Look To The Stars News: Literacy

Mencap Gains New Celebrity Ambassador

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:30:00 -0000

UK charity Mencap – which works with people with learning disabilities – has just acquired a new ambassador, the English comedian and actor Mathew Horne, who will help promote awareness of learning disabilities.

30 year-old Horne was nominated for Best Male Comedy Newcomer at the 2007 British Comedy Awards and is best known for playing the role of Gavin Shipman in the BBC Sitcom Gavin & Stacey.

Horne revealed that he would be supporting the charity during the Little Noise Sessions at The Union Chapel of Union in London.

He also said he was looking forward to helping Mencap raise much needed funds, awarness and hopes to keep things humorous at the same time.

“I am absolutely honored to become an ambassador. It is a brilliant charity and one that is very dear to my heart,” he added.

Many other celebrities are involved with this charity, including actor Christopher Eccleston, investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre, actress Kellie Shirley, Newcastle-born actress and TV presenter Donna Air, Paula Sage – who became an ambassador after she won a Bafta award for her role in the film Afterlife – actor and singer Will Young, and Lisa Scott Lee.

The Killers Play Surprise Charity Gig

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Killers played an unannounced acoustic set at the first of Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions in London on Saturday night.

The British rockers made their surprise appearance at a show that also featured Glasvegas, White Lies and Cage The Elephant. They played 3 songs, including Human, Smile Like You Mean It, and an inspired performance of Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

Surprise acoustic performances are a traditional part of Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions. Last year, Bono and The Edge from U2 took to the stage unannounced and played four acoustic songs.

The sessions take place over eleven nights at Islington’s Union Chapel to raise money for the charity, which works with people who suffer from learning disabilities. Kasabian, Stereophonics, Keane, and Razorlight are all scheduled to perform over the next week and a half, and tickets are available from the Mencap Music website.

Santana Tells Kids To Value Themselves

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Guitarist Carlos Santana paid a visit to a school near San Francisco on Thursday with words of wisdom for the students.

The star addressed hundreds of students at Davidson Middle School in San Rafael on behalf of the Milagro Foundation, a charity he started with his wife ten years ago to improve the lives of disadvantaged children.

“It’s important for each one of you, no matter where you come from or where you’re going, to value yourself,” he said during his speech. “Just like we can teach history and arithmetic, it’s important to teach unconditional love.”

His address ran a gauntlet of issues, including the fact that California spends more on prisons than it does on schools, and also challenged the Education Department to introduce a new curriculum that would combat racism and promote self-esteem.

“The best way to do it is to just roll up your sleeves like Mother Theresa and just bring three things: hope, trust, and faith in yourselves,”

During Santana’s speech, Samsung Electronics America’s Four Seasons of Hope program presented the Milagro Foundation with a check for $100,000.

British Rockers To Go Acoustic For Mencap

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Kasabian, Stereophonics, Keane, and Razorlight have all signed up to perform at this year’s Mencap Little Noise Sessions which take place across eleven days in November.

The acoustic shows will take place at Islington’s Union Chapel to raise money for the charity, which works with people who suffer from learning disabilities.

“We are really looking forward to playing the show for the Little Noise Sessions on behalf of Mencap,“ said Kelly Jones from the Stereophonics. “To be able to do an acoustic show in such an intimate venue and be able to support such a worthy cause will be a really special thing to do and something we rarely get the chance to do. It will be beautiful.”

Of course, there is always the chance of a big surprise at the Mencap Little Noise concerts. Last year, Bono and The Edge from U2 took to the stage unannounced and played four acoustic songs.

DJ Jo Whiley will once again host the event, and tickets are available from the Mencap Music website.

Rapper To Host Common Ground Concert

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:30:00 -0000

The Common Ground Foundation is to host the first annual “Common’s Start the Show n’ Bowl” and “Common & Friends Concert” to raise over $350,000 for charity.

The event will kick off on September 26 with a VIP gala at the Cartier Boutique in Chicago, with the bowling competition and concert taking place the following day. Joining rapper Common for the festivities will be Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am, as well as The Roots, Talib Kweli, Bilal, Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry, and many more yet to be announced.

The Common Ground Foundation was established by Common and is dedicated to the empowerment and development of urban youth in the United States. The event is set to help raise money for two programs: BE empowered – which provides life, career, and educational mentoring as a means for youth participants to achieve understanding, confidence, and self-respect – and Read for Change – which addresses the national problem of illiteracy which motivates youth to read through The Corner, a national online book club.

