Look To The Stars News: Poverty

Oxfam Seeking Hero

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

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.

Bono Pleased With Stars' Charity

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 13:50:45 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Bono feels that he has helped inspire other celebrities to join the ONE Campaign to end poverty and fight AIDS.

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and George Clooney have all joined the campaign, which Bono hopes will help raise American awareness of the cause.

He says, “By 2007, the year of the next American election, I am assured that there will be five million Americans (One Campaign members), which makes us bigger than the National Rifle Association.”

Peace Prize Nominees

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 13:15:36 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Bob Geldof and Bono are among 191 nominees for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

Both were nominated for their efforts in eliminating world poverty; Geldof for his organization of the Live 8 concerts, and Bono for his campaigning against the condition.

Charging For Charity

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 19:51:17 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Bono and Elle Macpherson are the faces behind the (RED) American Express Card, which Bono was proud to launch yesterday.

The card donates one percent of all funds charged on it to fighting the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

The U2 frontman feels that getting everyone working together, including big companies, will go a long way towards curing the disease and improving the world.

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.

Frost and Moss Help Orphans

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 20:37:09 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Sadie Frost is flying to Africa to help build an orphanage for the Homes Of Hope project.

Frost learned of the plight of twelve AIDS orphans while travelling in South Africa with her ex-huband, Jude Law, and their children last year.

Frost is also trying to involve her good friend, Kate Moss, in the project. A friend of the supermodel says that the English beauty is speaking to some of her clients to see what they can do, and is also donating money to the cause.

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.

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.”

Melua Single Profits Going To Charity

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 11:35:43 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Jazz singer Katie Melua has announced that proceeds from her next single “Spider’s Web” will be donated to charity.

The charity to benefit from the star’s generous move is Save the Children, for whom the 21-year old is an ambassador.

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.

Bono Launches Charitable Mobile Phone

Tue, 16 May 2006 07:04:42 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Bono’s AIDS charity (RED) is set to benefit from an arrangement the singer has made in conjunction with Motorola and the UK’s Carphone Warehouse.

Each sale of a £149 handset from Motorola will be met with a £10 contribution to the charity from the electronics giant, and 5% of subsequent call charges will also go directly to the charity.

Bono has helped (RED) build similar partnerships with Gap, American Express, Emporio Armani and Converse.

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.

Bids For Charity Lunch With Warren Buffet Reach $455,000

Sat, 24 Jun 2006 09:28:12 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Wealthy investors have entered a bidding frenzy for this year’s charity lunch with the world’s second richest man, Warren Buffett.

Each year since 2000 Buffett has auctioned off an eight-person lunch with himself, donating the proceeds to San Francisco charity Glide, which helps the poor and homeless. In the last three years alone, the lunch has raised $850,000.

Bidding on eBay for this year’s lunch at a New York steakhouse has escalated faster than expected; the current highest bid is $455,100, with 5 full days remaining before the auction closes.

Lunch With Buffett Sells For $620k

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 09:23:48 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

An opportunity to dine with investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett has sold at online auction for $620,100, which will go to the charity Glide.

The winning bidder was Californian investor Yongping Duan. As reported here earlier the bids for this yearly event far exceeded the levels reached in previous years.

Glide is a San Francisco charity offering support to the poor and marginalized people.

Kravitz and Good Charlotte "Serve" Those in Need

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 19:49:14 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Major recording artists such as Lenny Kravitz and Good Charlotte have come together to help create an all-star charity CD benefitting World Hunger Year (WHY).

Called “Serve”, the collection of tracks by Grammy Award-winning and acclaimed artists includes a booklet with text and photos celebrating philanthropy in rock ‘n’ roll. The 12 songs are variously new and classic, electric and acoustic, and two are live recordings. Many of the tracks are rare or previously unreleased pieces.

The CD is available at Hard Rock Cafe’s Rock Shops and the Hard Rock Cafe website. The tracklist is as follows:

Bruce Springsteen – “Secret Garden” (String Version)
Aerosmith – “Jaded” (Acoustic Mix)
Dido – “Life for Rent”
The Strokes – “Alone, Together” (Home Recording)
Ray Lamontagne – “Shelter”
Coheed And Cambria – “A Favor House Atlantic” (Live Acoustic Version)
Velvet Revolver – “Slither”
Modest Mouse – “Ocean Breathes Salty”
Darryl McDaniels (featuring Sarah McLachlan) – “Just Like Me”
Good Charlotte – “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” (Live Acoustic Version)
Lenny Kravitz – “Let Love Rule”
The Hold Steady – “Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night”

WHY fights against hunger and poverty in America, and net proceeds from “Serve” will be donated to an artist-directed division of WHY, Artists Against Hunger & Poverty.

Jackie Chan Meets UNICEF Painting Competition Winner

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 11:27:00 +0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Action star and UNICEF Ambassador Jackie Chan took time out of his hectic schedule to visit with the winner of the 2006 UNEP International Children’s Painting Competition on the Environment.

