Stars, Led by Financier, Support Phoenix House

Inspired by attending a previous fundraiser in New York, private-equities manager Dan Fireman has reached out to a number of prominent celebrities for support of the addiction-treatment program Phoenix House, Bloomberg reported March 30.

Fireman successfully recruited friends and business associates like Eli Manning, Shaquille O’Neal, Beyonce and Derek Jeter to help support Phoenix House, which recently has seen its donations drop 25 percent. Fireman also got his firm, Fireman Capital Partners, to donate $150,000 and his parents’ charity, the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Foundation, to give another $100,000.

“We focus on family homelessness, drug and substance abuse, and we wanted to give a gift that’s meaningful,” Fireman said.

This week, Phoenix House held a gala event at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan — not to solicit donations per se, but to introduce possible donors and supporters to the group’s mission.

“When times are rough, people turn to things they otherwise would not, such as drug addiction,” said Lisa Ellis, a partner at Fireman Capital and also Jean’s business partner at the Carnival House record label. “Phoenix House addresses a large piece of that puzzle.”