FOUNDER OF REALITY TELEVISION, MARK BURNETT, TO RECEIVE "PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR" AWARD IN NEW YORK CITY Ethan Zohn to Present Award; In Touch Weekly Sponsors Event at Kenneth Cole Flagship Store in Rockefeller Center; Social Activist Andrew Shue Co-Chairs Event

A who's who of reality television, including The Apprentice's Omarosa and Survivor All-Stars' Rob & Amber, will be in New York on Thursday, May 20, attending a "Tribute to Mark Burnett," a one-of-a-kind event where the public can mix and mingle with their favorite reality stars while enjoying drinks, food, music and shopping.

NEW YORK, NY (PRWEB) May 18, 2004 --The Reality Cares Foundation (www.realitycares.org), an organization created to inspire a new spirit of philanthropy among young television viewers, will be honoring Mark Burnett with the "Philanthropist of the Year" award at the Kenneth Cole flagship store in Rockefeller Center on May 20, 2004; In Touch Weekly will co-sponsor the event. Mark Burnett, the reality show producer and mogul behind the mega-hits "Survivor," "The Apprentice" and "The Restaurant" has raised more than $1 million for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. He is the first recipient of the award.

Ethan Zohn, winner of Survivor: Africa, will be presenting the award to Burnett. Ethan is the co-founder of Grassroot Soccer, an international AIDS awareness organization composed of former and current professional soccer players who have played around the world including Zimbabwe. Additional reality star attendees for the evening's event include Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, Ereka Vetrini, Heidi Bressler and Sam Solovey of "The Apprentice", Jen Schefft of "The Bachelor", Jenna Morasca of "Survivor", Dr. Will Kirby of "Big Brother 2", Rachel Goetz of "Average Joe", Dave Kerpen of Paradise Hotel," Joanne Newborn of "Who Wants to Marry My Dad?" and several "Real World" cast members including Norman Korpi, Chris Beckman, Tonya Cooley, Leah Gillingwater and Simon Sherry-Wood. Plus, several surprise guests!

Event sponsors include In Touch Weekly, Kenneth Cole, Orbitz, Fitzpatrick Group Hotels, Paint the Town Red, Buzz Marketing, 5W PR, The Advocate, Grey Goose Vodka, Chef & Company, AM New York, Shecky's, B Productions, Tammy Ford Agency, Chef Shimi, i.d. Talent Agency, Plantronics and Silent Partners.

Hosted at the Kenneth Cole store in Rockefeller Center, tickets run $75 for general, $125 for VIP and $150 at the door, and include food, drinks, music, shopping and a Reality Star Fashion Show. Tickets can be purchased online at www.realitycares.org.