Look To The Stars News: Economic/Business Support

Keep A Child Alive Announces 2008 Black Ball Details

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Keep A Child Alive’s fifth annual Black Ball Gala, hosted by Ambassadors Alicia Keys and Iman, will take place at The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Thursday, November 13, and will honor the global AIDS work of three remarkable humanitarians.

The event – chaired by Jessica Alba – will begin with a cocktail party followed by a seated dinner with extraordinary live performances by Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Joni Mitchell, Jack White, Jennifer Hudson and more very special guests to be announced.

Keep A Child Alive’s humanitarian honorees are an incredible group of people who have used their will, fame, and courage to change the lives devastated by this pandemic. Guest presenters pay tribute to the work of the honorees through powerful moving footage.

This year the organization will honor Simon Fuller, CEO & founder of 19 Entertainment Limited for spearheading the Idol Gives Back phenomenon and mobilizing Americans to take action; Queen Latifah, for being one of the incredible pioneers in the fight against AIDS; and Jackie Branfield, founder of Operation Bobbi Bear for being a true hero in the lives of children in South Africa. Previous honorees include Bono, rock star and campaigner for Africa; Dr. Stephen Lewis of The Stephen Lewis Foundation and author of Race Against Time; Richard Beckman of Condé Nast Media Group; Nick Reding of Sponsored Arts for Education; and Dr. Shaffiq Essajee Pediatric Advisor on AIDS for the Clinton Foundation.

More info about the event can be found at www.keepachildalive.org.

Celebrities Love 2 Love T-Shirts

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Teen stars Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens have designed T-shirts for a charity lifestyle brand.

Launched in 2003, 2 LOVE is an initiative that endorses “a message of love while benefiting charities that elevate lives through a range of celebrity-designed products. The company inspires young women to love themselves, and in turn spread the love to others. Their unique marketing initiative – designed to empower women and promote philanthropy – has struck a chord among Hollywood’s A-listers, who have signed on in droves to join the 2 LOVE mission”.

Those A-listers include Monique Coleman, Alyssa Milano, Ashanti, Molly Sims, Mischa Barton, Jessica Alba, Brittany Murphy, Mariska Hargitay, Alison Sweeney, Mena Suvari, and Michelle Branch, all of whom have designed products to raise money for charities such as Best Buddies International, the 1736 Family Crisis Center, UNICEF, the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Joyful Hearts, Step Up, and more.

As well as celeb-designed T-shirts, 2 LOVE is also soon to launch celeb-designed cosmetics, and next year will feature a fashion collection designed by costume designers from Ugly Betty, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and many more hit shows.

To view the T-shirts currently on offer, visit the 2 LOVE website.

Matt Damon Hosts ONE X ONE Awards

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Matt Damon returned to Toronto on Monday to host his third consecutive Difference Awards ceremony for ONE X ONE.

Over 500 guest attended the gala, which featured performances from Wyclef Jean, John Legend, Nikki Yanofsky, and the African Children’s Choir.

ONE X ONE is a non-profit organization that supports children in Canada and abroad. Established less than four years ago by Joelle Adler, it has already raised over $5 million and created partnerships with major corporations and foundations, such as H2O Africa, the Yéle Haiti Foundation, Millennium Promise, War Child and Spread the Net.

“This is stupid poverty we’re talking about,” said Damon, during his speech about helping people in Africa. “Every day, malaria claims thousands of lives that we didn’t need to lose.”

Damon also revealed that he credits becoming a parent for his commitment to helping children through charity work: “At a certain point it becomes difficult to look at other children and not see your own. Something does change in you once you become a parent… There definitely is a shift there that makes you, I think, a little more obsessed about helping children – But it’s not like before I had kids, I was like: ’to heck with those kids!’”

ONE X ONE will launch in the US in October, with an event featuring Carlos Santana planned for San Francisco. And Damon is proud to announce that next year Eddie Vedder has been confirmed to perform for the organization.

“A lot of my friends and a lot of the people I admire in the business choose to spend their celebrity capital trying to raise awareness about things and improve the conditions in people’s lives,” said Damon. “We’ll all be lying on that bed one day, and you have to make your peace with who you’ve been.”

Portman Honored for Charity Work

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

In Venice for its film festival, Natalie Portman has become the first recipient of the Movie for Humanity Award in recognition of her dedication to humanitarian causes.

