Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon were among the attendees at the 5th Annual Operation Smile Gala at Skylight Studio in New York City on May 15, 2008.

The gala is in benefit of the non-profit organization, Operation Smile whose volunteers repair the facial deformities of impoverished children around the world. Dr. William P. Magee Jr., a plastic surgeon, and his wife, Kathleen S. Magee, a nurse and clinical social worker, founded the Norfolk, Virginia based organization in 1982.

Other attendees at the Operation Smile Gala 2008 included Donald Trump and Vanessa Trump, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Alexandra Richards, Maggie Rizer and Olivia Palermo.

Photo credit: WireImages

Photos: Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon - 5th Annual Operation Smile Gala 2008

Annie Lennox’s journey to Africa and visit with orphaned children, captured in a video report, and her performance of “Many Rivers to Cross” on American Idol Gives Back 2008 were memorable and heartrending.

On the importance of being on the show, Lennox remarked “the medium of television is very powerful and it’s going to go into millions of livingrooms.” Of her trip to Africa Lennox said simply, “a very strong experience, a very deep experience.” She continued that she’s had the opportunity to see the human face of poverty and witness the struggles. (Source.)

The Scotsman profiles Annie Lennox and her commitment to the cause.

It’s a cause about which Lennox is passionate. “I don’t have a mentor,” she says. “No-one saying this is what you have to do. But if you have a platform and you’ve got an opportunity to talk about social injustice, then why not? Why not use it to benefit others?”

Pop stars and politics don’t always mix – tokenism or perceived self-aggrandisement are tricky to avoid. But there’s no doubting Lennox’s commitment to humanitarianism, not least because she’s long worn her political heart on her sleeve. The Eurythmics supported Amnesty International and Greenpeace decades ago and Lennox has supported charities as diverse as Children in Need and Hear the World, a campaign to spread awareness about deafness, as experienced by her late father, who had worked in Aberdeen’s shipyards. (More.)

Read more about Idol Gives Back 2008 at TV Squad and the official Idol Gives Back 2008 Web site.

The candor of the announement is noteworthy.

The American Red Cross forced its president and chief executive, Mark W. Everson, to resign yesterday because he had an inappropriate relationship with a female subordinate, a spokeswoman for the disaster relief agency said.

Everson’s ouster was a blow to the Red Cross, which has faced a rapid turnover in leadership and has struggled to restore a reputation damaged by its response to Hurricane Katrina. The agency’s fifth chief in six years, Everson was at the helm of the federally chartered organization for six months.

The Red Cross board of directors asked for his resignation after learning of the relationship 10 days ago, spokeswoman Suzy C. DeFrancis said.

The New York Times interviewed Trent Stamp of Charity Navigator, seeking his accessment of the dismissal.

Trent Stamp, president of Charity Navigator, a Web site that rates the efficiency of charities based on financial statements filed with the government, said the firing was a major setback for the Red Cross. “This will affect fund-raising, organizational morale and public trust in this organization, which is already dangerously low,” he said.

He noted that the organization appeared to be turning a corner under Mr. Everson, earning generally high marks for its performance during the recent California wild fires. “I’m worried that that good will will be undone,” Mr. Stamp said.

Organizations, whether for-profit or not, rarely describe their reasons for firing an executive as bluntly as the Red Cross did. The most similar comparison is the Boeing Corporation, which forced the resignation of two chief executives because of ethical lapses, including affairs with employees.

Mr. Everson, who is 53, did not respond to a message left on his cellphone. In a statement released by the Red Cross, he said: “I am resigning my position for personal and family reasons, and deeply regret it is impossible for me to continue in a job so recently undertaken.”

Earlier this year, Trent Stamp had conducted an interview with Everson, who had, at the time set forth a clear vision for the Red Cross.