Look To The Stars News: Miscellaneous

Bon Jovi Donates to Oprah's Angel Network

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 15:17:40 +0000

Jon Bon Jovi stunned Oprah in September with a $1 million donation to Oprah's Angel Network in support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Celebrity Donations To Katrina Relief Efforts

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

Written by Myrlia Purcell

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.

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.

Clooney Donates Academy Awards Gift Bag

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 18:17:54 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

George Clooney has donated his gift bag from the Academy Awards to the United Way Hurricane Response and Recovery Fund.

The bag and its contents, which include a BlackBerry 8700c, a Kay Unger kimono and a pearl necklace, will be auctioned online beginning March 22nd and ending March 28th. The auction will be held at the United Way website, and the winner will receive a special bonus – a handwritten letter of thanks from Clooney for helping with the hurricane relief effort.

Barrymore Raises Funds For Food

Sat, 25 Mar 2006 12:43:50 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Drew Barrymore recently travelled to Kenya in an effort to help some of the 11 million people in East Africa who are suffering from poverty and drought.

Photos the actress took while visiting the affected people of the area were sold in an auction that raised nearly $20,000 for the World Food Programme. One dollar will feed five hungry children for a day. Fellow filmstars Lucy Liu and Hugh Grant were among the winning bidders supporting the cause.

Barrymore has also designed a locket that will be sold through Marie Claire Magazine and on the internet. Some of the proceeds go to feed schoolchildren as a part of Marie Claire’s Shop For Charity World Hunger Campaign.

Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend Aims to Raise $500,000

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 21:33:39 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Over 30 celebrities are expected to attend the Dennis Quaid 2006 Charity Weekend from 4th-7th of May in Austin, Texas, where the actor lives.

Top names such as Hugh Grant, Greg Kinnear and Matthew McConaughey will reportedly be among those aiming to raise $500,000 for local and international children’s charities. Planned events include a celebrity poker challenge, a fashion show, an auction, golf and a benefit concert by Quaid’s band The Sharks.

The Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend has become an annual event since its inauguration in 2003, and has raised $700,000 to date. This year’s event will benefit Any Baby Can, Austin Children’s Shelter, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, and the International Hospital for Children.

Charlize Theron Hosts Children's Benefit Auction

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 13:23:03 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Charlize Theron hosted an auction on June 27th to raise money for children in her native South Africa. The event in Los Angeles drew the support of other Hollywood celebrities, and raised $140,000 to help families in need.

The auction was attended by stars such as Lindsay Lohan, and items up for auction included a jacket from Will Smith, signed DVDs from Tom Hanks and an original Scarface poster donated by Al Pacino.

The Charlize Theron African Outreach Project benefits Oprah's Angel Network and helps support vulnerable children in rural South Africa.

Date with Biel Raises $30,000

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:40:43 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Molly Bloom, a Denver East High School graduate lost her leg and half her pelvis in a tragic limousine accident on prom night.

After hearing of the accident in her home town of Boulder, Colorado, Jessica Biel decided to do something to help. Esquire’s “2005 Sexiest Woman Alive!” put herself up for auction at Molly’s fundraiser, Mollypalooza, offering a date to the highest bidder.

Although Biel was unable to attend the event personally, her father attended, and the actress recorded a message asking people to “reach for their wallets for this important cause”. The message was played immediately before a montage of film clips chosen from throughout her career.

Groups of highschoolers who had pooled their funds in an attempt to win the lunch date were quickly disappointed as the bidding flew up into the $20,000 range.

The winning bid came when a man in a conservative jacket and tie called out, “$30,000!”

The man was escorted up onto stage amidst resounding applause from the crowd of supporters. He would only give his first name, John, and said that he is a Senior Vice President at a local gas and oil company.

McConaughey's Corvette on eBay

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 21:32:58 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Matthew McConaughey has put his 1971 Chevy Corvette up for auction on eBay to help with the ongoing 2005 hurricane relief efforts.

The actor is donating 100% of the auction’s proceeds to Oprah's Angel Network to aid those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

He says, “I admire and enjoy this car, but it’s a luxury that I’m willing to relinquish at this point because I am fortunate enough to have everythin I need, and the sale of it will help so many with the necessities in life.”