“I started the Common Ground Foundation because I wanted to help,” said Common. “Most of all help people to help themselves. I always believed that if we started with the youth, then we would be planting the seeds for our future to blossom. Give the children a sense of hope, self-esteem, and love that will better the world. I think making a difference in the lives of others is my life’s greatest purpose. I walk this path with faith knowing the Common Ground Foundation will change the world.”

More information can be found at www.commongroundfoundation.org.

Dolly Parton Plays Benefit Concerts

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Country music legend Dolly Parton hosted three sold-out benefit concerts at her Dollywood theme park over the weekend.

The shows, held on August 16 and 17, raised money for Parton’s Imagination Library, a charity the 62-year-old established to encourage children to read. According to Country Music Television, the shows were part of Parton’s current tour, and the singer whipped the crowd into a frenzy with renditions of hits both old and new.

Parton established the charity in 1996 as part of her Dollywood Foundation, and the Imagination Library now operates in 566 counties across thirty-six U.S. states, as well as in Canada and England. Her idea was simple: to build an organization that sends one book per month to children from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten.

“This program is one of the most important ways I know to improve the educational opportunities for children,” said Parton. “When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books, and the seeds you plant in your community can grow across the world.”

Due to the work Parton has done with her Imagination Library – which distributes more than 2.5 million free books to children every year – she has be awarded the Association of American Publishers’ AAP Honor in 2000, Good Housekeeping’s Seal of Approval in 2001, the American Association of School Administrators’ Galaxy Award in 2002, the Chasing Rainbows Award from the National State Teachers of the Year in 2002, and the Child and Family Advocacy Award from the Parents As Teachers National Center in 2003.

To find out more about the organization, visit their website at www.dollysimaginationlibrary.com.

Chris Webber’s Bada Bling Celebrity Weekend

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

Former NBA star and all-around good guy Chris Webber has hosted a sensational weekend in Las Vegas for his third annual Celebrity Bada Bling Weekend at Planet Hollywood.

The usual cast of characters joined Webber, with a few new faces that flocked to his event with nothing but love for Webber and his efforts.

Webber’s Celebrity Weekend is held every year to raise money for the Chris Webber Foundation. And every year, more and more celebrities are turning up to support one of the most popular and well-liked humanitarians around.

Guests enjoyed a celebrity poker game, VIP party at Prive with a live performance from rapper Too Short, and a Saturday night soiree which included a live auction and incredible performance by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Gladys Knight. After the show, guests enjoyed a private party at Koi where they were swanked by celebrity athletes and colorful guests.

Some of the stars who showed up to support Chris Webber’s foundation included actress Bonnie Mercado, Lydia Harris, Dr. Yamma Brown (daughter of James Brown), actor/comedian Terry Crews, Mark Curry, actor/comedian Finesse Mitchell, and current/former NBA players Ricky Davis, Scot Pollard, Matt Barnes, Shavlik Randolph, Rip Hamilton, Baron Davis, Brain Shaw, Juwan Howard, Moses Malone, Joakim Noah and many, many others.

For a complete in-depth review, along with celebrity interviews and photos, visit www.Athlebrities.com.

Charity Choices Of The Royal Grandchildren

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth’s first granddaughters, are launching into some of the responsibilities that come with their HRH titles – one of those being charity.

It was recently announced that 19-year-old Beatrice will become the first Junior Ambassador for Children In Crisis. Founded in 1993 by her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, the organization provides education to children of the poorest countries in the belief that it is the essential ingredient in lifting children out of poverty.

Beatrice said, “I always remember the old saying, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life. That’s why I am so keen to help this campaign to educate children. We have the most amazing charity.”

She also is interested in Springboard For Children, whose volunteers help kids that have trouble with reading and writing at inner-city schools. Being dyslexic, Beatrice has a personal interest in the struggle.

Her younger sister, Eugenie – now 18 – is looking at Kids Company, which provides support to vulnerable and traumatized inner-city kids with emotional therapy and education, and which her uncle, Prince Charles, is also involved with.

Princes William and Harry, the Queen’s first grandsons, have already garnered quite some experience at fundraising for charities, near and distant. The latest was a charity polo match, held last month as part of William’s 26th birthday celebrations, to benefit The Countryside Foundation For Education – whose outdoor programs educate hundreds of thousands of UK school children each year through farm visits – and the African wildlife protection charity of which William is Royal Patron, Tusk Trust.

Prince Harry, possibly the most eager of the grandchildren, has gone so far as to co-found the Sentebale charity, which benefits underprivileged, disabled and AIDS-orphaned children of Lesotho. Harry not only heavily promotes the endeavor, he dedicates much of his own time and manpower to the charity’s projects.

Yao Ming To Raffle Olympic Tickets For Earthquake Relief

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is raffling a trip to the Beijing Olympics to raise money for the Yao Ming Foundation, which he launched to help victims of the May 12 earthquake in China.

