Look To The Stars News: Conservation

Signed Eagles Guitars On Sale For Conservation

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:30:00 -0000

A limited number of Takamine acoustic guitars, hand-signed by the Eagles, are being made available for charity.

The guitars – signed by Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey, and Timothy B. Schmidt – will benefit the Walden Woods Project, a nonprofit group headquartered near Boston. The organization is leading the fight to preserve historic Walden Woods—the birthplace of the American conservation movement and the setting for Henry David Thoreau’s famous writings on the environment and social reform. The Walden Woods Project’s national and international programs for teachers and students are designed to provide the next generation with the education and motivation they will need to meet the global environmental challenges of the 21st century.

The instruments come in two different colors – natural and black – and are available through the Eagles website for US$2,500.

Ashanti Gets Wicked For New York Restoration

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Singer Ashanti headed up an all-star cast for a special performance of Wicked – the Broadway musical – on Monday night.

The R&B star joined Mario Cantone, Joy Behar, George Wendt and Matthew Settle for the show – which was subtitled The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken – to raise money for the New York Restoration Project.

The production featured never-before-seen scenes and songs from a rough draft of the first act of the hit musical, which has broken box office records around the world and tells the story of Elphaba – the future Wicked Witch of the West – and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.

The New York Restoration Project was founded by Bette Midler in 1995 in the belief that clean, green neighborhoods are fundamental to the quality of life, and that every community in New York City deserves an oasis of natural beauty.

Hayden Panettiere Launches Online Petition To Save Whales

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Hayden Panettiere wants you to help her stop the slaughter of whales and dolphins around the world through a new online petition.

This week marks the one year anniversary of Panettiere’s trip to Taiji, Japan, to protest the dolphin slaughtering which resulted in her arrest. Now she has launched an exclusive petition with The Whaleman Foundation on SocialVibe.com – with the hope of collecting 1 million signatures.

“As my one-year anniversary trip to Japan to save the whales nears, I have decided to go about things a little differently,“ she says on a new YouTube video. “This time around, I need everyone’s help. I am trying to gather 1,000,000 signatures on SocialVibe.com for the exclusive Whaleman Foundation petition. The goal is to stop all commercial whaling and lethal scientific research whaling by Japan, Norway, Iceland, and to enforce the current global whaling moratorium. This petition will be taken to the June 2009 meeting of The International Whaling Commission, where the petition will be personally delivered by me!

“Please take 2 minutes of your day to go to SocialVibe.com, sign up, pick Whaleman Foundation as your cause, and add SocialVibe to your MySpace, Facebook, blog, etc.

“While there please sign the Whaleman petition. That’s it. Please pass this video along to your family and friends. If we help each other out, we can do this! Thank you SO much!”

Hayden Panettiere Votes To Save The Whales

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress Hayden Panettiere led hundreds of people in a rally to form a giant human pilot whale beside the message “VOTE” in front of the U.S. Capitol building yesterday, October 26.

The event commemorated the one-year anniversary of the actress’ protest in Taiji, Japan, where she joined Australian actress Isabel Lucas and other activists in a peaceful protest 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.

“I turned 18 last year and I’m going to make my first vote count,” she said. “I am looking forward to my visit to Washington to talk to those who will be voting in the upcoming election, to stress the importance of knowing where the candidates stand on the issues that are most important to them, and to be sure that come November 4th, they will actually go out and vote to ensure that their voices are heard.”

Although the US has always been at the forefront of anti-whaling campaigns, its leadership on whale issues has significantly declined in recent years. The American appointed to be chairman of the International Whaling Commission – William Hogarth – has recently announced he is negotiating a deal that could allow for an IWC-sanctioned resumption of commercial whaling.

“The fact the U.S. is leading this process is outrageous!” said Jeff Pantukhoff, president and founder of The Whaleman Foundation and executive director of the Save The Whales Again campaign. “Recent polls show that over 75 percent of registered voters oppose whaling, and over two-thirds want our government to do something about it; yet to this point, the Bush administration has done little to stop the increasing slaughter and is now actively leading efforts that could result in a legalized return to commercial whaling.”

Yesterday’s event followed Panettiere’s appearance at American University on Saturday evening to talk with students at an event sponsored by the university’s Women and Politics Institute.

Get Your Hands On A Celebrity-Designed Chumby

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fancy a new chumby personalized by one of your favorite stars?