The auction for the Mediterranean Blue Stingray, which McConaughey has affectionately called ‘Mako’ during the 7 years he has had it, ends on July 27.

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.

"Modfather" Paul Weller Launches Guitar Campaign

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 12:21:00 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Former Jam singer Paul Weller has launched a campaign to build giant guitars for charity.

The Gibson GuitarTown exhibition will build 30 guitar sculptures across London by next summer, ready for 12 weeks of display beginning on 1st June 2007. Each sculpture will be designed and endorsed by famous musicians, including Queen guitarist Brian May.

All 30 Gibson Les Paul guitars will later be auctioned off for The Prince's Trust, Nordoff Robbins and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Speaking about the campaign, Weller said: “I am proud to be associated with the Gibson GuitarTown London campaign as it combines my passion and appreciation for the guitar, whilst raising money and awareness for three very worthy and deserving charities.”

[Update: the website for the campaign is www.londonguitartown.com]

Kevin Bacon Launches “SixDegrees.org”

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 10:02:12 +0000

Kevin Bacon has launched SixDegrees.org, a new web site that builds on the popularity of the “small world phenomenon” to create a charitable social network and inspire giving to charities online.

Bacon started the network with celebrities who are highlighting their favorite charities – including Kyra Sedgwick (Natural Resources Defense Council), Nicole Kidman (UNIFEM), Ashley Judd (YouthAIDS), Bradley Whitford and Jane Kaczmarek (Clothes Off Our Back), Dana Delany (Scleroderma Research Foundation), Robert Duvall (Pro Mujer), Rosie O'Donnell (Rosie's For All Kids Foundation), and Jessica Simpson (Operation Smile) – and he encouraged everyone to be celebrities for their own causes by joining the Six Degrees movement.

“SixDegrees.org is about using the idea that we are all connected to accomplish something good,” said Bacon. “It is my hope that Six Degrees will soon be something more than a game or a gimmick. It will also be a force for good, by bringing a social conscience to social networking.”

The game, ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,’ made the rounds of college campuses over the past decade and lived on to be a shorthand term for the small world phenomenon.

Bacon created SixDegrees.org in partnership with the nonprofit, Network for Good, AOL, and Entertainment Weekly. Through SixDegrees.org, which builds on Network for Good’s giving system for donating to more than one million charities online and AOL’s AIM Pages social networking service, people can learn about and support the charities of celebrities or fundraise for their own favorite causes with their own friends and families. Bacon will match the charitable dollars raised by the top six non-celebrity fundraisers with grants of up to $10,000 each.

“People give to charity because someone they know or respect asks them. So charities are increasingly looking to their supporters – not just themselves – to raise awareness and money online. That means both celebrities and everyday people can make an enormous difference for people in need,” said Bill Strathmann, CEO of Network for Good.

SixDegrees.org harnesses two important online trends: the exponential growth of social networks and the increasing interest in using the web for raising money for charity among family and friends. Through SixDegrees.org, people can upload their own photos and stories and fundraise for the charity of their choice with their own charity badges and AIM Pages.

To kick off the launch of SixDegrees.org, Bacon will attend opening weekend of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT, where he and other celebrities will be encouraging charitable giving. Entertainment Weekly is celebrating SixDegrees.org and Kevin Bacon at its third annual Sundance Festival Opening Weekend Party on January 20 at Jean Louis in Park City. At the party, guests will be able to learn more about SixDegrees.org and celebrities will be encouraged to donate their “swag” to benefit charity. Items will later be listed on eBay using eBay Giving Works.

There will also be a representative from SixDegrees.org in Entertainment Weekly’s Main Street photo studio throughout the week so that when celebrities come to be photographed for the magazine, they can learn more about the organization and find out how they can get involved. Bacon will also be feted at an AOL reception where he will tape an episode of Moviefone.com’s Unscripted with Bradley Whitford, a SixDegrees.org participant and star of “An American Crime” premiering at Sundance.

“AIM Pages and Six Degrees are the perfect pairing as the immense popularity of social networking and the importance of individual giving converge. We look forward to building an important network of good-deed-doers via AIM Pages to benefit the scores of charities associated with Six Degrees,” according to Marcien Jenckes, VP/GM, Instant Messaging & Social Media, AOL.