Tickets to the raffle, which can be accessed via www.netraffle.org, cost $2 each, and will give one lucky winner round-trip airfare from a US city to Beijing, a seven day stay at a hotel in Beijing from Aug. 7-14, two tickets to the China-USA basketball game at the Olympics, $1,500 cash, a guided tour of the Great Wall of China, two Houston Rockets jerseys autographed by Ming, two tickets to a Rockets game, and a chance to meet Ming after a Rockets game.

“I’m so proud that my country is hosting the 2008 Olympics,” said Ming. “I am thrilled that I can help fans visit China, experience the Games and, at the same time, help raise money for the Yao Ming Foundation as we begin our campaign to rebuild schools in the earthquake damaged provinces.”

Ming established the Foundation to raise funds and awareness of children’s wellness and welfare issues in China and the United States and address the immediate needs of the children in the Sichuan and Gansu provinces affected by the devastating quake. The basketballer raised over $3.5 million within a week of launching the Foundation, and said its first projects would involve rebuilding schools and providing sports equipment and other forms of help to children left homeless by the disaster.

The raffle winner will be announced on July 21.

Yao Ming To Build Schools In China

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Following the devastating earthquakes last month in China’s Sichuan and Gansu provinces, Yao Ming – Chinese center for the Houston Rockets basketball team – felt compelled to do something and to do it quickly… so he created the Yao Ming Foundation.

In the long term, the Foundation will “raise funds and awareness of children’s wellness and welfare issues in China and the United States.” But more importantly in the short term, it will address the immediate needs of the children in China affected by the quake, specifically the need for earthquake-proof schools.

“It is very hard to put into words how difficult it is to see this kind of destruction,” said Yao. “My thoughts and actions are now focused on helping to rebuild the schools that were destroyed in this tragedy and I hope that others around the world will join in our efforts.”

More than 185 schools were destroyed during May’s earthquake. The Yao Ming Foundation’s website says, “A donation of $100,000 will rebuild a permanent school for approximately 300 students while a gift of $3,500 will provide one prefabricated classroom for 50 students, including desks and chairs.” By working with proven charities, the Foundation will build safe replacements schools and then focus on youth related causes on both sides of the world.

The Houston Rockets, colleagues such as Steve Nash, and many others are answering Ming’s call. Launched only a few days ago, the Foundation raised over $3.5 million in the first week.

Santana Plays Four Seasons Of Hope

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:36:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Guitarist and music legend Carlos Santana gave a special live performance to 650 guests at the seventh annual Four Seasons of Hope charity gala in New York on Sunday night.

The gala, hosted by Michael Strahan, Jason Taylor, and Live With Regis and Kelly’s Regis Philbin, recognized the charitable efforts of sports, entertainment, and political celebrities, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Wayne Gretzky, Arnold Palmer, Joe Torre, Boomer Esiason, and Dan Marino. The evening, which included an auction, raised over $1.1 million for a host of children’s charities, including the Arnold Palmer Foundation, the Boomer Esiason Foundation to Benefit Cystic Fibrosis, the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation, the Dan Marino Foundation, the Jason Taylor Foundation, the Michael Strahan Foundation, the Wayne Gretzky Foundation, and the Milagro Foundation.

“It is so rewarding to be able to come out and work with a first-class organization such as Samsung on a night like this,” said Santana. “We had a great crowd and were able to raise a lot of money for the charities Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope program supports. It’s not often you get such an eclectic group of athletes and celebrities together in one room, but when you do, special things happen and we were able to help a lot of children and families in need in the process.”

Launched in 2002 by Samsung Electronics America, Samsung’s Four Seasons of Hope is an innovative goodwill program dedicated to raising awareness and funds through national retail initiatives with Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears and Staples, and has raised more than $12 million for a range of children’s charities.

Harry Potter Prequel Casts Its Charity Magic

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:38:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

JK Rowling’s 800 word Harry Potter prequel has sold for $48,858, with the proceeds going to charity.

An absent bidder at the auction – held at Waterstone’s Bookstore in London yesterday – paid $59 per word for the short story, which was handwritten on both sides of an A5-size card. As reported earlier, the proceeds from the sale went to the English writer’s association, PEN, and Dyslexia Action.

Twelve other authors and illustrators also contributed stories to the auction, including playwright Tom Stoppard – whose short story raised $7,816 – Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing, and novelists Nick Hornby and Margaret Atwood.

Rowling’s story is set three years before Harry is born and features the characters Sirius Black and James Potter, Harry’s father. After some trouble with a policeman, the pair escape with broomsticks and a little bit of magic.