This accolade from the Kineo Italian Movie Awards aims to recognize film artists who devote themselves to philanthropy, as Portman unquestionably has. Aside from launching the Village Banking Campaign with FINCA, speaking up for the endangered Rwandan Mountain Gorilla, and highlighting the plight of needy children around the world, she is an enthusiastic supporter of Tacare Girl’s Scholarship Programme of the Jane Goodall Institute in Tanzania.

The scholarship program, which carries out wildlife research in Tanzania, was established to create opportunities for women’s education and provide access to secondary and higher education, ultimately leading to job opportunities.

Portman’s $50,000 award prize money will go to the scholarship program.

“The Jane Goodall foundation does incredible work in Tanzania, an area which is very environmentally affected. I really appreciate this award,” Portman said.

The 27-year-old actress is making her directorial debut at the Venice Film Festival with a short film called Eve.

Singers Combine Talents To Support America’s Farmers

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Rachel Krause

A 23-year-old music tradition continues on September 20 as Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young grace the stage at Farm Aid 2008.

While it’s the first time the event will be in New England, it’s not the first time Farm Aid will make a lot of noise. With the mission of combining great music and a great cause, musicians and organizers hope to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep struggling family farms afloat.

While not often covered in the media, there is a crisis facing family farmers in the United States today. Farmers are under intense economic pressure, especially during a recession, and every year thousands are forced off their land. As a result, our quality of food, environment, and food security suffers as large factory farms dominate the rural countryside.

Some think that with that loss of small family farms comes a loss of America.

“We’re at a moment when a lot of people are asking, ‘What is America? What represents America?’ Certainly, I think that the family farm is a main ingredient of what made America,” says Dave Matthews, musician and member of the board of directors of Farm Aid since 2001.

With the scares of tainted tomatoes, spinach, and jalapenos still fresh in American’s minds, people are looking to local farmers to provide safe, delicious, and organic goods. As a result, family farmers are at a higher demand than ever before and it is important to keep these people financially safe and secure.

“There’s a new food movement sweeping the country and Farm Aid is doing all we can to promote that movement,” says Willie Nelson, well-known folk musician and president of Farm Aid.

Every year Farm Aid funds farm support organizations that assist farmers with services including financial and credit counseling, legal advice, and disaster and emergency services. After the recent flooding in the Midwest in June, Farm Aid provided emergency funds for families to buy food and cover living expenses, as well as provided groups to help farmers avoid foreclosure. However, without the nation’s attention and support, Farm Aid’s work could not continue. It is the annual high-profile concert that ultimately keeps Farm Aid alive and running.

“Farm Aid puts family farmers on center stage,” says Caryoln Mugar, Executive Director. “We shine a national spotlight on family farmers – for our food, our health, our environment, our country. Farm Aid has always done that.”

As the longest running benefit concert in America, its ties have remained strong with famous musicians. Young, Mellencamp, and Nelson first organized the event in 1985, which took place in Champlain, Illinois. Throughout its run, famous musicians such as Elton John, Billy Joel, and Bob Dylan have performed in the hope of saving America’s family farmers.

This year’s lineup includes the three founding members of Farm Aid, as well as Kenny Chesney, Jamey Johnson, Dave Matthews, and One Flew South. While the concert is sold out, Farm Aid is sponsoring the Farmer Hero Sweepstakes that will give one winner and three lucky guests the chance to see the concert — which takes place in Mansfield, Massachusetts — for free. There are two ways to enter. One is to simply enter your name and email address on the Farm Aid website. The second option is to submit a 150 word true story about a farmer who you believe is a true hero.

Even if you can’t make it to this year’s concert there are always ways to help support Farm Aid and its mission of saving the family farmer. Anyone can make a donation or become a member. Even a visit to the Farm Aid shop will help support family farmers.

Every little bit counts, as through the efforts of Farm Aid and people across the nation, over $30 million dollars has been raised to support the family farmer, which in turn, has helped build a sound agricultural future for America.

To learn more about Farm Aid 2008 and the sweepstakes, visit http://www.farmaid.org.

Metallica And Ozzy Donate To Charity

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Heavy metal legends Metallica will kick off their latest tour with two charity shows.