John Ondrasik Asks What Kind Of World You Want

Tue, 08 May 2007 18:58:56 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting has started a charity music video community. The site, www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com, offers the public the chance to upload videos which explain the type of world in which they want to live.

At the end of every video viewers can click on the sponsor link; each click donates up to 49 cents to one of the charities chosen by Ondrasik. He encourages submissions, saying, “There are no rules here, your film can be personal, political – write a story, tell a story – anything goes.”

The charities benefitting from the website include Fisher House Foundation, Breast Cancer 3-Day, Save the Children, Autism Speaks, Save The Music Foundation and New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund. John tells us that another charity, Augie's Quest will be added within the next few months.

For those who need more of a reason to create a video, there are prizes on offer. The grand prize winner will be chosen at random from the 20 most popular videos, and will be treated to a private concert with John Ondrasik including roundtrip airfare and lodging for two in Los Angeles.

Star Athletes Create Charity Team

Wed, 09 May 2007 14:02:29 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Athletes work hard to be the best at what they do, and now some of the top sports celebrities have joined their efforts to form a team with a common goal of philanthropy. The prize they hope to win is a better future for the world.

The founding members of Athletes For Hope are already familiar with charity work, and hope to pass their passion for helping others on to the future generation of sports stars.

“Combined, our 12 Founding Athletes have raised more than $500 million for charitable and health-related causes, have built schools, community centers, hospitals, parks, and stadiums, while touching countless lives in ways that can’t be calculated,” said Ivan Blumberg, CEO of Athlete’s for Hope.

Andre Agassi, Mia Hamm and Lance Armstrong originally put the idea together, and were soon joined by Muhammad Ali, Warrick Dunn, Jeff Gordon, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning and Cal Ripken, Jr. The have created a clearing house where young athletes will be teamed up with exsisting charities, or helped to create charities of their own.

They hope that involving the athletes will also inspire the public to get involved in philanthropy.

“We’ve helped each other through our foundations,” tennis star Agassi said. “We realized as much as we can effect (change) individually, you can effect more profoundly collectively. It’s an exponential message.”

Oprah Tops Celebrity Philanthropy A-List

Sat, 12 May 2007 08:24:00 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

A list of the 30 largest public donations made by celebrities in the past year puts Oprah in the top spot.

The Giving Back Fund, which encourages and advises on celebrity philanthropy, compiles its list each year. President Marc Pollick said, “Encouragement-by-example is the main reason for the Giving Back 30 list.”

Oprah gave $58.3 million to Oprah's Angel Network and her recently-opened Leadership Academy.

Of the other celebrities high on the list, Barbra Streisand was in fourth spot, having given $11.75 million through her Streisand Foundation.

Tiger Woods took fifth place, giving $9.5 million to organisations including the Tiger Woods Learning Center funded by the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Giving Back’s Marc Pollick praised an increasing trend in celebrity donations, saying, “Ten years ago when Slate magazine first published the Slate 60 reporting on the most generous American philanthropists, the last donor on their list gave $5 million. This year the last donor donated $30 million to charity. This is the type of growth we are hoping to inspire within the sports and entertainment community. One cannot help but be influenced by the generosity of his or her peers.”

The full list and information about how it was compiled can be found at givingback.org. This site has previously reported on many of the list’s featured celebrities and their donations; a comprehensively linked version of the list appears below:

Position	Celebrity	Donation	Cause(s)
1	Oprah Winfrey	$58,300,000	Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, Oprah's Angel Network, and other groups
2	Geoffrey Beene	$44,000,000 (bequest)	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
3	Jack and Marie Lord	$40,000,000 (bequest)	Hawaii Community Foundation
4	Barbra Streisand	$11,750,000	Streisand Foundation, numerous civil liberties, environmental, and civil rights organizations “dedicated to democratic values”
5	Tiger Woods	$9,500,000	Tiger Woods Learning Center, Earl D. Woods Sr. Scholarship Fund, and other Tiger Woods Foundation programs
6	Rosie O'Donnell	$5,700,000	Katrina Relief efforts including Renaissance Village (a temporary shelter for Katrina victims), day care centers, a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, and a Habitat For Humanity sub division in Baton Rouge
7	Martha Stewart	$5,000,000	New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital for a center on healthy aging
8	Carmelo Anthony	$4,282,000	CAF Youth Center in Baltimore, AAU Basketball, Syracuse University Recreational Center, and other charities
9	Pat Boone & Shirley Boone	$3,000,000	Pepperdine University for the Graduate School of Education and Psychology Center for the Family
9	LeRoy Neiman	$3,000,000	The School of the Art Institute of Chicago to support a Master’s class in figure drawing
11	Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt	$2,415,000	School and Community Center in Swakopmund in Namibia, Daniel Pearl Foundation, Namibian hospitals, Doctors Without Borders, Global Action for Children and others
12	Nicolas Cage	$2,000,000	Amnesty International for a fund to help child soldiers
12	Dwayne Johnson (“The Rock”) and Dany Garcia Johnson	$2,000,000	University of Miami to name new Alumni Center living room
12	Paul McCartney	$2,000,000	Adopt-A-Minefield
12	Arnold Palmer	$2,000,000	Pledged to the Arnold Palmer Foundation ultimately to benefit the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
16	David Geffen	$1,600,000	David Geffen Foundation
17	Susan Saint James and Dick Ebersol	$1,300,000	The Gunnery to help pay for a new dormitory in memory of their son Teddy killed in a plane crash
18	Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg	$1,250,000	Boston University to renovate facilities
19	Andre Agassi	$1,070,000	Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation
20	Tiki and Ronde Barber and family	$1,000,000	University of Virginia to support the McIntire School of Commerce, the Virginia Athletics Foundation, Childrens Hospital, a scholarship fund for African-American students, the Young Alumni Council, and to challenge young alumni to participate in the capital campaign
20	Bob Barker	$1,000,000	Georgetown University to endow a fund at its law school that will focus on the study of animal rights
20	Gloria Estefan	$1,000,000	The Miami Project
20	Dr. Phil McGraw & Robin McGraw	$1,000,000	Dr. Phil Foundation
20	George Steinbrenner & family	$1,000,000	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for Boshamer Stadium for baseball
20	Tony Stewart	$1,000,000	Victory Junction Gang Camp
20	Denzel Washington	$1,000,000	Save Africa's Children
27	Mike Sexton	$560,000	Special Olympics, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, Children, Inc., Wounded Warrior Project, Ohio State University, and other charities
28	Lance Armstrong	$500,000	Lance Armstrong Foundation
28	Dolly Parton	$500,000	Fort Sanders Medical Center
28	Elizabeth Taylor	$500,000	New Orleans AIDS Task Force to purchase mobile medical unit for AIDS sufferers in New Orleans

Music Legends Bring Farm Aid to New York

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 07:55:41 +0000

Written by Nadia Lias

What other better way to raise awareness and funds than having a fun filled annual concert loaded with country, blues and rock music? Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews seem to be doing a great job in creating such fun with a cause.

Farm Aid is back, and on September 9, it will continue its mission to create awareness of the importance of family farms at its concert in Randall’s Island, New York. Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival is not to be missed, promising superb tunes from great lineups, 100% delicious family farm food and homegrown fun.

Founded in 1985, Farm Aid was created to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land producing fresh, healthful food for everyone. Farm Aid has raised more than $30 million for the good cause. For more information on the concert visit the Farm Aid website.

eBay Busy With Charity Auctions

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:27:49 +0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Ebay Giving Works, the program set up by the internet giant dedicated to charity auctions, is busy this month with an influx of musicians selling items for good causes.

Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw lead the charge by offering a brand new 2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon on the eBay site. All proceeds from the auction will go towards their Neighbor's Keeper Foundation, the non-profit organization they founded in 2005 to provide funding for community based charities.

The winner of the auction will also receive a trip for two to Las Vegas, two tickets to Hill and McGraw’s Soul2Soul concert on August 4, backstage passes with an opportunity to meet the singers, and autographed photos.

The Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation has already raised over $1 million for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and the jeep is expected to raise at least another $35,000. The auction runs from July 4 to July 14, and can be found at www.ebay.com/jeepsoul2soul.

Other musicians with items for sale this month include rock group Incubus, who have made 25 VIP packages available for their up-coming sell-out tour in America. Proceeds from the online auction will go towards the band’s Make Yourself Foundation, which funds various causes and charities around the world.

