Jill Vedder
Jill Kristin Vedder (née McCormick; born November 11, 1977) is an American philanthropist, activist, and former fashion model. She is the co-founder and Vice-Chairman of the EB Research Partnership, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for the genetic skin disorder Epidermolysis Bullosa. Vedder is also an ambassador for Global Citizen and the Vitalogy Foundation. Early life and career. McCormick was born in Los Angeles, California, to Bud and Amy McCormick. She has five sisters. At 15, McCormick relocated with her family to Bradenton, Florida, and was immediately accepted into the Elite Models Miami  Division. She attended Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California, and graduated from Manatee High School in Bradenton in 1995. In 1996, McCormick was one of the 15 finalists in the Elite Model Look of the Year contest, and moved to Paris to continue her modeling career. McCormick then left Elite Model for the Champagne Trott Management agency. She has appeared in many magazines, such as "Vogue", "Elle", "Marie Claire", "Cosmopolitan" (UK and US) and "Harper's Bazaar". Personal life. McCormick and Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder began a relationship in 2000. The couple got engaged in 2009  and married on September 18, 2010. They have two daughters. In 2011, McCormick appeared in the music video for Vedder's solo single, "Longing to Belong". McCormick has adopted her husband's surname as her professional name. During a Pearl Jam concert in Milan on June 22, 2018, McCormick wore a jacket that read: "Yes, we all care. Y don't u?", in response to U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, who caused controversy earlier that week when she boarded her plane after visiting children who had been separated from their parents at the border of the United States and Mexico , wearing a jacket that read: "I really don't care. Do u?". Philanthropy. After quitting modeling, McCormick has turned to activism. She is the co-founder and Vice-Chairman of the EB Research Partnership, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for the genetic skin disorder Epidermolysis bullosa. McCormick was childhood friends with Ryan Fullmer, whose son, Michael, was born with EB. McCormick along with her husband Eddie Vedder, Ryan Fullmer and his wife Heather, founded Heal EB. In 2014, they merged Heal EB with the Jackson Gabriel Research Foundation to create the EB Research Partnership. The foundation  hosts several annual fundraising events and have raised over U$25 million to fund research to find a cure for EB. McCormick is an ambassador for Global Citizen, an organization committed to ending extreme poverty by 2030. She is also active with the Vitalogy Foundation, which supports the efforts of non-profit organizations doing commendable work in the fields of community health, the environment, arts & education and social change. She also supports "Moms Demand Action" on their fight against gun violence and the NRA. Since 2012, McCormick supports "Every Mother Counts", a non-profit that is working to make pregnancy and  childbirth safe for every mother in the U.S. and around the world. In 2017 and 2018, McCormick competed in a half-marathon on behalf of Team Every Mother Counts to raise awareness and funds. She is also a supporter of Planned Parenthood. In 2013, along with her sisters Denise and Ashley, Jill formed "Babes Against Brain Cancer", a charity that focuses on helping people with Glioblastoma Multiforme. On November 18, 2020, EB Research Partnership co-founders Jill and Eddie Vedder presented the inaugural "Venture Into Cures", a virtual event featuring stories about individuals and families living with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB ) and raised funds for research toward a cure for EB and other rare diseases. Jill was also an executive producer of the show, that also featured some of the couple's celebrity friends educating viewers about EB.