The Rock Gods will play a gig at O2 World in Berlin on September 12, to be followed by a concert at the O2 Arena in London three days later, with proceeds going to local charities which will be revealed in the next few weeks. Tickets are only available to the band’s fan club members and subscribers to www.MissionMetallica.com – the band’s website dedicated to their new album, Death Magnetic. The ticket price will be as low as £5 (US$10).

The band – who have performed at a variety of benefit concerts in the past, including Live Earth, the Bridge School concerts, and the Silverlake Conservancy – are no strangers to giving their concert proceeds to charity. Following their performance at Live Earth, the band’s drummer Lars Ulrich announced that fans could download the performance, with all money raised benefiting climate charities hand-selected by the band – including the Sierra Club, Apollo Alliance, WWF, and the Rainforest Action Network.

In other heavy metal news, Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Counting Crows, Black Tide, Kingdom of Sorrow, Devildriver, As I Lie Dying, and The Dillinger Escape Plan are some of the artists who have donated autographed items to the Ride For Dime charity auction. Autographed guitars, posters, CD sleeves and other rock memorabilia are all up for grabs to raise money for Ride For Dime, a charity named after former Pantera guitarist Darrell “Dime” Abbot, who was shot and killed onstage in 2004. The organization gives back to the charities that were of interest to Dime during his life as well as charities he would have been proud to be a part of. Ride For Dime will raise money on behalf of three charities, Little Kids Rock, Covenant House, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

The auction can be accessed via Ride For Dime’s eBay page.

Bill Clinton Speaks At AIDS Conference

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The eyes of the world are this week firmly fixed on AIDS 2008, the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

The week-long conference officially opened on Sunday night, and last night (August 4) featured a rousing speech by former US president Bill Clinton.

“AIDS is a very big dragon. The mythological dragon was slain by Saint George, the original knight in shining armor, but this dragon must be slain by millions and millions of foot soldiers," he told activists, leaders, and experts who gathered for the conference. “We know there is so much yet to be done: to expand prevention, treatment and care, to strengthen undeveloped health systems.”

The conference will draw around 25,000 participants from across the globe, including Oxfam Ambassador Annie Lennox, UN head Ban Ki-moon, Festus Gontebanye Mogae, Margaret Chan, and Keren Gonzalez – a 12-year-old from Honduras who has been actively involved in a number of HIV-related programs aimed at young people since the age of 9, including acting as editor for a magazine aimed at children aged 8 to 12 years affected directly and indirectly by HIV/AIDS.

AIDS 2008 will provide many opportunities for the presentation of important new scientific research and for productive, structured dialogue on the major challenges facing the global response to AIDS. The conference theme of Universal Action Now emphasizes the need for continued urgency in the worldwide response to HIV/AIDS, and for action on the part of all nations. International partners in the event include UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations, the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS/International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS, the World YWCA, and the Asian Harm Reduction Network.

Bill Clinton flew to the conference from Africa, where he had been visiting projects funded by the Clinton Foundation to fight AIDS and malaria.

“Today 1.4 million people with AIDS are using treatments purchased by the Clinton Foundation,” he said. “Thanks to the efforts of our partners, they cost about 120 dollars a year.”

More information about the conference can be found at www.aids2008.org.

Farm Aid 2008 To Rock New England

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Rocker John Mellencamp has unveiled the main acts set to kick up a storm at Farm Aid 2008.

The concert – which will take place on September 20 – will be held for the first time in New England, and will see performances by Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, and Willie Nelson, all of which are on the board of directors for Farm Aid. More acts will be announced over the next few weeks.

“We are proud to bring our annual Farm Aid concert to a region that has such strong agricultural roots and to the many people who love to eat the good food grown in New England,” said Nelson, Farm Aid’s president. “I’m looking forward to bringing my friends together on the Farm Aid stage to celebrate and support family farmers."

Now entering its 23rd year, Farm Aid has raised more than $23 million for family farms and organic agricultural initiatives since the first concert in 1985. A plethora of stars have appeared at the concerts to increase awareness of the importance of family farms over the years, including Jon Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan, Vince Gill, Sammy Hagar, Don Henley, Billy Joel, Charley Pride, and Lou Reed.

“New England was built on the strength of independent family farmers,” said Mellencamp. “We can honor that independent spirit by joining Farm Aid to grow the movement that is changing the way all of America eats.”

The concert will take place at the Comcast Arena in Mansfield. Tickets go on sale July 28 through Ticketmaster.