Some fans are already bidding over $400 for the packages, which include tickets to their shows, the chance to meet the band backstage, and autographed photos.The auction runs from June 11 to July 16, and is found at www.ebay.com/incubus.

Rockers Linkin Park are offering 1 VIP package to each show in their upcoming Projekt Revolution tour – 28 dates in all. Each package includes two premium tickets to the venue of your choice, a backstage meet and greet with the band, and an autographed poster.

The auction will support Music for Relief, an organization set up by the band to help victims recover and rebuild after natural disasters. It was established in 2005 to provide aid for those affected by the tragic tsunami in South Asia, and has also raised over $2 million for Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims. The auction runs from July 5 to August 9, and can be viewed at www.ebay.com/musicforrelief.

VIP packages continue to be the theme with Beyoncé Knowles' auction at www.ebay.com/beyonce.tour. Two winning bidders will have the opportunity to watch her up-coming New York and Los Angeles shows from front row seats, meet Beyonce backstage, and receive autographed photos. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Survivor Foundation, an organization the singer started with her family in 2005 to assist Hurricane Katrina victims. The auction runs from June 8 to July 24.

Not to be outdone by the younger generation, several classic rock acts are also running online auctions at eBay this month.
Sting and The Police are offering a series of ticket packages, which include meet and greets and autographed memorabilia. All proceeds from the auction benefit MusiCares, the charitable arm of the Recording Academy.

MusiCares focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues, especially those that have a direct impact on the health and welfare of the music community.
One of the VIP packages to meet the band has already sold for over $1500, and bidding for the others closes on July 6. The auction can be viewed at www.ebay.com/grammys.

Finally this month, former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page is auctioning the double neck Gibson guitar he used on the 1971 Led Zeppelin IV tour. This is the guitar he played “Stairway To Heaven” on for every night of the tour, and 10% of the proceeds will go to MusiCares. The auction runs from July 23 to August 2 on eBay.

Ebay also expects to offer a large selection of signed Live Earth products after the Live Earth concerts on July 7.

Quaid Reunited With Charity Child

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:47:02 +0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Dennis Quaid got a surprise when a baby whose life he saved over a decade ago showed up on his charity fund raising stage as a bubbly teenager.

Overcome with emotion, he recalls, “I just broke down like a baby.” He’d brought baby Elka from Honduras to New Orleans where the International Hospital for Children (IHC) created an esophagus for her, and she was subsequently adopted by an American family.

No stranger to saving children’s lives, Quaid has worked with the charity for around 20 years. “We go down to Central America and identify children who need medical attention or surgeries that they can’t get in their country and bring them back to the United States for treatment.”

They also provide help in villages devoid of medical attention. “I went to Belize and we built and opened a clinic there. It is really gratifying to do because I see where the money is going and how it is helping these little kids – the child who needs help is standing right there in front of me.”

President and founder of IHC, Mayer J. Heiman, is impressed by Quaid’s dedication: “He carries sick children, loads trucks, moves supplies, and helps us transport kids. He is 100% hands-on. That’s very uncommon. He has a gift with children and treats every single one of them with TLC.”

Quaid’s annual golf fundraiser, the Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend, also benefits children’s charities: the Austin Children’s Shelter, Any Baby Can, and the Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas.

Celebrities Cast Aside Their Clothing For Charity

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:35:00 +0000

Written by Tim Saunders

It is not a case of what to wear for celebrities this month, but rather of what to give away, as eBay and other auction websites are inundated with the closet cast-outs of a variety of actors and singers.

Film company New Line Cinema is leading the charge by auctioning off original costumes from their current hit movie, Hairspray. Among the costumes are two dresses worn by John Travolta in the film, as well as the silk top and capri pants belonging to Queen Latifah. The proceeds will benefit Citymeals On Wheels, a charity that looks after those in need in New York City, as well as The Harry Holmberg Memorial Foundation, which is dedicated to sick children in the city.

Bidding on each costume is expected to reach $500, and the auction ends on August 4. It can be viewed at www.hairspray.ebay.com.