The prequel can be viewed at Waterstone’s shop in central London, or can be read in its entirety online.

David Walliams Splashes Out For Charity

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:15:16 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British comedian David Walliams has completed his second epic charity swim… and swallowed some water at the same time.

“Swimming and throwing up… it shouldn’t really go together,” said the star of Little Britain. “It was really tough.”

The 36-year-old swam across the Strait of Gibraltar, from Spain to Morocco, with Olympic rower James Cracknell. The event was part of Cracknell’s 10 day “Swim To Africa” adventure, which raised money for Sport Relief.

Cracknell’s trip started from Dover on February 27, when he rowed across the English Channel in atrocious weather conditions. This was followed by cycling 1,400 miles through France and Spain.

The final leg of the trip was the 12-mile swim, and having Walliams along was a boost for Cracknell’s morale. Walliams is certainly no stranger to swimming long distances – in 2006 he swam the English Channel and raised $2 million for Sport Relief in the process.

“I can’t believe David volunteered to do that after having done the Channel,” said Cracknell. “[The swim] was horrible.”

But Walliams had his own way of dealing with the cramp-inducing swim, and hummed Elton John songs to himself to keep his mind off the sharks that seemed to circle around the pair.

“I was singing to try and get me through it,” he said. “I was singing Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word and Your Song. When you’re in the water, if you start thinking about where you are, you think ‘I want this to be over.’ But if you think about nice things like Elton John songs, it kind of passes the time. I found it really tough. About two hours in I started to get seasick. The sea was really rough and I swallowed a lot of seawater. I started feeling really nauseous and throwing up. I got really demoralized so I had to talk to myself and say ‘you’ve got to do it, you’ve got to do it.”

The pair completed the swim in four and a half hours.

A Game, A Dress, And A Brawl For Charity

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:29:30 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A special surprise for Look to the Stars readers

Be sure to visit Look To The Stars tomorrow, Wednesday March 12, to read our exclusive interview with Leeza Gibbons as she tells us a little about the causes that are closest to her heart.

Between a Rock and a hard place

It’s a case of a bad boy wanting to be good with singer Kid Rock. The Devil Without A Cause looks like he is turning over a new leaf, and is returning to the Waffle House restaurant where he was arrested last year – but this time it’s for charity.

The 37-year-old was charged with battery after a brawl in Duluth, Georgia, in October. But the musician has now decided to make amends by greeting fans and signing autographs at the scene of the crime as part of a fundraiser for a local homeless shelter, Nicholas House.

“For a while now, we’ve been working with Kid Rock’s management to try and turn a negative into a positive,” said Waffle House spokesperson Pat Warner. “We’re hoping to raise some money for a worthwhile charity.”

The event will occur later today, March 11.

Tennis for charity in the desert

Another event taking place today is the fourth annual K-Swiss Desert Smash Charity Tennis and Golf event being held at the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs. The event benefits the Coachella Valley chapter of Variety – The Children’s Charity and features a special tennis match between 2008 Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic.

Other celebrities expected to attend include Bush frontman (and husband of Gwen Stefani) Gavin Rossdale, Borat star Ken Davitian, and David Spade.

Theron shares her threads for charity

Another star in the mood for giving is the stunning Charlize Theron, who is auctioning off the first red carpet gown she was ever given to wear by a designer.

No, the dress isn’t made from red carpet – it’s actually a one-of-a-kind silk dress designed exclusively for the actress’ debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000 by Narciso Rodriguez.

All of the proceeds from the auction, which can be accessed through Theron’s eBay page, will go to the Charlize Theron African Outreach Project, a mobile clinic that serves more than 3000 high school students in Theron’s home country of South Africa. The project was launched in 2007 in association with the Entertainment Industry Foundation to create a safer, healthier, and better life for families in South Africa, especially those touched by the effect of HIV/AIDS.

The auction runs until March 13, and the bids have already gone over $1,000.

Other auctions running on eBay Giving Works right now include the chance to have lunch with JAG and Bruce Almighty star Catherine Bell in LA. The auction runs until March 17, and proceeds go to Communities in Schools, nation’s largest dropout prevention organization. The original Hannah Montana, Miley Ray Cyrus, is also holding an auction right now. The young star is selling an autographed chair, with proceeds to go to Variety – The Children’s Charity.

Leona Lewis – a star on the rise

Another star with an interest in South Africa at the moment is singer Leona Lewis. The 22-year-old X Factor winner is currently enjoying a meteoric rise to fame, with her album Spirit holding the record for the fastest selling debut album ever released in the UK. And now the young star has witnessed the extent of the AIDS pandemic during a recent trip to South Africa.

