Look To The Stars News: Human Rights

Celebrity Donations To Katrina Relief Efforts

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 15:50:00 +0000

A list of what some celebrities have done to help Katrina victims:

Steven Spielberg, $750,000 to the American Red Cross and $750,000 to the Bush Clinton Fund
Nicolas Cage, Diddy, George Clooney each donated $1 million.
Oprah donated $1 million through her charity, Oprah's Angel Network
Hilary Duff donated $250,000.
John Travolta delivered supplies using his private plane.
Sean Penn rescued people using an occasionally leaky boat.
Michael Jackson offered a song, “From the Bottom of My Heart”.
Jamie Foxx raised $600,000 with a celebrity auction.

Jamie Foxx Holds Auction

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 19:34:14 +0000

Jamie Foxx hosted a party and auction to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina during which over $600,000 was raised for American Red Cross.

Oxfam Seeking Hero

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 12:41:19 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Oxfam has asked the public to nominate people that they feel could lead the drive to end poverty. You can cast your vote online at the Oxfam web site .

Jackie Chan Joins Fight Against AIDS

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 23:00:02 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Jackie Chan and UNICEF have produced a series of commercials to help children living with HIV and AIDS. The 30-second ads are aimed at educating the public about the disease.

Hollywood's Humanitarians At Cinema For Peace

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 12:42:23 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Celebrities are offering support for a variety of humanitarian causes at Cinema For Peace in Berlin this week.

UNICEF supporter Christopher Lee has spoken out about the duty of celebrities to bring attention to and support causes to improve the world, especially for children.

“The world today is such a terrible mess, and the children are suffering so much that anyone who can help by talking about it should do so,” he says.

UNICEF is one of the main beneficiaries of the Cinema for Peace charity gala. This year is also set to benefit the American Foundation for AIDS Research and Healing the Divide.

Football Match For UNICEF

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:20:31 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Robbie Williams is set to lead the British football team in this summer’s charity tournament, Soccer Aid.

Williams has invited Jude Law and Orlando Bloom to join him in training for the match, which is scheduled for next May. His team will be taking on celebrities from around the world at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium to raise money for UNICEF.

Photo Auction For Third World Relief

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 19:33:02 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Avril Lavigne, Céline Dion and Alanis Morissette are among Canadian musicians taking part in the Art Gives Hope: A Decade of Music Portraits exhibit in Toronto.

Inspired by the Live 8 concerts, photographer Andrew MacNaughtan hopes that his prints will raise at least $100,000 for World Vision Canada, where the funds will go to families living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. He also would like fans of the artists to become active in bringing about social change in Third World nations.

Jackie Chan Thanks Red Cross

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 18:38:19 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

As a child, Jackie Chan and his schoolmates were given assistance by a Red Cross worker. Jackie is now doing his best to say thank you by raising awareness of the charity’s cause.

Chan is one of the new members of the 2006 American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. Alongside celebrities such as Pierce Brosnan, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jane Seymour, he will help the charity by making public service announcements, conducting media interviews, donating time, money and blood, visiting disaster sites and lending a hand to those in need.

Shakira Honoured For Charity Work

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 20:20:15 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Shakira received a United Nations Humanitarian Award this week for helping children with her charity Pies Descalzos. Pies Descalzos, also known as the Barefoot Foundation, helps thousands of displaced children in Shakira’s native Colombia.

The singer moved the 400 member audience with her speech. “Let’s not forget at the end of this day when we all go home, 960 children will have died in Latin America,” she stated.

She then encouraged the public to help make a difference, saying, “This generation has so many ideas and technologies that my parents didn’t have access to, so let’s take advantage of this historical opportunity we have within reach to make this world a better place.”

Knightley Donates Gown to Oxfam

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 09:56:56 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Keira Knightley has donated the claret-colored gown that she wore for this year’s Oscars to Oxfam. The gown, created by Vera Wang, will be up for auction on Ebay beginning April 21 and ending on April 30. Proceeds raised by the auction will go towards the East African food crisis appeal.

Knightley says she is pleased to be able to donate the dress to Oxfam, and adds, “I have seen the TV reports on the horrendous drought in East Africa and I know how desperate things have become, so I am happy to be able to do something to help.”