Several celebrities are emptying out their closets for an auction on the website www.clothesoffourback.org this month. Actress Eva Mendes is offering one of her personal handbags ($250), and Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich has donated a dress from her own fashion label ($175). Joss Stone and Serena Williams will also be donating items to the auction. Proceeds will go to Feeding America (the nation’s largest charitable hunger relief organization), The Art of Elysium (which enriches the lives of critically ill children through art), and World Education (which focuses on girls scholarship programs in Africa), as well as research into autism.
The auction ends on August 6.

Also shedding her unwanted clothes this month is Faith Hill, who is auctioning a lilac cotton cardigan at www.myqlu.com. Proceeds from the auction (bidding has already reached $250) will go to the Neighbor's Keeper Foundation, the non-profit organization she set up in 2005 with her husband, Tim McGraw, to help those in need of proper health care and educational services.

Also on www.myqlu.com, hip hop star Nelly is offering a pair of his NBA Basketball Logo jeans. Bidding for these started at $250, and proceeds will go to 4sho4kids, an organization that aims to improve the quality of life for children born with developmental disabilities, with an emphasis on Down Syndrome and those addicted to drugs.

And finally this month, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is offering a special one-off jacket on www.myqlu.com. The man usually associated with the shedding of other people’s clothes has donated a custom-made jacket created for him in honour of the Playboy Jazz Festival held at the Hollywood Bowl in 1990. Super slick, super bold, and super collectible, the jacket is set to sell for over $500, with proceeds going to the Hugh M Hefner Foundation, which supports issues relating to freedom of speech and civil liberties, as well as health.

Farm Aid Concert Lineup Announced

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:36:09 +0000

Farm Aid has announced the full lineup of performers for its upcoming day-long event, Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival. Artists representing a variety of genres are slated to join Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews on Sunday, September 9 at Randall’s Island in New York City. The show will promote food from family farmers and raise funds for Farm Aid’s work throughout the year to strengthen family farm agriculture.

Visitors to the festival will have the chance to enjoy performances by Tim Reynolds, The Allman Brothers Band, Counting Crows, Matisyahu, Guster, The Derek Trucks Band, Warren Haynes, Supersuckers, The Ditty Bops and Montgomery Gentry. Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, The Allman Brothers Band, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds are scheduled to play full sets.

“Thanks to a warm welcome from Mayor Bloomberg and New Yorkers, Farm Aid is bringing the annual concert to New York for the first time in 22 years,” said Carolyn Mugar, Farm Aid’s executive director. “With inspiring music from generous artists and a menu of family farm food, Randall’s Island will be transformed into a music festival to be remembered.”

Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival will feature a full day of music, an abundance of family farm food vendors, and hands-on, interactive exhibits with farmers and activists that inspire living a homegrown life. For the first time at a major concert event, the goal is to serve 100 percent local, organic, humanely-raised and family-farmed food.

Tickets for Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling (212) 307-7171, (631) 888-9000 or (203) 624-0033. Ticket prices are $52 for general admission, $102 for reserved seats and $302 for VIP reserved seats. The VIP package includes catering in an exclusive area and other amenities.

A limited number of premium seats and VIP packages are also available for charitable sale at www.tickets-for-charity.com. Fans may access these seats at face value plus a donation, which is directed to Farm Aid.

Farm Aid fans also have the chance to win front row seats, airfare and hotel accommodations for Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival at www.topofthehaystack.com.

Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival is sponsored by Silk Soymilk, Horizon Organic, Fields Family Foundation, Chipotle, Whole Foods Market, Citizens Energy, Chevy, Organic Trade Association, New Hope Natural Media, Clif Bar, Organic Valley Family of Farms, Niman Ranch and Annie’s Homegrown.

The most efficient way to get to Randall’s Island is to catch the ferry, bus or train. For bus and train information visit www.mta.info/nyct or call (718) 330-1234. For ferry information visit www.nywaterway.com/event/randalls.shtml or call 1-800-53-FERRY.

Farm Aid’s mission is to build a vibrant family-farm centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host an annual concert to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family-farmed food. Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised over $30 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the current system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

Goo Goo Dolls to Play Benefit Gig

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:53:40 +0000

Written by Tim Saunders

American rock band the Goo Goo Dolls are to end their current tour by playing a benefit gig at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on September 6. The band agreed to reschedule a June show for September, and all proceeds will go towards the Griffith Park Recovery Fund, an organization set up to help replenish the natural vegetation destroyed in the park during devastating forest fires in May.