Pearl Jam Raises Millions For Robin Hood

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Rockers Pearl Jam have raised $3 million for charity after a gig in New York City on Monday night.

The band played an impressive 26-song set during a private show at the Big Apple’s 2,800-capacity Beacon Theater and raised the cash for the Robin Hood Foundation’s poverty fighting initiatives, bringing the Seattle-based band’s current tour to a successful and charitable close.

The show – to which some fans forked out $2,250 for a ticket – followed the band’s announcement last week that they are to back a campaign to raise money for patients fighting health insurance companies for payouts. A pre-concert fundraising party was held before the band’s concert in Connecticut on Friday, organized by Advocacy for Patients with Chronic Illness leader Jennifer Jaff.

The band were made aware of the plight of patients by Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, who has battled Crohn’s disease – a bowel disorder – for the last 25 years.

“Jennifer Jaff is one of the best advocates for patients I have ever seen,” said McCready. “It’s super-important for her to fight against the insurance companies that will deny people any kind of coverage for their pre-existing conditions. The work she does is justified, and I just love it. We live in the greatest country in the world, and I have lived here my entire life, but we need to invest our money back into things that look at a broader scope, not just things that are going to make us money. If people are going to die because some legislation didn’t go through, that, to me, is abhorrent. That’s not what America means to me."

Wyclef Jean Pushes For Economic Change In Haiti

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Hip hop artist Wyclef Jean spent five days in his native Haiti last week to further his humanitarian efforts in the impoverished Caribbean nation, and used the visit to call for serious economic change.

The 35-year-old rapper – born in the Haitian village of Croix-des-Bouquets – stated that the country needs foreign investment and assistance with sustainable development to help its people beat the poverty and food shortages that are crippling its economy, not just charity and handouts that could cause Haiti to become even more dependent on other nations than it is now.

“I understand that there is a food crisis that needs to be addressed urgently, but at the same time donors need to inject funds in projects likely to bring sustainable results,” Jean told Reuters. “Charity will never solve Haiti’s problems. Haitians want jobs, they want to develop their agriculture to produce food, not to everlastingly receive food assistance. To solve the economic crisis, we need investments and to have investments we need security. To have security we have to start addressing the social problems in the most vulnerable and underprivileged neighborhoods.”

Jean, who was appointed as a roving ambassador for the country by President Rene Preval last year, has been working tirelessly to help Haitians in their day-to-day struggle to survive. He established the Yéle Haiti Foundation in 2005 to make a difference in education, health, environment and community development, and in May he launched an initiative to raise $48 million to expand food distribution and provide assistance to farmers. He has also urged Haitians to cut their high crime rate to make foreign investment more secure.

“Social and economic change will remain a utopian dream if we remain divided,” he said.

Jolie-Pitt Foundation Donates To War Children

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have donated $1 million to support the education of war-affected children through their Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

The Education Partnership for Children of Conflict will distribute the donation to four organizations working with children who have lost parents and homes in Iraq, and children in the United States who have lost parents in the conflict will also benefit.

“These educational support programs for children of conflict are the best way to help them heal,” said Jolie, who co-chairs the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict.

“We hope to encourage others to give to these great organizations,” added Pitt.

$500,000 will go to the Armed Services YMCA Operation Hero Program, which will provide educational tutors and counseling to 2,500 children affected by the war in America. The remainder will be split between three organizations operating in Iraq: Women for Women International, which provides books, school supplies and other basic necessities to Iraqi women and children; the International Rescue Committee, which will repair three schools and offer classes for more than 2,500 students; and www.NineMillion.org – a UNHCR campaign – which will donate learning materials to more than 2,000 displaced Iraqi children.

Aid will also go to refugee children and school rehabilitation programs.

Bill Clinton Refocuses On Charity

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:36:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Former US president Bill Clinton is fueling a new charity drive for both the corporate world and the community at large.

World wide poverty, climate change and health care – all issues of his own Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) – were on the agenda as Clinton spoke in Manhattan last week. CGI, a project of the Clinton Foundation since 2005, aims to link global leaders with real solutions to world problems.

