Matt Damon, a constant force in support of the OneXOne charity foundation, was unable to attend the 2nd Annual Gala Fundraiser for the organization last night in San Francisco due to a family emergency. A rep for the event, which Damon had been scheduled to host, told E! News that “He wouldn’t have missed this otherwise.”

Nevertheless, the event did go forward as planned – with celebrities like Charlize Theron, Jeremy Piven, David Arquette, Josh Groban, and Mia Hamm in attendance.

The evening featured a keynote address by Vicki Escarra, CEO of Feeding America, performances by Josh Groban, Carlos Santana, and the announcement of a new partnership with Charlize Theron’s African Outreach Project. Check out some pictures from the event below.

Called the “first ever ‘green’ Christmas tree”, this year’s tree at Rockefeller Center will be draped with 30,000 light-emitting diodes- a five-mile strand of starry lights that will not only illuminate New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg believes will “inspire private-sector creativity” and allow the tree’s 500,000 daily visitors to “dream of a ‘green’ Christmas”.

While the 2007 Rockefeller Tree Lighting Ceremony isn’t until Wednesday, November 28th at 7 p.m., some lucky passersby have already spotted Carrie Underwood and her backup (ice) dancers practicing (or pre-taping?) her holiday performance.

Kelli Shields is a community outreach organizer with the Center for Biological Diversity.