Forbes' "Most Generous Celebrities" List

Fri, 19 May 2006 14:04:00 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Forbes Magazine has published a list of “Generous Celebrities”, highlighting the incredible generosity of some of the world’s most public faces.

The ten celebrities listed are:

Bono supports AIDS charity DATA and many others
Sandra Bullock gave $1m to the American Red Cross after the 9/11 bombings, and has also donated to the Tsunami relief fund
Nicolas Cage supports Chrysalis, an LA charity for the homeless, and gave $1m to Katrina relief
Jackie Chan is a UNICEF ambassador, founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, and gave $100,000 to Chrysalis
Céline Dion is Celebrity Patron for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and donated $1m to the American Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina
Angelina Jolie has given more than $3m to the UNHCR
Paul McCartney supports the Adopt-A-Minefield charity, and he and wife Heather Mills jointly donateed $1.9m to Tsunami relief
Arnold Schwarzenegger supports the Special Olympics, and in 2001 he donated a total of $4.1m to the Twin Towers fund, After-School All-Stars and Nelson Mandela’s children’s fund
Steven Spielberg is a patron of the Righteous Persons Foundation, founder of the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, and gave $1.5m to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts
Oprah gave $52m to charity in 2005 alone, and wrote a personal cheque for $10m to help victims of the Katrina disaster

Beckham Party Raises £2m

Wed, 24 May 2006 21:34:00 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Media darlings Victoria and David Beckham invited their celebrity friends and acquaintances to a ‘Full Length and Fabulous’ charity party last weekend, and raised £2m for UNICEF in the process.

Conceived as a party to usher in the soccer World Cup, the event boasted a guest list that included Robbie Williams, Diddy, Kate Moss, Sarah Ferguson, top football players and others.

Guests bid on items ranging from a £300,000 limited edition Bentley car to a meal cooked by Ozzy Osbourne — the latter was snapped up by a businessman for £62,000.

David Beckham’s teammate in the England soccer team, Wayne Rooney, paid £150,000 for his girlfriend to spend a weekend with Diddy at the rap star’s luxurious house in New York.

Robbie Lines Up Maradona For Soccer Aid Match

Wed, 24 May 2006 22:39:58 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Retired superstar footballer Diego Maradona is set to join Robbie Williams in the Soccer Aid celebrity football match to beneft UNICEF.

Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium will be the venue for the televised match on Saturday 27th May. Confirmed celebrity players include Jude Law, Orlando Bloom, TV chef Gordon Ramsay and Formula One racing driver Michael Schumacher.

Maradona is said to be keen to captain one of the two teams.

Streisand Stages Comeback for Charity

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:49:50 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Six years after a sell-out farewell concert, Barbra Streisand has announced that she will stage a 20-show charity tour of the United States in October.

Via her own Streisand Foundation, the singer plans to donate millions of dollars to environmental, education and women’s health organisations.

Her previous two scheduled concerts in 2000 at Madison Square Garden grossed over $14 million.

Explaining her return to the limelight, Streisand said, "The increasingly urgent need for private citizen support to combat dangerous climate change, along with education and health issues was the prime reason I decided to tour again.

“This will allow me to direct funds and awareness to causes that I care deeply about.”

Nicolas Cage Donation Helps Former Child Soldiers

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 12:40:37 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

On Wednesday Nicolas Cage donated $2 million to help former child soldiers. The donation was pledged by video during a United Nations conference in New York.

Cage says, “I understand that this pledge is not a solution for the problem. It’s my hopeful wish that today’s discussions on this tragic subject at the United Nations conference may bring us closer to eradicating the nightmare of child soldiers.”

The United Nations estimates that more than 300,000 children are involved in serious armed conflict.

Amnesty International is in charge of administering the funds, which will help provide shelters, medical and psychological rehabilitation services for the affected children.

Cage has worked with Amnesty International for more than two years.

Schumacher is in the Winner’s Circle for Philanthropy

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 20:53:30 +0000

Written by Greg Hitchcock

Michael Schumacher, the world’s most successful racing driver, announced his retirement after spending years racing and raising millions for charity.

The son of a builder from Kerpen, near Cologne, has donated almost £30 million to projects around the world in the past four years alone and, if motor racing fails to hold its allure when he hangs up his helmet at the end of the Formula One season, it is thought that he might plough his considerable wealth into a full-time foundation.

