Paula Abdul and Quinton Aaron Lead Glamorous Hamptons Party for Prince William's Beloved Charity

Sean Zanni/Getty Paula Abdul and Quinton Aaron

Prince William's beloved wildlife charity has some star supporters.

Singer and dancer Paula Abdul and The Blind Side actor Quinton Aaron got together on Friday for a soirée raising money and awareness for the Duke of Cambridge's treasured Tusk Trust charity.

The Karibu Africa party — held at the Bridgehampton home of Amy and Gary Green — also aided the African Community Conservation Fund. The ACCF and Tusk are united in helping community outreach programs, wildlife protection and anti-poaching efforts, as well as combating rising food poverty in East and Southern Africa, particularly Tanzania, Rwanda, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The event grossed over $500,000 for the charities.

World Food Program supporter Paula Abdul said, "My 60th birthday year is all about creating impact, and I'm thrilled to support these incredible organizations and their mission. The African Community & Conservation Foundation and Tusk are doing incredible work in Africa preserving wildlife and helping to create sustainability of the enormous landscape."

RELATED: Prince William Mourns Park Ranger Who Was Murdered in South Africa: 'I'm Deeply Saddened'

Sean Zanni/Getty Pete Mattson, Gary Green, Amy Green, Paula Abdul and Charles Mayhew

International soprano star and longstanding Tusk ambassador Katherine Jenkins, who was joined at the event by her film director husband Andrew Levitas, tells PEOPLE, "Africa's wildlife and biodiversity is special and must be protected. The work that Tusk continues to do across the continent combining conservation with community development is both impressive and vital."

"I've been lucky enough to witness this first hand, and I am so proud to have been an ambassador for the charity for many years," Jenkins adds. "Andrew and I were thrilled to attend the event last night and be able to support this collaboration between Tusk and ACCF."

Charles Mayhew, the founder and CEO of Tusk, tells PEOPLE that the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic in Africa makes their work even more vital.

"The economic impact of the COVID pandemic across Africa has been devastating, which has meant we have had to work doubly hard to raise funds to sustain our projects and keep rangers employed on the frontline," he says. "Funds raised last night will go a long way to ensuring the exciting conservation programs supported by Tusk and ACCF continue to deliver results."

Sean Zanni/Getty Karibu Africa Soirée

The event comes as Prince William gears up to arrive in the U.S. in December for his broader environment initiative, the Earthshot Prize, which rewards innovative ideas to help solve the planet's problems. William and his wife, Kate Middleton, are expected for the awards ceremony in Boston this December.

Prince William has been a patron of Tusk Trust since the beginning of his public life, soon after he left university in 2005. Last month, he added his voice to those mourning the death of a park ranger, Anton Mzimba, who was killed in South Africa. The following week, William, 40, praised the "dangerous" work the rangers carry out as they safeguard the rhinos and elephants which are hunted for their ivory.

Sean Zanni/Getty Quinton Aaron

"More than 1,000 rangers have been killed in the last ten years, and they need our support more than ever," William said. "Rangers like Anton are on the frontline of conservation, protecting people as well as wildlife. Among many roles, they are teachers, carers and researchers, looking out for a natural world that can't defend itself."

William highlighted Tusk's new drive to help fund more rangers. The charity's Wildlife Ranger Challenge brings together more than 100 ranger teams from across Africa in this year's multi-million fundraiser, which culminates in a half marathon on Sept. 17. The race will be accompanied by a series of mental and physical challenges, including a new mini-challenge for ranger teams with canine units, in which dogs and handlers will demonstrate their tracking skills, Tusk says.

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Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince William

Later this year, the charity will hold its annual Tusk Conservation Awards. Prince William usually attends, often alongside Kate, as the guest of honor.