The winner, Lau Tsun Ming (age 9) from China, said: "My "picture “:http://www.jackiechan.com/news_view?cid=371 shows two contrasting scenes of Earth. One is desertified and the other can keep its natural beauty. If people continue to ruin the environment, our surroundings will become dull and nasty.”

As environmental protection is very important to Chan, he was pleased to see that children are also concerned about taking care of the planet.

Children in the U.S. have been brightening Chan’s year with the Build a School for a Dollar Campaign.

In July, Chan toured poverty stricken areas of the Guizhou Province to visit more than a dozen schools built by his Dragon's Heart Charity. During his travels he delivered warm coats and school supplies, led an auction which generated over $125,000, visited a rehabilitation center, and met with business associates to plan future philanthropic missions.

After reading about Jackie’s efforts to help poor children in remote areas of China, many kids wrote to him asking how they could help. Jackie’s Kids Corner shows how kids have started helping by drawing pictures of a school using a dollar bill as the centerpiece.

It costs only $9 a year to send a poor child to school in China.

Streisand Donates $1M to Climate Change Initiative

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 19:22:02 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Singer Barbra Streisand announced this week that she will donate $1M to former president Bill Clinton’s favourite charity, the Climate Change Initiative.

The initiative – part of the Clinton Foundation – aims to bring together a consortium of major cities around the world to actively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Streisand has been funding global climate change efforts since the late 80s, and she recently announced an October tour in aid of charity.

Jay-Z To Raise Awareness Of Global Water Crisis

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 20:02:00 +0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Jay-Z, rapper and president of Def Jam Records, announced on Wednesday that he will work with the United Nations and MTV to get children involved in the fight against the worldwide water crisis. He cited statistics that 1.1 billion people live without clean drinking water and 2.6 billion lack proper sanitation.

The singer said that when he visited Africa on tour he was shocked at how many of the world’s poor had no access to sanitary water services.

“As I started looking around and looking at ways that I could become helpful, it started at the first thing — water, something as simple as water,” he said at a news conference at U.N. headquarters with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

MTV film crews will follow the rapper on his worldwide tour, which begins Sept. 9. “The Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life” will record meetings with people around the world who lack water.

Jay-Z said he wants to build 1,000 PlayPumps in Africa by the time the tour is over. He also hopes that children who learn about the crisis will tell their parents, who might be able to do something about it.

How a trip to Africa changed Michelle Wright's life

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 20:16:14 +0000

Written by Greg Hitchcock

Canadian-born Michelle Wright's latest record Everything and More is clearly one of the happiest, most filled-with-gratitude country-ish albums you’ll hear.

Ironically, it came together when the 45-year-old singer and
songwriter, who has sold more than two million records, gave up her ambition to become an even bigger country star after getting involved with World Vision in 2002, when she went to Zambia and saw the AIDS crisis first-hand.

In June of 2002, Wright traveled to Zambia to film a television special for World Vision, the child sponsorship organization. It was a life-changing experience for her; Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, and in some areas over 60 percent of the Zambian population is HIV positive.

“It’s changed my life. I saw first-hand how privileged I am,” Wright says on her mobile just outside Saint John, NB.

“For a long time, all I could focus on was my career, fighting the good fight by selling a million records, paying the mortgage and the good people that work with me,” she said.

Wright said all that changed for her after she went to the African
relief camps and saw massive suffering on an unimaginable scale. After that experience, she said she had to rethink her whole mission in life.

“I still have a lot of responsibilities here but now what is really
important to me is coming from a different place in my heart,” Wright said.“It’s so important, I usually have a World Vision sponsorship table at all my concerts.”

Wright followed up her Zambian experience with a trip to Honduras for World Vision in June 2004. She now sponsors both a Zambian child and a Honduran child, and continues to help out World Vision whenever and wherever she can.

Wright is no stranger to charity. She was the Honorary Chairperson for “Operation C.A.T. Scan”, a fundraising campaign that raised almost two million dollars for St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chatham, Ontario (the hospital where Wright was born). The campaign raised money for the hospital to purchase its first C.A.T. Scan machine.

She was also Celebrity Spokeswoman for the 1997 Special Olympics World Winter Games and contributed to the Power of Peace CD celebrating the 50th anniversary of CARE.

Look To The Stars News: Poverty

Oxfam Seeking Hero

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Jackie Chan Joins Fight Against AIDS

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Hollywood's Humanitarians At Cinema For Peace

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Bono Pleased With Stars' Charity

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Peace Prize Nominees

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Charging For Charity

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Football Match For UNICEF

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Photo Auction For Third World Relief

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Frost and Moss Help Orphans

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Barrymore Raises Funds For Food

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Shakira Honoured For Charity Work

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Melua Single Profits Going To Charity

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Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend Aims to Raise $500,000

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Bono Launches Charitable Mobile Phone

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Forbes' "Most Generous Celebrities" List

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Robbie Lines Up Maradona For Soccer Aid Match

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Bids For Charity Lunch With Warren Buffet Reach $455,000

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Lunch With Buffett Sells For $620k

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