Welcome to the first issue of our
very own TSARM Newsletter!
We decided to bring this extra feature to TSARM so you can better
follow what has been going on with Ricky. Since many people are
not able to visit the forum on a regular basis, we think this is
an excellent way for them to keep up to date on him.
Due to the fact Ricky has not made many public appearances lately,
we decided to produce this Newsletter on a quarterly basis. In the
future, after Ricky returns to the spotlight and is once again in
the public's eye, there is a definite possibility we will produce
the Newsletter on a monthly basis. As you all know, this forum has
the interests of Ricky's fans at heart, so we need you to inform
us as to whether you would enjoy reading the Newsletter on a monthly
or quarterly basis!
Of course, we also invite you to visit our newly designed website
and message forum. We guarantee to keep you well informed of current
information and photos on Ricky!
The TSARM Newsletter staff:
Adinda, Anita, Ellen, Julie, Linda and Nan
Suggestions, ideas or comments? Mail to tsarmnewsletter@gmail.com
This newsletter is part of www.tsarm.net
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CNN
Interviews About Tsunami Tragedy
| Ricky Martin spoke
from Miami on both CNN International and CNN Español
to discuss his feelings and concerns after the tsunami disaster
in Southeast Asia. After explaining the numbers of orphans left
parentless and homeless after the tragedy, Ricky couldn't help
but be alerted to the extra risks they face from the child trafficking
industry rampant in these areas. |
 |
Ricky: "Well, awareness is the
most important thing. There is a lot of
denial about this issue. This issue is so dark...people don't want
to
even hear about this. I just need to be very stubborn about this
issue
and talk...talk. Repetition, I think is the most important thing
we
can use to educate someone".
Ricky then gave out the website address
for People For Children and asked people to educate themselves on
the topics and issues. He was leaving for Thailand and his fact-finding
trip on behalf of UNICEF and the United Nations in his capacity
as a Good Will Ambassador.
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Ricky
Visits Tsunami Victims In Thailand
Shortly after celebrating the joys
of Christmas, the world was horrified to learn of a natural disaster
that occurred on December 26, 2004 in the region of Southeast Asia.
An 8.9 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia caused tsunami
waves between 20 to 30 feet high that had far-reaching and devastating
effects on neighboring countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Maldives
and Thailand. When these waves struck, hundreds of thousands were
drowned and/or lost forever.
Ricky Martin was deeply troubled
by this news and traveled to Thailand as a representative of UNICEF
and his own foundation to personally assess the situation involving
the surviving orphaned children in the tsunami-affected areas. Reports
of child abductions had reached his ears. In an area already known
for child prostitution and child pornography, Ricky realized the
situation could soon become critical.
He visited Phuket with a reporter from the Puerto Rican newspaper,
"El Nuevo Dia", and a camera crew from Oprah Winfrey's
Harpo Production Company. He toured hospitals and make-shift orphanages
temporarily organized to house the orphaned children, and he visited
a temple that was converted into a morgue, so great was the number
of drowned bodies that were being recovered.
At times Ricky could barely voice his thoughts—he was so emotionally
drained from what he was witnessing; but he left vowing to get the
word out concerning the plight of these children and to help by
having the Ricky Martin Foundation build schools, hospitals and
homes for them.
Photo overview of Ricky in Thailand
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Visit
To Holland For Ricky Martin Foundation Promotion
| After
leaving the tsunami-affected areas, Ricky made a surprise stop
in Amsterdam. While a conference for the United Nations was
being held in Europe, Ricky took this opportunity to make a
quiet, unpublicized press junket on behalf of UNICEF and the
Ricky Martin Foundation. He arrived on Saturday, January 15th,
in Amsterdam. |
|
On Sunday morning our
"Ricky Martin" correspondents on the ground, Lucile and
Adinda, woke up to discover a picture of Mr. Martin, during his
visit to the children on Phuket, Thailand, looking back at them
in one of the biggest Dutch newspapers, the Telegraaf. An in-depth
and exclusive interview described the horrors he had witnessed while
in the tsunami zones and issued a plea for help on behalf of UNICEF
and People For Children.
 |
Later that day and
during the following week, several interviews were shown in
European countries. Special emphasis was placed on the children
and the needs of orphans and families who have lost parents
and the impact that will have on the increase of child trafficking
in the region. |
After two days of giving interviews,
Ricky left Holland on Monday, January 17th, with the intent of appearing
in Chicago on the Oprah Show and giving a wider audience to People
For Children and its mission.