For those of you unfamiliar with the wonderful world of the chumby, let us explain what they are. A chumby media player lets users select their favorite parts of the Internet and delivers them in a new kind of format. Over 1,000 widgets in 30 different categories – ranging from news and entertainment to videos, music, sports and more – are available from high profile media partners such as CBS, MTV Networks, MySpace, New York Times, Pandora, The Weather Channel Interactive, AOL’s SHOUTcast and Scripps Networks.

And now stars like Hayden Panettiere and Kim Kardashian have designed chumbies of their own for a new online charity auction. Along with Isabel Lucas, Survivor and Surreal Life star Jerri Manthey, actress Meredith Salenger, Carlos Alazraqui of Reno 911, and the bands Blind Melon and Duke Spirit, the stars have put their own personal touches to chumbies to benefit the Dream Foundation and The Whaleman Foundation.

“Chumby is all about personalization – from the design of the device itself to the content that plays on our interactive media players,” said Stephen Tomlin, CEO of chumby. “We are delighted to give fans the chance to bid on one-of-a-kind chumby players from their favorite celebrity.”

The auction – which runs until November 3 – can be accessed through eBay Giving Works.

Damien Hirst Doodles For MRI Scanner

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British artist Damien Hirst has donated three sketches to a charity auction to raise money for the New Manchester Children’s Hospital.

The drawings – which are expected to raise US$3,500 each – feature a shark, a skull, and a butterfly. They will be auctioned at the Buy Art Fair, to be held at Manchester’s Urbis centre from Thursday to Sunday, and will raise money for the Five Stars Scanner Appeal – a campaign aiming to raise US$1.7 million for an MRI scanner for the hospital.

Boxer Ricky Hatton and Rocky Horror Picture Show creator Richard O’Brien have also donated drawings and doodles to be auctioned.

In February, the 42-year-old artist organized a Valentine’s Day auction of more than 60 works of art to raise funds for Bono’s (RED) charity that made over $42.6 million. He regularly donates artworks to help charities such as ARK, War Child, the Dorset Wildlife Trust, the Great Ormond Street Hospital and many others.

The Dandy Warhols Release Charity Project

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Dandy Warhols are releasing a collaborative project called Breathe Easy on October 21, with all the profits going to the Three Rivers Land Conservancy.

The Portland based rockers recorded the album at their Odditorium Studios with indie bands such as the Raveonettes, the Black Angels, J Mascis, Saul Williams, Spoon’s Britt Daniel and Midnight Movies.

The album will be released digitally at selected sites that will be announced on the band’s website.

The Three Rivers Land Conservancy is a non-profit organization that works to conserve and preserve land by the Clackamas, Tualatin, and lower Willamette Rivers against urbanization. The Dandy Warhols and the Three Rivers Land Conservancy believe that conserving land and protecting against errant urbanization creates stronger healthier communities now and for future generations. Through consumer purchases and corporate contributions, the initial goal is to save 10,000 acres of Oregon’s natural habitat.

Check www.dandywarhols.com for more information.

Want to write for us, or help with our research? Find out more about contributing.

Stars Design Christmas Trees To Keep America Beautiful

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0000

From October 15 through December 5, Smith & Hawken is holding an online auction of Christmas trees designed by actresses Julianne Moore, Brooke Shields, Angie Harmon and celebrity couple Eva Longoria Parker and Tony Parker to benefit Keep America Beautiful (KAB).

Garden specialists Smith & Hawken have joined forces with celebrity stylist Robert Verdi, who worked closely with each celebrity to come up with their own individual designs using Smith & Hawken ornaments, garlands, light strings and garden gear.

“Every celebrity that I called to participate in this fundraiser for Keep America Beautiful immediately said ‘yes’,” stated Verdi. “The holidays are filled with unique traditions, celebrations and memories. Each one of these tree designs captures the essence of holiday warmth and the love of time spent with family and friends.”

“This is such a great concept for a fundraiser, and with the A-list stars supporting it, Keep America Beautiful couldn’t be more thrilled to be the chosen beneficiary,” said Matthew M. McKenna, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “The funds generated by this auction will help us in fulfilling our grassroots mission to build cleaner, greener, stronger communities nationwide.”

To participate in the auction beginning October 15, bidders can visit CharityBuzz.com, pick their favorite tree and click on the “BID NOW” button. The auction winners will receive their trees in time for the holidays.