Ferrari’s seven-time world champion has worked for the United Nations charity since 1995, and his previous donations have helped build schools and clinics.

For instance, Schumacher donated $10 million, which represents about 10 percent of his annual income, to UNICEF to the relief effort following Boxing Day’s devastating tsunami disaster in south Asia. The German’s pledge, announced by agent Willi Weber on a German TV fundraiser for the UN Children’s Fund and German Red Cross, is the biggest so far in the world of sport, and possibly of any individual.

Schumacher has been a substantial donor to charities for the last eight years notably with UNESCO and UNICEF including funding a school in Dakar (Senegal), a clinic in Sarajevo and a centre for street children in Lima, Peru. He has also been involved in work in his role as a UNICEF ambassador.

“If you put them on the right track, everyone will benefit,” Schumacher said earlier this year. “But if they take the wrong road, if they don’t have any opportunities, they’ll have a difficult life and cause trouble for everyone around them.”

Return of the Secret Policeman's Ball

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 18:56:11 +0000

Written by Hannah Coone

In 1979, John Cleese headlined the first of a series of performances entitled ‘The Secret Policeman’s Ball’. The show was to raise awareness of Amnesty International UK, which it certainly achieved. Amnesty International UK stated that after the first 3 shows, public awareness of AIUK increased by 700%.

The first show starred other members of Monty Python, Billy Connolly, and it also gave Rowan Atkinson his big break. The Secret Policeman’s Ball was then made into a feature-length film.

In 1987, musical acts were added to the line-up, starring such artists as Kate Bush, Bob Geldof and Duran Duran.

Now, after 17 years, the Ball is finally returning, with a whole new line-up. Eddie Izzard, Chevy Chase and Jennifer Saunders are just a sample of the impressive names amongst the acts this year, as well as music performances by Gorillaz and The Magic Numbers.

The show, to be held at London’s Royal Albert Hall on October 14th and broadcast on UK’s Channel 4 shortly after, will involve stand-up comedy, sketches and music and will be given an update with animations and podcasts.

Lisle Turner, of Amnesty International UK, comments on this event, “It’s never been more important to stand-up for humanity and human rights and as it was a generation ago, the ball is our secret weapon to rally the troops.” Turner goes on to say, “We’re doing it now because the world needs a poke in the eye, it needs laughter, and frankly, it needs more balls.”

Bono and Heather Mills Lending Their Celebrity to Raise Awareness of Genocide in Darfur

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 09:09:18 +0000

Written by Robert Powers

Adding to the efforts of celebrities like George Clooney and Bob Geldof, Bono and Heather Mills have recently spoken out in efforts to raise awareness of the ongoing genocide occurring in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

Speaking to reporters in London, Bono described the actions of Sudan’s Khartoum government as “an affront to decency.” It has been estimated that since 2003, when fighting broke out, 2.5 million people have been displaced from their homes and over 400,000 people have been killed by militias sponsored by the Sudanese government. The government has flatly refused calls to allow a UN peace-keeping force into the region, which Bono referred to as having “broken every shred of dignity possible in a government,” calling the situation in Darfur “preposterous,” and stating that “governments need to take up [their] slack in dealing with the situation.”

Bono’s charitable organization devoted to matters of debt, AIDS, trade, and Africa (DATA) earlier this year issued a statement on their website (data.org) concerning the atrocities in Sudan, saying that “the mass atrocities occurring in Sudan and across this region of Africa call upon our consciences and demand our action.”

Heather Mills has been reported to be in talks with Aegis Trust to visit Darfur as an acting sponsor. Aegis Trust is an international charity that was founded in the year 2000 to prevent and support action against genocides worldwide. She has linked to the charity’s “Protect Darfur” project (protectdarfur.org) on her personal website.

“Twelve years after Rwanda and eleven years after Srebrenica,” she recently said at a charity event in London, “we are on the verge of seeing it all happen again.”

“I urge you, wherever you are, to do what is in your power to help Darfur’s people. Speak out. If you don’t, these people will die and once again, it will be too late,” she added.

Sachs Appeal - Who is Jeffrey Sachs?

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:48:00 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Brad Pitt sang his praises at the ONEXONE fundraiser, and George Soros donated $50 million to the program which he directs, the UN Millennium Project. Bono and Madonna are also big supporters, and Angelina Jolie has filmed an MTV special promoting his work.