Already this year CGI has several projects under way. Visa Inc has committed to small business development and literacy for 10 million people over five years; the Energy and Resources Institute has committed to bringing solar light to millions of rural Indians who normally rely on kerosene lanterns after dusk; Fundación Paraguaya is to provide education for sustainable agriculture in developing countries over the next 10 years; Standard Chartered Bank maintained its commitment to microfinance African and Asian institutions to benefit millions of farmers and negotiated a hydro-power project in Uganda to reduce emissions and decrease power costs; and Action by Lizzy Dupont has produced practical, instructional health videos in sign language for the deaf in Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Morocco.

Clinton said, “Health care problems are profound, many people go to bed hungry every night, one in four deaths every year are claimed by AIDS, TB, malaria and infections related to contaminated water.”

Besides endorsing the current US policy of both distributing food to the needy as well as cash to famine-area farmers, Clinton also made mention to his New York audience of issues specifically affecting Americans at home.

“In this decade we’ve had the biggest increase in income inequality in America in 80 years… Income is 1,000 dollars lower today than the day I left office, while health care costs have doubled. At any given time in the year about 100 million will be without health care and the cost of a college education is up 75 percent. The average debt of a college graduate is 50 percent higher than it was at the beginning of this decade. You see that there is a fair amount of inequality problems in America and climate change affects us all.”

Celebrities Raid The ARK In Charity Auction

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:38:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A role in the next film made by Uma Thurman, a Damien Hirst painting, a Fiat 500 decorated by the artist Tracey Emin, and a private jet tour of the Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem wineries were all up for auction on Wednesday night to raise money for ARK.

The event was the annual ARK Charity Dinner, and was held at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London. A host of celebrities attended the function, including Sarah Ferguson, Jemima Khan, Elizabeth Hurley, and Simon Cowell, each paying up to $98,000 for a table of 10.

The 1,000 attendees were entertained by a special performance by Stevie Wonder and a speech from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Over £25.5 million ($50.23 million) was raised this year, coming close to meeting the success of last year’s £26.6 million ($53 million) event. A downwards trend is currently being seen across the board – the Robin Hood Foundation in New York raised $56.5 million for charity in an evening last week, $15 million less than a year earlier.

ARK, or Absolute Return for Kids, is an international charity whose purpose is to transform children’s lives. Founded in 2002 by a group of senior figures in the alternative investment industry, the organization works to pool the skills and resources of the industry to improve the life chances of children.

Robin Hood Gets Merry For Charity!

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:32:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The stars came out for the Robin Hood Foundation’s annual fundraising gala last week, in an evening that shone, sparkled, and made the charity millions of dollars.

About 4,000 people gathered at the event held at the Javits Center in New York, including rapper Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, Tom Brokaw, Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein, and American Idol winner David Cook. The proceeds from the event, which included an auction, will go to more than 240 poverty-fighting programs in the city, including Abraham House in the South Bronx, which offers social services to relatives of prison inmates; the Children’s Defense Fund, which seeks better access to health care for poor children, and Broadway Housing Communities, which provides shelter for the homeless or the mentally ill.

The auction was co-hosted by Conan O’Brien, and the evening also featured performances by Shakira, Sheryl Crow, and John Legend.

“Every single penny raised tonight goes to help people claw their way out of poverty and build better lives for themselves and their families,” said David Saltzman, Robin Hood’s executive director. “Despite what’s going on in the economy, people who are in a position to help others step up, and during tough times they step up even more.”

Pearl Jam To Play Charity Gig

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:36:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Rockers Pearl Jam are to play a one-off charity gig next month.

The band, formed in Seattle in 1990, will play New York’s Beacon Theatre on July 1 to raise money for the Robin Hood Foundation, an organization that targets poverty in the city.

The band is well known for their social campaigning at gigs, with singer Eddie Vedder often changing lyrics of his songs to attack political issues.

Tickets for the gig come with a price – attendees must first donate $100 to the charity, and then purchase tickets starting at $250. The event is expected to raise $3 million for the Foundation.

Wyclef Jean Forms Partnership For Haiti Food Crisis Help

Fri, 23 May 2008 10:52:00 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Musician Wyclef Jean announced on Tuesday that his Yele Haiti Foundation has formed a partnership with two other charities to help address the growing food crisis in Haiti.

Rising food and fuel costs have left the Caribbean island nation’s poor unable to afford food, resulting in widespread hunger and even rioting. Haitian native Jean, who first made his name as a member of The Fugees, is joining forces with the United Nations World Food Programme and the Pan American Development Foundation to form Together for Haiti.