Lewis has just returned from a 3-day trip to Johannesburg with Sport Relief, an initiative of Comic Relief, in which she raised awareness of the plight of AIDS orphans and sufferers. But it was all almost too much for the singer, who describes in her diary how she broke down while visiting some of the worst cases.

“Some of the horrors I have seen will never leave me,“ she said. “It’s amazing to see the great work that Sport Relief does firsthand and the difference they make, their projects and centres keep communities going and give them something to be proud and positive about.”

In response to her trip, Lewis has just announced that the stunning purple gown she wore for her performance at last month’s Brit Awards will be auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds going to Sport Relief.

“It’s been a great pleasure for me to work with Leona Lewis right from the start,” said Roberto Cavalli, who designed the dress. “She has an incredible voice, beautiful eyes, and a fresh and positive attitude. I’m happy that a dress I have created for her for an important occasion is now being auctioned for a charity. It’s a sign of her great generosity and I’m proud that the name Roberto Cavalli is linked to it.”

As if all of that is not enough, the singer is also donating the proceeds from her new double A-side single, Footprints In The Sand/Better In Time, to the charity.

Stars Sell Out For Charity

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:18:43 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Celebrities old and new are backing sales to benefit good causes this month, with one young starlet opening her closet for charity in a bid to help save some of the most endangered species on the planet, and a well-known actor auctioning radios for Africa.

18-year-old actress Hayden Panettiere is behind a new website dedicated to selling her clothes to raise money for Save The Whales Again, a organization set up by the founders of the original Save the Whales campaign.

Dresses, hoodies, baseball caps, and watches are just some of the items up for grabs at www.panettierecloset.com, many of which have been worn by Panettiere to award ceremonies and photo shoots. Autographed photos are also available, with the young star writing a personal message on each one.

“Can you look good and help a worthwhile cause at the same time?” asks the website. “Yes, you can! Here at panettierecloset.com, we couple Hayden’s sense of fashion with a fundraising plan to bring you designer items straight from the home of the Heroes star. Many have hailed Hayden Panettiere for her impeccable taste in fashion. Now you can wear what the celebrities wear at a fraction of the cost – while supporting a worthy cause! Looking good never felt so good! By purchasing items from this website, you will be aiding Hayden in her fight to raise awareness about the threats dolphins and other whales face worldwide.”

In October, 2007, Panettiere joined Australian actress Isabel Lucas and other activists in a peaceful protest in Japan, to raise awareness of the 25,000 dolphins slaughtered by the nation every year. The group narrowly avoided arrest over the incident, but succeeded in diverting international media to the abhorrent and barbaric practices used to butcher the animals.

Tom Hanks has also traded in his acting profession for that of a salesman this month, with the launch of an auction on eBay that intends to supply radios to remote areas of Africa. The 51-year-old celebrity has recorded a YouTube video in which he urges people to bid on ten self-powered Freeplay Lifeline radios – each one personally autographed. Proceeds from the sale of the wind-up, solar powered radios will go directly to the Freeplay Foundation, an organization set up to donate the radio sets to villages in Africa.

“The Lifeline radio can change the world,” said Hanks. “One person, one house, one village at a time.”

The Freeplay Foundation was established in 1998, and is committed to providing innovative and practical energy solutions and to ensuring sustained access to information and education via radio. The radios they supply are designed to withstand the harshest conditions, and are often villages only source of communication with the outside world. And because up to 40 people gather in groups to listen to Freeplay Lifeline radios, 100 radios can benefit 4000 people.

The signed radios come with a personal letter and signed photo from Tom Hanks, and can be purchased at eBay for between $600 and $2,000 until February 1.

Orlando Bloom Visits Nepal

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:25:30 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actor and heartthrob Orlando Bloom has just returned from a trip to Nepal, where he visited several UNICEF programs working to help the impoverished nation and its children.

The 31-year-old star of “Lord of the Rings” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” spent four days touring the western districts of Kaski and Chitwan, as well as visiting Lumbini, birthplace of Lord Buddha.

During the trip, Bloom had his forehead smeared red with “tika” and was presented with the traditional garlands of flowers, which he wore around his neck. He spoke with young mothers at the Sayapatri Community Organization in the village of Dibyanagar, and learnt about the ways that UNICEF works to promote safe hygiene and sanitation practices in the country.

Nepal, with an estimated population of 29 million, is currently recovering from a decade-long civil war that left 13,000 people dead. The conflict hampered the delivery of basic services to many of the more remote villages, and malnutrition became rampant, accounting for over 60% of child deaths. Even today, 48% of children are grossly underweight, maternal mortality is high, and many people suffer needlessly from treatable medical conditions. As of six years ago, only 84% of children received a formal education, but thanks to work by UNICEF and the Himalayan Trust, that figure is now closer to 100%.