So who is this man that so many stars are looking up to? Jeffrey Sachs is considered the leading economic advisor of his generation; he has been called “the most important economist in the world” by The New York Times Magazine. He is Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan regarding the Millennium Development Goals; has worked as an economic advisor to governments in Latin America, Eastern Europe, the former Yugoslavia, the former Soviet Union, Asia, and Africa; and has advised organizations such as the IMF, the World Bank, the OECD, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Development Programme. He is the Director of The Earth Institute, and President and Co-Founder of Millennium Promise Alliance, a nonprofit organization aimed at ending extreme global poverty.

But what really has people talking is the Millennium Villages he is helping to create as part of the UN Millennium Project. In 2004 the project implemented a plan to greatly reduce poverty by using practical, affordable means and empowering the people most affected by the condition.

The most impoverished know what help they require, making the key principle for each Village community empowerment, participation and leadership. Together they aim to create an African Green Revolution working with the environment to increase food production to a secure level, so that the people can then focus on non-agricultural endeavors.

There are currently 12 Millennium Villages, with the hope of creating 66 more in the next year. The first Millennium Village began in Sauri,Kenya, with a village consisting of little more than 5,200 people with the strong desire to improve their own lives. The funding for the project came mostly from the Kenyan government and the village, with under half of the funds coming from international aid.

At the start of the project most of Sauri’s farmers were harvesting less than a ton of maize per hectare – not enough to feed a household from one season to the next – so two maize hybrids were introduced to the village by the UN Millennium Project Hunger Task Force. The villagers received fertilizer, were taught fallow farming techniques and shown how to use leguminous crops to help enrich the soil. This new knowledge combined with a season of good rains to create a bumper crop of four tons per hectare, four times what they had previously grown.

Producing food is just one step that the project has taken. It provides for improved food storage facilities, bed-nets to stop malaria-carrying mosquitoes, free clinics with AIDS antiretroviral therapies and vaccinations to fight diseases, agro-forestry education, sinking of wells for safe drinking water, and bringing in generators for village electricity. The cost per person is $110 per year.

All of this is hard to imagine, but a video of Angelina Jolie at the Sauri village available on YouTube clearly illustrates what is happening. In fact, Jolie is so impressed with what she has seen that she and Brad Pitt plan to build a Millennium Village in Cambodia.

'Rock For Darfur' Myspace campaign

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 15:53:16 +0000

Written by Hannah Coone

MySpace.com has led a campaign entitled Rock For Darfur — a series of concerts across North America in which the participating big-name bands donate portions of their ticket sales to Oxfam's relief efforts in Sudan and neighboring Chad. October 21st saw more than 20 concerts unite rock, pop, reggae and country artists for a common cause.

The concerts featured the likes of Ziggy Marley, Alice In Chains, Insane Clown Posse, Jamie Cullum, +44 and Atreyu. “I’ve been watching the news reports and it brings tears to my eyes and anger to my heart when I see what is happening in Darfur right now,” says Ziggy Marley. “How can we sit by and not find a way to help? Together every little bit will add up.”

Many music artists have MySpace profiles, and site members can add bands to their friend lists. Using this feature, ‘Rock For Darfur’ awareness could be maximized throughout the website, using blogs and bulletins. MySpace partnered with bands and the leading international relief and development organization Oxfam to make the campaign the company’s largest philanthropic effort to date

“The crisis in Darfur is a global concern and as a global community we have a responsibility to take action,” said Chris DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace. “MySpace’s reach gives us an extraordinary opportunity to spread the word and empower individuals to help address the horrors in Darfur.”

The campaign has extended beyond the concerts to include a public-service-announcement (PSA) featuring Samuel L. Jackson, and further videos and interactive features which can be found on the MySpace ‘Rock For Darfur’ profile. The PSA was played throughout October in theatres, and was also shown on broadcast and cable companies and high-profile websites including MySpace.

Further videos on the profile page include an excerpt from George Clooney's visit to Darfur as part of a forthcoming documentary focused on the crisis, ‘The Devil Came on Horseback’. MySpace members can donate to Oxfam’s relief efforts via the profile page.

“More than three years of violence in Darfur has left half the region’s population dependent on international aid for survival, and there are untold thousands more who can’t even be reached,” said President of Oxfam America, Raymond C. Offenheiser.

