Page 10 - Hola_USA

Clockwise: The HOLA! USA team with
the Iglesias twins and star photographer
Patrick Demarchelier, the HOLA! USA
editorial team and volunteers from
Positive Workforce collecting donations
at a Daddy Yankee concert, Ricky
Martin at home in Los Angeles
speaking exclusively to HOLA! USA,
and Ricky with fellow Puerto Rican Luis
Fonsi and singer Gloria Estefan during
a visit to the Island of Enchantment after
the tragedy.

# holaholidays

n tragedy, there is also beauty. And even though the over the world. Because when East Asia was hit by a
Imessage that Mother Nature is sending us—with natural tsunami, he was there for them. Because when he found
disasters that devastated my beloved Puerto Rico, my out about the earthquake in Mexico, he organized a
friends in Mexico, and my family in Houston and Florida— benefit concert in the Zócalo to raise money for the
is clear, I can’t help but get emotional when I see how so victims. Because the day before Hurricane Maria
many of our favorite celebs came to the rescue (page 40). slammed into Puerto Rico, he had already started creat-
Also, Facebook helped us come together during those ing a foundation to help fellow Puerto Ricans recover
dark times, when thousands of us couldn’t get in touch and rebuild, and in two weeks managed to raise 3 mil-
with our loved ones on the island after being hit by Hurri- lion dollars. Because he got stars and personal friends
cane Maria. Thanks to this platform, I met a group of like Ellen DeGeneres involved to secure support from
charitable and enterprising people who contacted me big corporations. Because all he wants in return is for
when they found out I was using my accounts to connect people to hear his message, join his causes, and contrib-
families. Among them, I was surprised by the commend- ute however they can.
able work done by Warrior Angels, a grassroots organiza- HOLA! USA also exists to remind us that life is
tion who brought over 300 patients with medical emer- beautiful. And who better to do that than Julio Iglesias’
gencies to hospitals in the United States, in over 12 twins, Cristina and Victoria (page 74), debuting as top
private planes, paid almost entirely out of pocket by Val, models in the beautiful mansion of our friends Annette
the organization’s founder. In the midst of the craziness and Oscar de la Renta (R.I.P.).
during the crisis, something became very clear to me: Christmas is my favorite time of the year because it
doing what’s right shouldn’t be a reason to celebrate, but makes me think about JAVIER ROMERO; STEPHEN HERMANN; JULIO HUERTA; GLADYS VEGA/GETTY IMAGES
rather the responsibility of every human being. renewal—an opportunity
And for his sense of social responsibility, we honor to become a better per-
Ricky Martin with our first “Humanitarian of the Year son. Happy holidays CRISTY MARRERO
Award” (page 64). Because for over three decades his everyone! And remember Ed i t o ri al V P
foundation has saved thousands of lives, particularly that in tragedy there is F o l l ow m e @ m c r is t y m a r r e r o
those of children who have been enslaved by sex rings all also beauty. c ri s t y . m ar r e r o @ h o l a . co m

8 H OL A. C O M