The tree designed by Brooke Shields will be on display in the Smith & Hawken store in Beverly Hills (370 N. Canon Dr), the Angie Harmon designed tree will be in the Mill Valley store (800 Redwood Hwy), and the Julianne Moore designed tree will be at Robert Verdi’s Luxe Laboratory from October 15 until the end of the auction. The Eva Longoria Parker and Tony Parker tree will be in the new Smith & Hawken store opening in San Antonio on October 21. A listing of all products used on each tree will also be viewable online, so consumers can “get the look” of their favorite celebrity-designed tree.

KAB follows a practical approach that unites citizens, businesses and government to find solutions that advance the core issues of preventing litter, reducing waste, and beautifying public spaces. For more information, visit www.kab.org.

Jewel Supports Agricultural Future

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Fall signals harvest season across the US. This year it also marks the kick-off of a national campaign to help support the future of American farming.

Campbell Soup Company is partnering with the National FFA Organization and Grammy-nominee Jewel to help raise awareness of the importance of supporting the future of American agriculture – the nation’s largest employer. Through the “Help Grow Your Soup” campaign, Campbell will donate $250,000 to champion FFA efforts, which encourage America’s youth to participate in agriculture education programs where they learn about the production of food, fiber and natural resources.

Singer/songwriter Jewel, who grew up on a homestead in Alaska and now lives on a working ranch in Texas, says growing up on a farm helped her appreciate the important role farming plays in ensuring families have good, quality food on their tables.

“Most people don’t realize that the American farm is one of our most precious national resources,” said Jewel. “As a singer, I travel the world and experience new and exciting traditions. Yet to me, American farming continues to be one of the most valuable. As someone who has deep roots on the farm, I’m proud to support the future of agriculture across America.”

Beginning September 29, 2008, consumers can visit www.HelpGrowYourSoup.com and for each click on the red barn, Campbell will donate $1 (up to $250,000) to the National FFA Organization to support its educational and sustainability efforts, as well as preserve several barns across the country. The National FFA Alumni Association will spearhead the barn preservation effort, which also will provide a memorable educational opportunity for high school-age FFA members who will assist.

“FFA has been nurturing our country’s agricultural leaders for more than 80 years, making it possible for Americans to enjoy high-quality foods that are safe and affordable,” said National FFA President Zach Kinney. “It’s critical to prepare future generations for the competitive global marketplace, and it’s only with the support from friends like Campbell Soup Company that we will help ensure a strong future for American farming.”

Waterston and Madigan Support National Parks

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Sam Waterston and Amy Madigan and are the newest advocates for America’s national parks.

The actors generously donated their time and talent to record radio public service ads for the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association. The ads, launched in late August, encourage the public to sign a petition to the next president and Congress, seeking their support for national parks.

In previous years, celebrities Morgan Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Dreyfuss, Walter Cronkite, and Cristina Saralegui have recorded public service announcements for the organization’s efforts to protect national parks.

Founded in 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (www.npca.org) is the leading voice of the American people in protecting and enhancing our National Park System. NPCA, its 340,000 members, and partners work together to protect the park system and preserve our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for our children and grandchildren.

Signed Indiana Jones Items Up For Grabs In Canada

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Harrison Ford has signed some special items for a new charity auction in Canada.

The 66-year-old star of Indiana Jones has given bidders the rare opportunity to make an offer on autographed items to raise funds for Earthwise Gardens’ Eco Tours, an initiative that promotes environmental awareness through public education and community involvement in the town of Tsawwassen, British Columbia.

“We have an autographed poster from the current Indiana Jones movie [Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull] and an autographed Raiders of the Lost Ark DVD on their way from L.A.,” said Ana Arciniega, executive director of the Tsawwassen Business Improvement Association executive director.

And the opportunity really is very rare indeed. He is a very private person and not easily reached, but a local movie director with Hollywood connections helped arrange the coup.

“Harrison Ford likes to support conservation projects and Earthwise Gardens’ Eco Tours is a grass roots program, so it was a perfect fit,” said Arciniega.

The Earthwise program is a hands-on environmental education program for school aged children in the areas of habitat and water conservation, pollution prevention and climate change, whose mission is to cultivate sustainable communities through environmental education and stewardship.

The auction is due to start this weekend, and more information will come available at www.shoptsawwassen.

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.

Sigourney Weaver Awards Outstanding Women In Conservation

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Actress and environmentalist Sigourney Weaver played Master of Ceremonies last month at the Audubon Society’s annual Women In Conservation award luncheon in New York.

Among the recipients of Audubon’s Rachel Carson Award was Bette Midler for her extraordinary contribution to conservation and the environment.

