Keeping It Real With Georgina Bloomberg On The Importance Of Giving Back

Photo Credit: Getty Images for One Drop Foundation

Saturday was a big night in Las Vegas as the One Drop Foundation hosted its annual La Cuvée One Drop in partnership with Cirque du Soleil, Entertainment Group, MGM Resorts, Maison Ducasse Paris, and La Cuvée One Drop Official Carrier Air Canada. With the participation of Georgina Bloomberg, Honorary President La Cuvée One Drop; Daniel Lamarre, Co-Chairman, La Cuvée One Drop and Executive Vice Chairman of the Board, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group; Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, and Bill Hornbuckle, CEO and President of MGM Resorts International, the event raised a total of $1,595,000 with all net proceeds benefiting the One Drop Foundation’s critical mission of ensuring sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services to communities facing extreme barriers, locally and globally.

We sat down with Georgina Bloomberg to discuss the magical evening, the importance behind the event, and why she decided to partner with the organization in an effort to give back.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for One Drop Foundation

You’ve been an ambassador for the One Drop Foundation for just over a year and a half. What is it about their water-mission that resonated with you and made you want to get involved?

I have always been passionate about the environment and doing everything I can to help protect it. Becoming a mother has made me more passionate about that mission and ensuring that my son’s generation isn’t punished for what we are doing to it. One Drop combines many of the things that I care about and would like to help change in the world, from working to reverse the negative effects our behavior has had on the planet to protecting the health and safety of women and children, there is so much about the work One Drop does that resonates with me and fuels my passion to help them.

How does it feel to be part of a community of change-makers involved with projects that benefit disadvantaged communities around the world? Is there a message you’d like to share with potential donors and partners to encourage them to get involved?

Access to clean water is something most people never think about but is such a luxury. Communities simply can’t exist without water and not having clean water in an accessible and safe place is something that is just unfathomable to so many but a harsh reality for others. I am honored to be involved with a group that is tackling an issue that is such a vital but overlooked necessity in life and that they are helping to literally change people’s lives.

Are there any highlights from the One Drop Foundation’s international projects that stand out for you as particularly impactful?

I have loved learning about the sanitation initiatives they are working on. Of course with Covid we all became more aware of our own cleanliness, and with all the focus on sanitizing and washing our hands, it’s hard to imagine we were actually so lucky to be able to do those things. One Drop is thinking of so much more than just drinking water, and with the lessons we learned the last few years, the fact that they see cleanliness as a vital aspect in living a healthy life and sometimes even survival is something I have a new appreciation for.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for One Drop Foundation

On November 12, 2022, you will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the One Drop Foundation at La Cuvée One Drop, in Las Vegas. What does that milestone mean for One Drop and for the communities the Foundation helps?

I think any anniversary is a time to look back and reflect on what you have done in the past years and what you can accomplish in the upcoming ones. To look back on the many people One Drop has affected and helped already is incredibly impressive, but by building actual sustainable solutions they are not just helping the people in the locations they work in right now, they are also helping future generations and leaving a lasting solution that will keep growing. The impact will be felt years after we even stop measuring the effects.

As honorary president for La Cuvée One Drop this year and ambassador for the Foundation, your presence have made a big difference. Can you speak a little about that?

I don’t know that I have been able to make a real difference yet as the last few years have obviously been impossible to travel to see and help with their projects. But I am eager to be more involved and to help in every way.

What was the best part of the evening for you?

The gala was of course as we expected it to be: incredible. Amazing food, wine, and entertainment. But the part that stood out the most to me was the impressive and inspiring group of people who came to support the organization. It showed how highly regarded Guy is and the work the organization has done.

What new and exciting things are coming up for the One Drop Foundation? What does the future hold?

The Social Art for Behavior Change initiative is what stands out to me personally, and excites me the most about what the next few years can accomplish for the organization. I believe in the power of art to bring people together, teach lessons, and build communities. Guy obviously is a master at using art and performance to entertain, but he also knows that art is a powerful tool that can do so much more. He understands the importance of creating sustainable solutions in communities, not just providing something and then walking away, and how art can help do that. They are bringing people together and teaching them the lessons they need to stand on their own two feet and ensure that the work One Drop has done for them lasts for years and generations to come.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for One Drop Foundation

What to you is the most important part of giving back? What drives you?

Now as a mother the most important part of giving back by far is the example it sets for my son. Nothing makes me prouder than when he thinks of something himself that he can do for others, donate, or help with. It shows me that he is not just doing what he is told, he is developing the desire to make the world a better place and that he realizes how lucky he is — that helping others and sharing what you can isn’t an option, it is a must.

What are your holiday plans this year? What is a holiday tradition your family has always had?

A new one you’ve implemented as an adult? This year for the holidays we will stay close to home and enjoy the amazing things that New York has to offer at this time of year. The last few years for many has made them eager to travel, but for me it has given me a new appreciation for some of the simple things in life such as being at home and enjoying what our hometown has to offer. In January of 2023 I am turning 40 and to celebrate I am taking my son to Antarctica. I wanted to travel somewhere that I have never been and share that experience with him. I want him to see as much of the world as possible and see what we are trying to protect so that he can truly care about it.

What to you is the greatest luxury in life and why?

By far and without question the greatest luxury in my life is my ability to help others and the causes that I care about. I understand how lucky I have been in life and take my duty to help others seriously, but it isn’t just a duty to me, it is something I enjoy and brings me joy to be able to do.