“We are honored to headline such an important concert,” said Goo Goo Dolls singer, John Rzeznik.

The band was the first to offer their assistance, along with with performers including Clay Aiken, Tony Bennett and Los Lonely Boys.

Griffith Park is situated in the Santa Monica Mountains, and is one of the largest urban parks in North America. Over 800 acres of the park’s total 4200 acres was severely damaged during the May fires. An estimated $50 million is now needed to restore the park to its former glory and to stabilize the barren slopes. The Griffith Park Recovery Fund was set up by the Greek Theatre Advisory Committee, part of the Department of Recreation and Parks for the City of Los Angeles, to help in reaching this target.

The concert will be a suitable ending to the Goo Goo Dolls tour. The band, whose hits include “Iris”, “Slide”, and “Before It’s Too Late” from the recent “Transformers” soundtrack, is familiar with charitable causes, and has been collecting food for the needy at each of their gigs over the last few years. Concert-goers have been able to donate cans of food to USA Harvest before the shows, and the group’s last tour raised over 300,000 cans for the non-profit organization whose mission is to gather food from those who have too much and give it to those who have too little.

Tickets for the Griffith Park concert cost $45, and are available through www.nederlander.com and www.ticketmaster.com.

VH1 Save the Music Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:52:01 +0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Music television channel VH1 will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their charitable arm, VH1 Save The Music Foundation, on September 20 by hosting a celebrity gala in New York.

The event, to be held at the Lincoln Centre, will pay tribute to the humanitarian work of Hillary Clinton, Mariah Carey, and VH1 Save The Music founder, John Sykes. Bill Clinton, who donated his saxophone to the charity in 1998, will also be honored.

“Throughout the years, Bill and Hillary Clinton have exemplified incredible dedication and support for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation,” said Executive Director, Paul Cothran. “It is an honor to have them join in celebrating our 10th anniversary.”

The Gala will be hosted by actress and model Maria Menounos, founder of Take Action Hollywood!, a non-profit organization which uses the power of film to educate, empower, and raise social awareness. It will also feature performances by Jon Bon Jovi, John Mayer, and ex-Pink Floyd member, Roger Waters. But perhaps the biggest applause for the evening will be saved for a group of children from schools that have received VH1 Save The Music grants, who will play together for the first time as a student orchestra.

Later in the evening, Project Runway’s Tim Gunn will emcee a live auction featuring several exciting items that will be revealed closer to the date.

For the last decade, VH1 Save The Music has been dedicated to restoring music education in US public schools. During that time, they have donated over $34 million worth of musical instruments to more than 1400 schools.
Tickets to the gala event can be purchased online at www.vh1savethemusic.com.

More Artists Join Farm Aid in New York

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:31:07 +0000

As reported earlier, Farm Aid is set to take place on Sunday, September 9 at Randall’s Island in New York City. This is the first time that the day-long music festival will take place in New York, and it’s setting the stage for future major concert events to feature an abundance of family farm food vendors, serving local, organic, humanely-raised and family farmed food. There will also be hands-on, interactive exhibits with farmers and activities that inspire living a homegrown life.

Farm Aid 2007: A Homegrown Festival is drawing huge support from the music scene, and recently joining the already incredible lineup are Ray Price, Merle Haggard, Danielle Evin, Jesse Lenat, Jimmy Sturr, Pauline Reese, Billy Joe Shaver and Paula Nelson. Fans have the chance to win front row seats, airfare and hotel accommodations for Farm Aid 2007: A HOMEGROWN Festival at www.topofthehaystack.com.

Farm Aid's mission is to build a vibrant family-farm centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host the annual concerts to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family-farmed food.

Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised over $30 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the current system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

Farm Aid founder Willie Nelson will perform at the Hard Rock International’s Ambassadors of Rock event at the Hard Rock Café New York in Times Square on Monday, September 10 to promote sustainable biodiesel practices, including harvesting,
production and distribution of biodiesel fuels. For more information, visit www.hardrock.com.

Stars Design Plates For Charity

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:51:22 +0000

Written by Tim Saunders

For those who want to have dinner with the stars, this could be the next best thing. A selection of dinner plates designed by celebrities are for sale, with proceeds going to charity.