“Such a catastrophic humanitarian situation will not improve without an end to this brutal conflict. The people of Darfur urgently need – and deserve – our help. It’s incredibly heartening that MySpace, which can rally millions of people to this cause, is working so hard to educate the world about this crisis.”

Sarah Jessica Parker Plugs UNICEF’s Annual Trick-or-Treat Fundraiser

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:06:38 +0000

Written by Robert Powers

Just days before Halloween, Sarah Jessica Parker appeared on ABC News speaking to Diane Sawyer in support of UNICEF’s trick-or-treat campaign.

The actress spoke of early experiences going door to door on Halloween carrying her own orange-colored cardboard box, soliciting donations in addition to asking for candy: “I am not making this up. My oldest memory is trick-or-treating with UNICEF.”

The renowned UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) trick-or-treat campaign can trace its roots to 1950 when a group of trick-or-treating children in Philadelphia collected $17 to go towards aiding victims of post-World War II Europe. It has since come to raise a total of $132 million in the United States and $80.5 million in Canada.

“What UNICEF does,” Parker said, “is it goes to the children that are most in peril, countries with man-made and nature-made crises, and changes lives.”

And now that Parker has a child of her own – a four-year old named James – she looks forward to passing on what she calls an “American tradition of volunteerism, responsibility [and] commitment to others.”

“I’m so happy to walk around with these UNICEF boxes and with my son and try to go monitor his candy.”

Beckham backs Blue Peter Appeal

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 20:50:00 +0000

Written by Chris Tarttelin

On November 8, superstar footballer David Beckham appeared on the UK children’s TV programme Blue
Peter to back its latest charity campaign ‘Shoebiz’. The appeal’s goal is to gather and recycle 500,000 pairs of shoes to raise £500,000 — enough to set up 22 Children’s Corners across Malawi.

Children’s Corners provide food, support and schooling for some of the world’s poorest children, and a chance for them to simply play. With the explosion of AIDS across Africa, many of the children are orphans with the job of caring for their younger siblings.

During Beckham’s time as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, he supported several campaigns, including ‘Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS’ and saw the problems that African AIDS orphans face.

Giving a pair of his own shoes to the appeal, Beckham said, "So many people look up to me and to other footballers around the world. To help out by creating awareness is the best thing I can do.

“My kids love football and they are lucky – there are many children out there who don’t have the privilege of running around on grass or having shoes to run in.

“Just a simple thing like giving a pair of shoes or trainers to this
appeal is going to make a big difference.

“There are many children out there who have lost their mums and dads to HIV/AIDS and something like this will make a huge difference.”

Beckham said of his own donation: “I rarely give football boots away and these are very special to me.”

Fellow footballer Wayne Rooney and Tony Blair have also given some of their old footwear for the Shoebiz Appeal. Rooney gave a pair of football boots, while the Prime Minister handed over a smart pair of shoes.

Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones visited Malawi to witness first-hand the plight of the 600,000 orphans who have so far lost their parents to AIDS, which kills one person in the country every eight minutes. Jones said, “The children I met in Malawi just wanted to kick a ball around and have fun together; but the sadness of their loss and the appalling difficulties of living without a mum or dad simply can’t be faced alone.”

Residents of the UK, where 2 million shoes are thrown away each week, can get involved via the Blue Peter appeal website.

Comic Relief Brings Laughter to New Orleans

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 21:12:33 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams are back to host the 20th Anniversary of the US Comic Relief event this Saturday, November 19th. After an eight-year hiatus, the beloved event has returned to raise funds for New Orleans and the people still suffering from the effects of last year’s hurricane. Comedians such as Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Ray Romano and Roseanne Barr have joined the cause.

The show will take place at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas as part of The Comedy Festival, with tickets starting at $95. For those unable to attend in person, the three-hour concert will appear simultaneously on HBO and TBS from 9pm to Midnight EST.

This year a special Comic Relief concert has been scheduled in New Orleans to coincide with the regular Las Vegas show. The event will be held at Harrah’s Fulton Street promenade and is free to the public. Wayne Brady is the host of this show, and he will be joined by entertainers such as Louie Anderson and Tom Arnold.

