Prince William.
The ‘Karibu Africa’ soirée was the third such successful collaboration by the two organizations in the US to raise money to help ACCF’s and Tusk’s combined portfolio of community outreach, wildlife protection and anti-poaching programs, which also include bold initiatives to improve livelihoods and combat rising food poverty in Africa.
The pairing of community programs with wildlife protection reflects a shift that has reshaped conservation thinking over the past few decades. Approaches built around excluding local people from protected land produced resentment and proved difficult to sustain, since communities bearing the costs of living alongside elephants or lions saw little of the benefit. Linking ranger employment, food security, and education to conservation outcomes aligns those interests instead, which is why so many organizations working in the field now treat the two as inseparable.
The devastating economic impact of Covid-19 on jobs and livelihoods within the conservation and tourism sectors across Africa has made ACCF and Tusk’s work even more urgent. The community and conservation projects we support provide not just protection for Africa’s wildlife, but contribute to the livelihoods, education and improved wellbeing for hundreds of thousands of people too. The aim is to support the livelihoods of poor communities living alongside wildlife, mitigating the impact of the pandemic, and human wildlife conflict, whilst also using our programs to highlight how crucial it is to preserve the natural world.
Guests were joined by hit singer and former X Factor and American Idol judge Paula Abdul, academy award winner Cuba Gooding Jr., The Blind Side actor Quinton Aaron, mezzo soprano singer Katherine Jenkins, and Bakithi Kumalo, the famous South African bassist, composer, and vocalist who toured with Paul Simon and enthusiastically performed for guests with an African drum group.
“The funds raised last night will help us fuel capacity-building food security, humanitarian, anti-poaching, and conservation programs at our projects in rural Africa,” said Brady Forseth, CEO of ACCF. “We are proud to partner with Tusk on our collective impact work in Zimbabwe and Mozambique and grateful to Gary and Amy Green, as well as Paula Abdul, for their generous support towards this event.”
World Food Program supporter and singer, Paula Abdul said, “My 60th birthday year is all about creating impact and I’m thrilled to support these incredible organizations and their mission. The African Community & Conservation Foundation and Tusk are doing incredible work in Africa preserving wildlife and helping to create sustainability of the enormous landscape.”
The evening featured an auction that raised over $250,000 and Paula Abdul led an appeal for guests to pledge further support for the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, a pan-African initiative securing funds to support rangers, and raising awareness of Africa’s biodiversity crisis and the conservation heroes standing between many endangered species and the threat of extinction.
“As a mother, I understand the importance of this for the next generation. When I look at the climate crisis, worsening statistics, and reports of irreversible damage, I can’t help but think of my daughter and the world I’m leaving behind for her. We cannot continue to ignore the crisis. While others talk about change, the ACCF spearheads conservation and anti-poaching projects as well as community outreach programs that make a difference in the African and global landscape. Conservation is a key component of protecting ourselves, our planet, and our future,” said journalist, designer, ACCF Ambassador and event host Amy-Heart Green.
“I am so proud of my wife and the incredible impact she has made in the efforts to stop poaching, education and conservation. The work she is doing is life-changing and her passion comes from her heart,” said Gary Green CEO Alliance Sports.