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Ricky's
Appearance On The Oprah Show
On January 24, 2005, we saw a new Ricky Martin. A man changed by
the devastation and destruction that he encountered on the other
side of the world – something he was totally unprepared for.
| The show began with
Oprah saying ”He is one of the most famous singers in
the world, and two years ago, he just walked out of the spotlight.
He decided to focus full time on his true passion: saving children
around the world. So he built a hospital for the disabled in
Puerto Rico and is helping rescue little girls in India from
a life of prostitution. Today, he says he is a different man
from the one he once knew, and he is here to tell us what changed
him. Our cameras follow him inside the tsunami zone…”
|
|
 |
Ricky gave us an
eyeful. We saw unbelievable destruction and amazing miracles;
and in spite of trying to absorb an unspeakable pain, Ricky
was positive --- searching for the beautiful things this trip
gave him, such as the opportunity to meet such optimistic people. |
Ricky’s mission in Thailand,
through People For Children and with the help of the world, is to
build a housing project for 600 children – children that would
otherwise have to live in the streets.
Several of our own TSARM members
were lucky enough to be at the taping of this show. “I
walked away from the Oprah Show totally emotionally drained. But
it was a good "emotionally drained", said Gloria
(HighMntenance). "We read about Ricky's Foundation and
we see footage of him talking about the Foundation, but to actually
see him in person talk passionately about his "People For Children
Foundation" is s-o-o-o different. I walked away from that show
today feeling like I wanted to spend the rest of my life helping
poor helpless, defenseless children. The show really touched my
heart. They showed a lot of footage of Ricky's trip to Thailand.
From seeing the destruction in the streets, to him visiting the
mortuaries, to visiting the orphans.....They really captured what
is really going on over there”.
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ICMEC
(International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children) Gala
On
January 29, 2005, Ricky attended the first annual fundraiser
with scores of Palm Beach elite who dedicate themselves to
raising funds for charity. Acting as the event's Goodwill
Ambassador, he joined Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan and
ICMEC Vice Board Chairman Craig Millard and his wife, Michele
to welcome the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia Soemadi
Djoko Moerjono Brotodiningrat, Belgian Ambassador Baron and
Baroness von Daele, Yemen Ambassador Al-Hajjri, and Belize
Ambassador Lisa Shoman, among others.
|
 |
We heard through the
Palm Beach grapevine that chairwoman Celia Lipton Farris was so
moved by Ricky's presentation that she wrote him a six-figure check
on the spot.
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47th
Grammy Awards - Walking The Red Carpet And Presenting
On February 13, Ricky appeared
at the 47th Annual Grammy awards, the music industry's most prestigious
night. He presented Alicia Keys with the Award for Best R&B
Album.
His fans were
particularly pleased to see him on the Red Carpet where he
was interviewed by Star Jones. He said he was hoping his album
would be ready in July, (all fans' fingers crossed on hearing
this…)
and promised Star Jones there would be some dance music as
well as some new surprises.
Ricky also appeared later at
the Sony/BMG after Grammy party held at the Roosevelt Hotel
in Hollywood. He commented to the TV cameras covering the
event that he would be off to the recording studio that morning
to finish some editing and mixing on the new album.
|
 |
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C&A
Brazil Promotions
A new phase in Ricky's career begins as he stars in an ad campaign
for the C&A stores in Brazil. By a popular vote, Ricky won hands
down as
the most sought after man of Brazilian women to star in the campaign
and represent the company in their advertising. He replaces Giselle
Bundchen as spokesperson for a new line of men's clothing.
With a rousing press
conference attended by fans as well as world media, Ricky personally
talked about his hopes for People For Children and the tsunami victims
and also shared his new tattoo with an appreciative crowd.
 |
After
the press conference, Ricky attended some of the fashion parties
as part of Sao Paulo's Fashion Week sporting a silver "People
For Children" charm which can be purchased at P4C to
raise funds for his foundation.
First released
on March 11, 2005, the C&A commercials have already been
spotted on Brazilian television and can be seen here at TSARM
as well (check out the message forum). Life size cardboards
of him can be found at the C&A stores, as well as massive
posters, and even shopping bags with his image printed on
them.
Arriving in Saõ Paulo
again on March 17th, Ricky recorded a few more commercials
for C&A and left with the promise that he will be returning
to Brazil on June 15th.
|
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