The programme hopes to raise $48 million, with which it will provide targeted food distribution, employment in agriculture regeneration programmes, and micro-enterprise grants.

At the Manhattan launch of the partnership, Wyclef Jean stressed the importance of helping the Haitian poor to help themselves:

“How can you make people in a poor economy entrepreneurs? Well, if you give these families five chickens and you give them food for these chickens and give then a cage they automatically become entrepreneurs. Because, they can eat now and they can raise the chickens and sell chickens.”

Together for Haiti is a natural extension to Jean’s Yéle Haiti Foundation, the goal of which the musician says is "to restore pride and a reason to hope, and for the whole country to regain the deep spirit and strength that is part of our heritage.”

For more information, or to make a donation, visit www.togetherforhaiti.org. Just 25 cents can buy a school meal for a hungry child.

Time's 100 - Tony Blair By Bill Clinton

Mon, 19 May 2008 10:54:57 -0000

President Bill Clinton wrote a tribute to Tony Blair’s philanthropic achievements for this year’s Time 100 list.

“When my friend Tony Blair stepped down as U.K. Prime Minister last year, I advised him to take some time off with his family and make a list of the issues he felt passionately about and that he could continue to pursue. It was the least he had earned after a decade of modernizing his country’s economy, making the U.K. one of the few nations to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions more than required to meet their Kyoto target and leading the G-8 to historic commitments to support Africa and fight global poverty.

Tony listened to my advice graciously but ignored it completely by immediately accepting a new job as Middle East envoy for the Quartet. I have always admired Tony’s willingness to wade into troubled waters. Ten years ago, he did a masterly job in helping to end 30 years of sectarian violence and broker a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Now he is demonstrating the dedication and intensity to promoting economic opportunity in the Middle East, learning from his Irish experience that showing the concrete benefits of peace can play a crucial role in making a just and lasting peace possible.

Tony, 54, also knows that even the benefits of an enduring peace in the Middle East and the dramatic reductions in terrorism it would bring could be wiped away if we don’t save the planet from the worst consequences of global warming. So he has taken on another big challenge: shaping a new global agreement to cut carbon emissions. Because my foundation is involved with projects to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in more than 40 large cities on six continents, I know how important and difficult Tony’s work is, and I look forward to the visionary leadership he will bring to it.
As his friend, I hope Tony finds fulfillment in advancing the public good as a private citizen. As a member of our interdependent global community, I thank him for not taking a day off when we need him the most.

Bill Clinton, the 42nd U.S. President, started the William J. Clinton Foundation, to work towards ending poverty and AIDS. This organization also funded the Clinton Global Initiative, which focuses on environmental issues.

Celebrities Send Signitures For Charity Auction

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:19:30 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Sometimes, if you really believe in a cause and you want some celebrity help, you’ve just got to ask. That’s exactly what Simon McGuinness, a British teenager who recently got a whole lot of star-power behind his mission to raise money for CAFOD, did.

“The response was overwhelming,” said Simon, who contacted over 50 celebrities and asked for signitures and items to sell in an internet auction.“I had replies and donations from Dr Who’s David Tennant, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Rowan Atkinson, and even Prime Minister Gordon Brown.”

CAFOD – the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development – is a charity that supports communities abroad by helping provide food, water, education and health care, and McGuinness will stop at nothing in his quest to enlist celebrity help for the cause.

“It was just an idea and I didn’t know what sort of response I would receive so I am delighted and surprised to have made such an impact and to find that celebrities do care enough to respond to a boy’s requests,” said the thirteen-year-old. “My next step is to go for the big one, I mean the Queen, but I don’t know whether she is able to do this sort of thing.”

For more information about the auction, visit the CAFOD website.

Springsteen Shows His Heart

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:13:18 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Bruce Springsteen recently showed a young special needs boy at one of his concerts exactly why he is still one of the biggest and best acts in rock.

Charity Buzz, an online auction site, is currently selling tickets to a number of Springsteen’s shows in a giant, ongoing auction to raise funds for Musicians on Call and the Kristen Ann Carr Fund, and the 58-year-old superstar took time out from one of his concerts to meet a winning bidder last week. The rocker left the stage during his show at the Toyota Center in Houston, Dallas, on April 14 to talk with the boy, who was confined to a wheelchair. The boy’s mother, who cried tears of happiness over the singer’s generous act, said he shared a conversation with her son and had his photo taken with the young fan.