“Previously, only 25% of the households were taking iodized salt [to prevent iodine deficiency disorders such as goiter],” said Chali Subedi, who facilitates over the village of Kalika. “The figure has now increased to 38%. Similarly, women’s workloads have decreased from 17 hours per day to 14 hours a day.”

Bloom also spent time with over three dozen blind children who attend a special school in the village of Pokhara, deep in the Pumdi Bhumdi hills, and learned about their studies, ambitions, and the world in which they live.

“I may be disabled, and might need assistance from others for everything I do,” said 10th-grader Sujan Dhakal. “Yet the world I see for myself is one where I can be of assistance to others and work for the betterment of my society and country.”

Bloom joined the students in recording a UNICEF-supported radio program entitled “Saathi Sanga Manka Kura” (Talking With My Best Friend). The drama dealt with the plight of a group of girls in a hostel with no female warden, and Bloom played a guest who offers advice to the girls.

“Talk about your problems,” he said during the program. “There’s no need to feel shy. It’s always good to talk about issues that concern you.”

Sir Edmund Hillary - The Passing Of A Legend

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:12:07 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Sir Edmund Hillary – adventurer, explorer, and philanthropist – has died of a heart attack, age 88.

The thing I will always remember about Sir Ed is his hands. They were huge, the size of frying pans. Every time I met him, his face would break into a grin that seemed to light up the room, his eyes would smile, and he would wrap one of those huge hands around mine. It was like a blanket enveloping a pea. But he was a big man. At 188cm, Sir Ed never failed to tower over everyone in the room.

But he never wanted to stand out from the crowd. Sir Edmund Hillary, conqueror of Everest, the third person to reach the South Pole by land, was incredibly humble.

“I like to think that I am a very ordinary New Zealander, not terribly bright perhaps, but determined and practical in what I do,” he once said.

Hillary never starred in a movie, he never released a song. Yet he was probably the most famous and well-respected person ever to come out of New Zealand. Born just outside of Auckland, the country’s biggest city, Hillary began his professional life as a beekeeper, as part of the family business. But a trip to the mountains that run up the southern land like a backbone gave him a love of the outdoors that would eventually lead to bigger things. A stint in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in World War II, in which he was badly burned (“I realized what it was like to feel like bacon,” he once told me), was followed by three trips to the Himalayas in Nepal.

His close friend and famous British climber, Eric Shipton, selected Hillary to be part of the 1953 expedition to Everest. However, when Shipton was replaced by John Hunt, Hillary nearly backed out of the trip. But with dogged determination, he stayed. And on May 29, 1953, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, his Sherpa climbing partner, became the first people to stand on top of the highest peak in the world.

“Awe, wonder, humility, pride, exaltation – these surely ought to be the confused emotions of the first men to stand on the highest peak on earth, after so many others had failed,” he said in High Adventure, his book about the achievement. “But my dominant reactions were relief and surprise. Relief because the long grind was over and the unattainable had been attained. And surprise because it had happened to me, old Ed Hillary, the beekeeper, once the star pupil of Tuakau District School, but no great shakes at Auckland Grammar and a no-hoper at university – first to the top of Everest! I just didn’t believe it.”

A knighthood from the newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth followed, much to Hillary’s horror: “It was a tremendous honor, of course, but I had never really approved of titles and couldn’t really imagine myself possessing one… I could see myself walking down Broadway, Papakura [his hometown in New Zealand], in my tattered overalls and the seat out of my pants, and I thought ‘That’s gone forever. I’ll have to buy a new pair of overalls now’.”

In a lasting testament to his humbleness, Hillary always maintained that he and Tenzing – who died in 1986 – reached the summit together, despite repeated questioning over who actually stepped on top first. However, in later life, Hillary did finally admit that he stepped onto the summit a few steps ahead of Tenzing, but he always insisted that the pair did it as a team, and to single out one or other of them was inherently wrong.

Back in New Zealand, Hillary married Louise Rose, and they later had three children, Belinda, Sarah and Peter. Sir Ed then continued a life of climbing and adventure, which included involvement in the 1958 British Trans-Antarctic expedition lead by Sir Vivien Fuchs. Hillary’s job was to use three small tractors to lay a supply trail for Fuchs’ party, but in a controversial decision he raced to the pole himself and reached it before Fuchs. He was the first person to reach the South Pole over land since Amundsen and Scott. Antarctica always remained a special place for Sir Ed, and he visited the frozen continent for the last time in 2005. Both he and his son, Peter, have campaigned extensively for better environmental laws in Antarctica over the years, a topic that I discussed at length with Peter in 1999.