Specifically, Midler was being recognized for her New York Restoration Project (NYRP), which she founded in 1995 as a response to her initial disappointment to the visual pollution when she first moved to New York City.

In an interview with Good Housekeeping Magazine, Midler said, “I was so upset, I didn’t sleep for weeks… I’m not used to the kind of carelessness and waste that I was seeing. People were throwing their garbage out the window, leaving their lunches on the ground. Finally, I realized I needed to actually do something, even if I had to pick up the stuff with my own hands.”

In the belief that “clean, green neighborhoods are fundamental to the quality of life and that every community in New York City deserves an oasis of natural beauty,” NYRP accomplishments over the past decade include: the establishment of dozens of gardens and saving others from development; the creation of a park out of a dumping ground and raising millions of dollars to restore and develop under-resourced parks; the removal of nearly 1000 tons of garbage and debris from project sites and cleaning up over 400 acres; funding economic redevelopment of waterfront; and, last Fall, the planting of the first of a million more trees in the city.

The Audubon Society, founded over a century ago, recognizes women who show such leadership, energy and endurance with the Rachel Carson Award. Carson was an environmental maverick in her own right, who contributed to the movement in the early 60s when she proved that toxic chemicals used in agriculture were lethal to wildlife and humans alike.

Daryl Hannah - Saving The Oceans And Their Treasures

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:38:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Passionate about the environment, actress Daryl Hannah is lending her voice and talents to various projects.

Her latest effort is a role in the TV movie Shark Swarm, where her character fights a real estate developer who, in an effort to starve out seaside property owners unwilling to sell, poisons the waters with toxic sludge to kill the fish and unwittingly turns local shark populations into deadly predators who hunt humans in packs.

In an interview with New York Vue, Hannah said she hoped the film would “bring attention to sharks and the terrible things that are happening to them.” Besides warming waters and pollution, sharks must also contend with wasteful fishing practices: “They cut off the fins and throw [the live shark] back in the ocean.”

She also narrated Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Dolphins and Whales 3D, in theatres since February. The film brings the elusive ‘tribes of the oceans” to the big screen, allowing viewers to practically reach out and touch them and become personally involved in their underwater lives, “interacting socially, communicating through their highly complex system of sounds, playing, feeding, breeding, migrating and perpetually fighting for their survival.”

Hannah is also heavily involved with the Reef Check Foundation, an organization dedicated to conserving and restoring tropical coral reefs and California rocky reefs by creating partnerships between businesses, universities, government agencies and volunteers.

Due to pollution, illegal fishing, and over-fishing, reefs have been in crisis for over a decade. Reef Check studies have shown that “there is virtually no reef in the world that remained untouched by human impact.”

“Unfortunately, there isn’t enough being done to protect the ocean,” Hannah told Diver Magazine. “It doesn’t factor as large as it should in the climate crisis debate.”

“If reefs are in trouble, so are we,” said Dr Earle, former Chief Scientist of the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. “I think what Reef Check is doing is phenomenal: inspiring and motivating scientists, volunteers and the general public to take care of our ocean.”

Through Reef Check community’s data gathering, partnerships, and management through sustainable use, however, there is clear evidence that rehabilitation of reefs is possible.

Harrison Ford Gets In Behind Tiger Initiative

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:36:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Hollywood giants Harrison Ford, Bo Derek, and Robert Duvall attended an event yesterday to throw their support behind a new global initiative by the World Bank to save tigers from extinction.

The event, held at Washington’s Smithsonian National Zoo, launched the global development agency’s new Tiger Conservation Initiative, a program that will bring together scientists and governments to try to halt the killing and illegal trade in tiger skins, meat and body parts used in traditional Asian medicines.

“I’m here to celebrate the World Bank’s plan to form a global alliance of conservation partners, to work with the tiger range nations in order to secure a future for these magnificent creatures,” said Ford, Indiana Jones star and environmental warrior. “By committing to help wild tigers, the World Bank is sounding its intention to be a global leader in biodiversity conservation.”

The initiative will focus on 13 countries where tiger poaching threatens remaining populations in the wild: Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, China, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Indonesia, India, Russia and Vietnam. World Bank President Robert Zoellick said the decline in the number of tigers was “shocking” – from over 100,000 a century ago to currently less than 4,000.

The program will work with local populations to ensure the species is conserved, and the World Bank will hold a series of discussions with countries, conservationists and the private sector to initiate funding for tiger conservation, and launch studies on how better to protect the cats.