The concert took place just a few days before the death of Spingsteen’s longtime keyboardist, Danny Federici, who passed away from melanoma on April 17 at the age of 58.

“Danny and I worked together for 40 years – he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician,” said Springsteen. “I loved him very much…we grew up together.”

As well as raising funds for Musicians on Call and the Kristen Ann Carr Fund through his auctions, Springsteen is also set to play some spectacular benefit gigs over the next few weeks. The first of these will take place at the Greensboro Coliseum on April 28, and will raise money for Project Green Leaf, an organization dedicated to sustaining local agriculture by strengthening community between farmers and consumers. The singer heard about the cause through the World Hunger Year organization, which he has supported for a number of years. As well as collecting money for the cause on the night, Springsteen has also donated tickets to the show to a charity auction being held over at www.charityfolks.com.

Springsteen will also perform a benefit concert at the Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey on Wednesday, May 7, to benefit the historic Count Basie Theatre and help offset the cost of the renovation and restoration of the theatre that will begin this summer. A portion of the concert proceeds will also support other programs and operations at the Theatre. Springsteen’s wife and bandmate, Patti Scialfa, serves on the Board of the Basie Foundation and as Honorary Chair of the Capital Campaign.

“We are excited that Bruce Springsteen will be performing a benefit concert and deeply appreciate his willingness to help preserve and restore the Basie,” said Rusty Young, CEO of the Basie Foundation.

Tickets are available to the public through an online “Make Your Best Offer” auction at www.countbasietheatrefoundation.org.

Springsteen has also thrown his substantial musical weight behind the Barack Obama presidential campaign.

“He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President,” said Springsteen. “He speaks to the America I’ve envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that’s interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans.”

I guess you could say that Springsteen thinks Obama was “born to run” the country.

Bruce Springsteen Brings His Human Touch To Charity Auction

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:59:54 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Boss is back, and he is doing his part to help the hungry.

Bruce Springsteen has donated four tickets to his concert on April 30 in Charlottesville to an auction to benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, an organization that serves over 129,000 needy people every year in the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia.

The food bank is also holding a virtual food drive before and after Springsteen’s appearance at Charlottesville’s John Paul Jones Arena, and donations can be made at www.brafb.org between April 14 and May 3.

Feeding the hungry is a cause Springsteen takes seriously, and he has been a long-term supporter of World Hunger Year’s Artists Against Hunger and Poverty program, an initiative that brings performers together to support hunger relief organizations across North America.

Anyone interested in taking part in the auction can visit www.brafb.org or www.charityfolks.com/bruce.

John Legend Hosts Online Auction For The Show Me Campaign

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:40:46 -0000

Written by Regina Walton

Five-time Grammy winner John Legend and Golden State Warrior Stephen Jackson have banded together for an auction to benefit the Show Me Campaign.

The auction, which will take place on eBay, runs from March 10 to March 17, and the winner will receive a VIP package for two which features:

Two lower level tickets to the March 21, 2008 Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets game.
Post-game meet & greet and photo opportunity with John Legend and Stephen Jackson at limited-access VIP reception.
A special Thank You Message on the JumboTron in recognition of the winning bid.
Pre-game behind the scenes and locker-room tour.
Autographed sheet music of John Legend.
Autographed photo of Stephen Jackson.
Two-night stay at the luxurious W Hotel San Francisco.
Round-trip ground transportation from hotel to the game.
Two $500 airline gift cards.

After returning from Ghana in 2007, John felt compelled to launch The Show Me Campaign.

“Seeing what I saw in Ghana and Tanzania and learning that real change for these people is within our collective grasp, I knew I had to do something and I wanted my fans to join me. The aim of the village is to get people onto the ladder of development so they can climb off on their own. It’s a hand up, not a handout,” said the singer.

The mission of Legend’s Show Me Campaign is “…to fight economic and spiritual poverty through fostering sustainable development at the individual, family and small community levels. The Show Me Campaign works closely with Millennium Promise and local community leaders to alleviate poverty (through agriculture, heath, and education supports) in Mbola, a remote Millennium Village in northwest Tanzania — all funds raised will benefit this effort. The funds will be accepted by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) and distributed directly to The Show Me Campaign.”

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