But it was his continuing work with the native Sherpa people in Nepal that Sir Ed wants to be remembered for. The Sherpas had long been used by explorers as porters in the Himalayas, but they remained uneducated and their living conditions were primitive. Many had no access to clean water, and others suffered from debilitating yet treatable medical conditions.

“It was impossible not to see that they lacked all the things we regard as essential in life,” said Hillary. “They didn’t have any schools, and they didn’t have any medical care or anything of this nature. I suddenly decided that instead of just talking about it, why didn’t I try and do something about it.”

In 1960, Hillary established the Himalayan Trust, a non-profit organization designed to ease poverty in remote Nepalese villages. Since then, the Trust has increased its fold to include reforestation programs, cultural preservation, and emergency relief work.

Over the years, the Trust has built 3 hospitals, 13 health clinics, and 30 schools for the Sherpa people. They have provided training for teachers, and have been involved in the construction of bridges, water resources, and airstrips. Every year until the 1990s, Hillary would lead groups of volunteers to the Himalayas, and thousands of Nepalis now owe their education and health to his generosity. Six months of every year were spent outside New Zealand, on the fundraising trail.

In Nepal, Hillary is seen as a god, and his passing has been especially hard for those who have worked closely with him on his projects.

“He was a hero and a leader for us,” said Bhoomi Lama of the Nepal Mountaineering Association in Katmandu. “He did a lot for the people of the Everest region and will always remain in our hearts.”

And it is work Hillary does not want to stop after his death.

“When I kick the bucket… of all the things I would like to be kept going, the things I would really feel had some continuing activity, would unquestionably be my Sherpa schools.”

Hillary’s work with the Sherpas helped him to get back on his feet after the death of his wife and youngest daughter in a plane crash in the Himalayas in 1975, and in 1989 he married June Mulgrew, widow of fellow climber and explorer, Peter Mulgrew. He was also a special ambassador for UNICEF to promote Nepalese aid, and continued to advocate for tougher environmental laws in the Himalayas.

The native Maori people of New Zealand have a phrase they say when a well-respected person passes away – “Ka hinga te totara i te wao nui a Taane engari Mate atu he teeteekura, Whakaete mai he teeteekua … A mighty totara tree has fallen in Tane’s forest.” Sir Edmund Hillary may have been the mightiest totara tree of them all.

He will be sadly missed by the people of Nepal, New Zealand, and adventurers everywhere.

“In some ways I believe I epitomize the average New Zealander. I have modest abilities, I combine these with a good deal of determination… and I rather like to succeed.”

Natalie Portman - Beauty, Brains, And Heart

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:01:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

She may have made her name as Luke Skywalker’s mother in Star Wars, and has since gone on to make some of the most interesting art-house films produced in the last five years, but young starlet Natalie Portman is more than just another Hollywood bimbo. Under the beauty lies a brain and heart many people only dream of possessing.

Born Natalie Hershlag in Jerusalem, Israel, to an Israeli father and an American mother, the 26-year-old actress comes from a family with a long history of social and political activism. Her grandfather, for example, was a socialist economics professor of the developing world who set up one of Israel’s first Kibbutzes. It was an atmosphere that left its lasting mark on Portman – she became a vegetarian at the age of eight, and joined an environmental dance troupe at the age of 12.

The star of the Star Wars prequels, as well as independent films such as “Closer” and “Garden State”, is an enthusiastic advocate for animal rights, and refuses to wear products made from fur, feathers, or leather. In 2007 she even launched her own range of vegan footwear, and she has also appeared in a documentary in which she trekked through a Congolese national park in search of the endangered Rwandan Mountain Gorilla.

But the Harvard University psychology graduate’s real passion is alleviating poverty in Third World countries. In May, 2007, Portman joined Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan to launch the Village Banking Campaign for the Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA). The campaign is designed to provide financial services to the world’s lowest-income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs, build assets, and improve their standard of living.

“I really wanted to work on Middle East peace, because I’m from Israel originally,” said the young star. “And I really wanted to work on something with Queen Rania of Jordan, because she’s probably the woman I admire most from my region. So I got in contact with her and her staff, and they recommended for me to get involved with FINCA.”

Portman is immensely proud of her role as an Ambassador of Hope for FINCA, and has visited programs run in countries such as Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Uganda. She even produced a charity album for the organization, Big Change – Songs For FINCA, that featured songs by artists such as Norah Jones.