The plates feature designs by David Bowie, George Clooney, Giorgio Armani, Coldplay, Minnie Driver, and Sir Michael Caine, and are part of a fundraising initiative from 21st Century Leaders, a non-profit organization that plans to raise $3 million over three years through its “Whatever It Takes” celebrity-designed merchandise. So far, the organization has raised almost $1.5 million to fund “charitable projects in developing countries, and contribute to the protection of the environment and other causes”.

21st Century Leaders was founded by Charlotte di Vita, MBE, a goodwill ambassador for the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. The 39 year old founded her first charity, Trade plus Aid, in 1992, which has raised over $5 million and helped communities in 21 developing countries to become self-supporting. A desire to do more led di Vita to start Whatever It Takes, a unique charity art project where celebrities donate their own artwork, which is then transferred onto “merchandise with a meaning”.

“It’s 15 minutes of their time to do an artwork,” said di Vita. “And it’s not just for a one-off sale or auction – I can use it to create employment and royalties that will help the charities for years to come.”

Proceeds from the products are distributed to a charity of the designer’s choice, and the dinner plates (which retail for $20) will benefit Oxfam, Save the Children, CARE International, UNHCR, and Anti-Slavery International. Other products available include mugs featuring the designs of Claudia Schiffer, Ewan McGregor, and Nicole Kidman (also retailing for $20), T-shirts designed by the Kaiser Chiefs ($80), shoes designed by Ozzy Osbourne ($80), and wristbands by Joss Stone, Green Day, and Paul McCartney ($6).

All merchandise is available from www.whateverittakes.org.

London and Austin host GuitarTown for charity

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:12:00 +0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Sir Paul McCartney is among a group of celebrities who have donated giant guitars to exhibitions in both America and England, to be auctioned off over the next few months.

The exhibitions are part of the Gibson GuitarTown Galas And Auctions being held in London and Austin, and feature both 10-foot-high and regular-sized guitars designed and signed by artists and musicians. The sculptures have been on show in the cities for 10 weeks, and will soon be removed in preparation for the auctions, which will benefit a variety of local charities.

“I just fancied playing a big guitar!” joked Sir Paul, who signed a sculpture designed by cartoonist Rosie Brooks entitled And The Crowd Goes Wild. "I think this one will hopefully catch the imagination of the public and whoever is going to buy it at the auction, and raise money for The Prince's Trust, the Teenage Cancer Trust, and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy – which are all great charities."

GuitarTown London is an initiative of The Gibson Foundation, a division of Gibson Guitars that is dedicated to improving the quality of life through the support of arts, education, health and welfare, and environmental causes. It follows a similar event held in Nashville in 2005, which raised over $400,000 for local charities, and is coupled with an event currently being held in Austin, Texas. GuitarTown Austin features 65 giant sculptures and showcase guitars, which are currently on display in various locations around the city.

Celebrities such as Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid, Lance Armstrong, and Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines have all contributed their signatures to the artworks, to be auctioned at a special event at the Austin Grand Atrium on October 17. Bidders will have the chance to attend the Gala evening or bid online, with all proceeds going to the Health Alliance For Austin Musicians, the Austin Museum For Art, American Youthworks, and the Austin Children’s Museum.

“This public arts project showcases the enormous talent of both Austin’s visual and musical artists in the community,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, CEO of Gibson Guitars. “I hope Austin GuitarTown strikes a chord in people’s souls.”

The London GuitarTown Gala and Auction will be held on November 8, in the Indigo Room at the O2 Dome, and the sculptures are currently on display at More London in South Bank. Other artists to have contributed to the 61 items include Rod Stewart, Katie Melua, Corinne Bailey Rae, KT Tunstall, the Kaiser Chiefs, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, James Blunt, Cliff Richard, Mark Knopfler, and Roger Waters.

“It seems the electric guitar is here to stay,” said Brian May, guitarist for Queen, who has two works included in the auction. “Gibson GuitarTown London looks set to become a glorious testament to this fact, and will be raising money and awareness for three great charities. I’m proud to endorse its imminent success.”

More information on the exhibitions and auctions can be found at www.londonguitartown.com.

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