Actress Bo Derek, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s Special Envoy for Wildlife Trafficking, said she will focus her efforts on public awareness of the problem.

“It was very embarrassing for me to find out that the U.S. is number 2 in consuming endangered wildlife,” said the 51-year-old. “I travel often, and so many times someone will tell you ‘you can buy this, it’s made of tortoiseshell, but it’s a safe tortoiseshell. It’s not endangered.’ I think education and awareness is critical.”

Robert Duvall also voiced his concerns.

“I’ve always thought they might be the single most beautiful animal in the world,” Duvall told CNN, adding that “people hunt them like crazy. They’re wacko when it comes to shooting things.”

The World Bank is planning to host a “Year of the Tiger” summit in 2010 to provide a forum for those involved in tiger conservation to review the status of the wild tigers and their habitant.

Harrelson, Hayek Play For Charity In Cannes

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

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Competitors Alice Taglioni and Woody Harrelson came out on top at the Partouche Charity Poker Festival on May 17th in Cannes. The two fought it out at the tables until 1 AM before conceding that they were both winners, and agreeing to split the $1 million pot between their chosen charities.

Taglioni’s $500,000 will go to the French association Enfants et santé, which helps children affected by leukemia and other diseases, while Harrelson’s winnings are going to Oasis Preserve International, an ecological charity acting for the worldwide ecosystem preservation.

Eliminated players will also receive checks for their charities of choice. Goldie Hawn was playing for the The Hawn Foundation, Salma Hayek played for her Salma Hayek Foundation, Edward Norton was hoping to win for the National Landscape Conservation Foundation, Tim Robbins was in for The Actors Gang, Dennis Hopper attended for the Center For American Progress and Adrien Brody did not disclose his charity.

After the game, all players were interviewed by Sogimage camera teams and invited to comment on their experience. The resulting show will be broadcast all around the world, presenting the highlights of the tournament, as well as their glamorous arrivals at the Palm Beach Casino and interviews.

Dinner With Erykah On Auction At Museum Fundraiser

Tue, 06 May 2008 10:09:44 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Grammy-winner Erykah Badu has put herself up on the auction block to help raise funds for the African American Museum in Dallas. The 23rd annual African American Museum Gala and Auction, taking place May 10th, is the museum’s top fundraiser, helping to provide a home for African-American art and a venue for historical exhibits pertaining to African-American culture.

Funk group Lakeside will be entertaining the guests at this year’s event, and a silent auction will be held alongside the live one. The winner of the Badu lot will dine with the R&B/soul singer at Al Biernat’s in Dallas.

Dr. Harry Robinson founded the African American Museum in 1974. The museum is home to decorative arts, Sepia magazine’s photo archive and the Freedman’s Cemetery exhibit, as well as the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame, an 11-year-old foundation that annually recognizes athletes and coaches.

For more information on this black-tie event, visit the museum’s website at www.aamdallas.org.

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.

Bono's Fishy T-Shirt Benefits African Farmers

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:41:01 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Bono has designed a new T-shirt for charity, joining a host of other celebrities in an on-going and major charity campaign.

The 47-year-old singer from U2 is the 25th artist to design a shirt for Hard Rock Café’s Signature Series clothing line, an initiative started in 1990 as a way for musicians to raise money for charities of their choice. Sales from the shirts have raised over $6 million for a variety of causes.

Bono’s creation, available for $26 from the Hard Rock website, features his stylized drawing of a fish soaring past the moon, and is adorned with the words “Fish Can Fly”, as well as his signature. 15% of the proceeds will go to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Conservation Cotton initiative – a scheme designed to lift African farmers out of poverty by providing education on proper land management, organic cotton growing techniques, and wildlife conservation. The shirts will also support the trade for aid ethos of EDUN, the conscious consumerism fashion label founded by Bono and his wife in 2005, by being made from 100% African cotton and manufactured by African garment workers.

Other artists to have designed shirts for the initiative in the past include Green Day, who raised money for Amnesty International’s Campaign To Save Darfur, Shakira who chose to benefit Pies Descalzos, Ozzy Osbourne for the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program, Bruce Springsteen for World Hunger Year, Eric Clapton for the Crossroads Centre, Peter Gabriel for Witness, Sting and Elton John for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Michael Stipe for Artists for a New South Africa, Don Henley for the Walden Woods Project, John Mellencamp for the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation, and Stevie Nicks for the Special Olympics. Carlos Santana and Aerosmith have also contributed designs. Many of these shirts are still available from the Hard Rock website.