“My goal for this campaign is to galvanize my generation to support Village Banking, and take a leadership role in the fight against poverty,” she said at the launch of the initiative. “We have the ability and the responsibility to make our shrinking world a more hopeful, stable and peaceful place. With all of the tools we now have at hand – new anti-poverty approaches like microfinance; technology that helps us mobilize even greater numbers of people; and a growing understanding of the imperatives – we have no excuse to miss this opportunity.”

Portman has also recently been chosen to represent the Listen Campaign, joining Hollywood legends such as Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, and Jessica Lange in a new and exciting multimedia charity initiative designed to highlight the plight of needy children around the world. The scheme, launched in November 2007, hopes to raise $1 billion over the next 10 years.

“I understand that people might be jaded,” said Portman. “I know I get turned off by most celebrity joining-in efforts. But I’m interested in this because it’s about diverting some of the unwarranted attention we have in our celebrity-crazed culture and passing it on to something else. We can give people a voice who would not normally have one.”

The Listen Campaign website includes a video of Portman visiting a young 17-year-old boy named Nicholas in Uganda – an HIV-positive AIDS orphan who is trying to raise his sister and three brothers.

“The thing that upset me most is that we weren’t taught about this stuff at school,” said Portman. “We weren’t taught that half the world lives on less than $3 a day.”

Although she has had a lot of success in films, the young actress has thought about trading the position in for work in a non-profit organization, and claims that her travels through some of the poorest countries in the world has really opened her eyes about life, ambition, and true happiness.

And if she has one wish for the future of the planet, it would be this:

“People [should] pay attention, look to their neighbors. I think we’ve lost so much community. I think that’s one of the things I’ve appreciated most seeing in these villages is just the sense of community, where an entire family – an entire community – takes care of each other. And we’ve really lost that. And when you lose that on a personal level, you lose that on a global level as well. But I see a lot of people really wanting to do positive things in the world. And I feel that it’s like a new generation. You can watch the news and it feels like it’s the end of the world, very apocalyptic. So I just try and find people around me who are doing positive things.”

Celebrities Listen For Disadvantaged Children

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 11:33:55 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A huge and exciting new global media campaign has kicked off to raise awareness and funds for some of the world’s most disadvantaged children.

The Listen Campaign is the result of seven years work and research, and is being supported by a host of celebrities who want the public to listen to the rights and needs of children affected by poverty, disease, natural disaster, exploitation, war, and AIDS in places such as Africa, America, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

“Listen is an annual global media campaign bringing together some of the finest creative artists in film, music, and the arts to raise awareness and funds for 200 children’s charity projects around the world, and to develop a worldwide community of supporters,” said Tony Hollingsworth, Executive Producer of the campaign.

The campaign’s website was launched in November, and contains short films made by some of the world’s biggest stars, who have spent time visiting and listening to children in need. Brooke Shields, Jessica Lange, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Natalie Portman, and Ashley Judd have all pledged their support for the campaign and are featured on the site, and Samuel L. Jackson has recorded a film about children in New Orleans.

”I had to come here for this… to listen to remarkable stories,” said Jackson, who was drawn to the project from the outset. “I don’t know how [the children] get through it. These kids shouldn’t be hungry and homeless, going to school hearing gunshots, without good schooling, getting ill from the formaldehyde leaching out of the trailer walls. That these kids are still suffering, two years after Hurricane Katrina, is a national scandal. Their voice should be a call to action.”

The campaign has set a fundraising target of $100 million for its first year, and hopes to raise over $10 billion within 10 years. Magazines, newspapers, internet, and television – in fact, every type of media available – are all going to play their part in attaining the campaign’s goal of making 500 million people a year aware of the plight of desperate children. Broadcasts will be made in over 60 countries, with two television specials set for worldwide release in June. One of these, Listen Live, will be a spectacular concert event in Los Angeles, in which major music stars will collaborate to perform one-off versions of their most famous songs, with musical direction from the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart and legendary music producer Don Was.

Over seventy of the world’s most respected charities, such as Save the Children, CARE, Christian Aid, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, (RED), and WaterAid have nominated 200 children’s projects for the campaign to benefit. All of the beneficiary projects have been pre-declared, and can be seen on the website so the public knows exactly how their donations are to be used. As a unique addition, all donors will also receive five update reports to show exactly how their money is changing the lives of children.

“Pre-declaring the projects that will be funded and then reporting back on the effect of the donor’s money is a key difference of the Listen Campaign to other major international fundraising campaigns,” said Hollingsworth. “This pre-declaration and impact reporting will build public trust, and the creative artists’ contributions will generate interest leading to a sustained community of supporters.”

To take part in the campaign, to read exclusive short stories by some of the world’s best novelists, and to donate and enter competitions, the public can register their support at www.listencharity.org.

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