Since 1986, Comic Relief has raised more than $50 million, with 100% of the proceeds going to programs such as aiding the homeless and helping victims of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Much of this year’s proceeds will go to a local non-profit group which is rebuilding New Orleans’ traditional narrow, rectangular houses for low-income families.

Iconic Eveningwear Up For Auction

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 23:25:21 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Trademark pieces worn by two of film’s most famous characters are to be auctioned off for charity in the first half of December.

British auctioneers Christie’s will sell the classic black dress worn by Audrey Hepburn's character, Holly Golightly, in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and a live auction for UK charity ChildLine will feature the tuxedo worn by Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale.

Hepburn’s Givenchy dress will sell as part of Christie’s annual film and entertainment sale in London on the 5th of December. The lot is expected to raise £50,000-£70,000 (around $99,000-$140,000) for underprivileged children in India through the City of Joy Aid charity.

Hepburn’s wardrobe for the film was designed by Hubert de Givenchy, and the renowned designer has donated key pieces from his collection to raise money for disadvantaged children around the world in an attempt to continue the spirit of Audrey Hepburn’s work for UNICEF.

The famous black dress was given to Monsieur and Madame Lapierre to raise money for their City of Joy Aid charity. A meeting with Mother Theresa prompted the Lapierres to found the charity in 1981, which helps the poorest of the poor through a network of clinics, schools, rehabilitation centers and hospital boats.

The dress is currently available for viewing at Christie’s in London.

Daniel Craig’s dinner suit was donated to ChildLine, which is marking its 20th anniversary by auctioning off over 30 prizes, including a part in Desperate Housewives, lyrics for the hit song Angels handwritten and signed by Robbie Williams, and a signed Michael Schumacher limited edition print. The live auction will take place at the ChildLine Ball on Saturday 9 December, though fax and email bids can be made up until 7th of December.

ChildLine is striving to raise £20m (around $40m) to extend by 1,000 the 2,500 children it currently helps each day. The charity has brought abusers to justice, and has helped nearly two million children through counselling and support.

Clooney and Others Auction "Dreams" For Martin Luther King III Foundation

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 10:18:28 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Celebrities from the worlds of sports, entertainment and public service will offer unique personal experiences or memorabilia in an auction to benefit Realizing the Dream, Inc., the charity overseen by Martin Luther King III, eldest son of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and co-founded by former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young.

A total of 100 “Dreams” will be auctioned in waves, with the first 10 lots going under the hammer on December 21st. Additional Dreams will be added to the roster each Friday.

The first ten Dreams on offer are the following:

A private tour of the Yogi Berra Museum conducted by Yogi himself
Lunch with Walter Cronkite in New York
Join George Clooney at “Ocean’s 13” Movie Premiere and Private After Party
A private set tour with Michael and Mira Sorvino of their upcoming movie “The Trouble With Cali.” Also meet their father Paul Sorvino who directs and produces the film and their sister Amanda Sorvino, the screenwriter.
Jonathan Vilma will make a winning bidder his guest at a NY Jets Game and the recipient of his game jersey.
An opportunity to ring the Opening Bell at the New York Mercantile Exchange
NY Knicks-Luxury Suite, including 12 seats, for a Knicks game this 2006-2007 Season. This package includes food & drinks with TV commentators & player visits to the Luxury Suite.
NY Rangers-Luxury Suite, including 12 seats, for an Exciting Ranger Game this 2006-2007 season. This package includes food & drinks with TV commentators & player visits to the Luxury Suite.
Meet and Greet with New York Met David Wright on the field
Lunch with former UN Ambassador and Dr. King colleague Andrew Young

Realizing the Dream, Inc., with headquarters in Atlanta Georgia, is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Dr. King’s dream a reality for all. Realizing the Dream seeks to continue the legacy and work of Dr. and Mrs. King in wiping out poverty and injustice through programs that foster peace and nonviolent social change, empower poverty-stricken communities, and develop strong leaders among the nation’s youth. Monies raised from the auction will be used directly to carry out these programs.

“I am truly overwhelmed by the enormous response from celebrities all over the country,” said Mr. King. “With their help, the torch for justice, equality and community that my parents once held is uplifted. More important, their generous commitments in support of my quest to continue the work toward the elimination of poverty and suffering are a testament to my father’s belief in the Beloved Community.”

Bids can be made live on eBay or direct via supervising auctioneers Morphy Auctions.

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