Bono’s “Fish Can Fly” is more than just a phrase – it is a message that tomorrow can be better than today.

Don Henley Gets To The Heart Of The Matter

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:28:52 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The music of the Eagles is many things to many people, reminding some of their youth, and others of the canyons and deserts that make up the wild, untouched areas of America. And now fans have the chance to own a piece of music history, with the proceeds going to save the wide open areas the band’s songs represent.

Until December 31, the Eagles are offering hand-signed Takamine guitars to benefit the Walden Woods Project, an organization that is leading the fight to preserve a historic area of forest, generally regarded as being the birthplace of the American conservation movement.

The project was founded by Eagles drummer and six time Grammy winner, Don Henley, in 1990 to protect the Walden Woods area in Massachusetts from development. He spent much of his own money on buying tracts of land and making the area into a nature reserve. The area served as the inspiration for the writings of 19th Century philosopher, Henry David Thoreau, and also guided the creation of the US National Parks system. The project seeks to preserve the area, and also offers a variety of environmental programs for students and teachers. The organization recently launched an international initiative in which students from the US and abroad can take part in environmental discussions, and also mentors them in undertaking stewardship projects in their own communities.

“It has protected nearly 140 acres of land surrounding Walden Pond,” said Henley, referring to the project in Philanthropy Magazine. “About 65 percent of Walden Woods’ 2,680 acres is now permanently in conservation, but other historically significant and environmentally sensitive tracts are in urgent need of protection.”

The founding of the Walden Woods project led Henley to establish the Caddo Lake Institute in 1993, to underwrite ecological education and research around Caddo Lake, an area in north-east Texas, close to the Louisiana border. Caddo Lake, well known for its exceptional wildlife, fishing, and bird diversity, is one of the best examples in the southern US of a mature Bald Cypress forest, and the Institute aims to protect the area for all time from developers.

“Caddo Lake, like so many other ecosystems around the world, is in trouble. The health of Caddo’s intricate system of wetlands is in jeopardy. We, as humans, need to reformulate our definition of ‘community’ to include all of the natural world rather than just humankind. We need to focus on the small details in order to gain perspective on the bigger picture. Our natural resources, besides having enormous recreational and spiritual value, form the basis of our entire economy. The exploitation of those resources is key to our standard of living, but we’re not doing it wisely. We are using up our natural capital, especially water, faster than nature can replace it. This is why we emphasize the concept of sustainability at the Caddo Lake Institute.”

Henley says he first became an environmental activist in the 1970s, “That was part and parcel of being in a band back then. The activism of some of my peers, including Neil Young, Jackson Browne, and Bonnie Raitt, was a big influence on me.”

His first benefit concert was for the Chumash Indians, a tribe native to Southern California. Gradually, he became more involved in the environmental issues the tribe represented, and soon started to concentrate on other areas of concern. His first real effort at doing something active came in 1982 with the establishment of Mulholland Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Santa Monica Mountains and foothills near Los Angeles. Since then he has been involved with a myriad of benefit concerts for the environment, often joining Sting and Billy Joel on stage.

“It’s about passion,” explained the singer. “Passion for building communities – at both the local and global levels. Nature is a part of my spiritual life. When I see nature, I see a divinity that sustains my heart and soul. Nature is a divine force in the universe.”

In 2000, Henley co-founded the Recording Artists Coalition with Sheryl Crow, to protect musicians’ rights against common music industry practices, and in this role testified before the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary in 2001, and the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in 2003. In 2005, his wife, Sharon Summerall, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and the couple is now actively involved with organizations that assist with treatment for the disease.

In 2007, Henley was made MusiCares Person of the Year for his commitment to conservation, and raised over $85,000 for the charity by auctioning hand written lyrics to his songs, as well as other memorabilia from his career.

But the singer still wishes he could do more to save the natural heart of the country he loves.

“I have an abiding sense of awe and curiosity about the world – and I care deeply about the future of it,” he said. “I don’t put a lot of thought into whether or not I am a role model for other people’s actions. My parents taught me that if something needed doing, you get up and do it. I’ve had a great deal of help with the Walden Woods Project, not only from friends and colleagues, but from people I hardly know. I do not like to ask for help and I really have an aversion to asking for money. I wish I had the resources to do all that I want to do – to do everything that needs doing.”

The signed Eagles guitars are only available from www.samsclub.com for $2,500 each.

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