Look To The Stars News: Education

Win A Water Filtration Device To Celebrate Charity Climb

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0000

In January, Jessica Biel and Isabel Lucas will be among a group of celebrities as they set off to climb the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, to raise awareness of the importance of safe drinking water. And to celebrate, Look To The Stars will give away a PUR water filtration system to one lucky reader.

The stars will be joined by Ethiopian singer Kenna and rapper Lupe Fiasco, and the Summit On The Summit expedition will raise money and awareness for the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and PlayPumps International.

“My dad almost died as a child from waterborne diseases in Ethiopia, and he had talked to me about digging a well there, and I thought, ’I have too many friends who would be concerned with the subject of clean water,” said Kenna. “Maybe I can help out.’”

And it is a challenge Lupe Fiasco is looking forward to: “I’m an adventure junkie. Part of the motivation is beating Kenna to the top. Sabotaging his tent, taking the lining out of his coat, lacing it with ants or something like that. [The water crisis in Africa] is a universal problem; it’s all mounting to the point where eventually there’s no clean water left. If I did a song, it would be jam-packed with so much information, it would almost be like we fit the substance of an entire interview in three and a half minutes.”

Dr. Greg Allgood, Founder and Director of the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program (CSDW), will be joining the climb as the water issues expert, educating the climbers on the global water crisis and what is being done to help. PUR Water Filtration Specialists is sponsoring this initiative and, for every PUR system purchase, one week of clean drinking water is provided to children in the developing world through the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program: which has, to date, provided over 1.8 billion liters of clean water worldwide. You can also sponsor a foot of the climb – $2.00 provides 200 liters of clean drinking water for those in need, and $10 will provide a clean water solution for a child for 1.5 years.

The CSDW program distributes small, easy-to-use PUR packets of powdered mixture that remove impurities found in contaminated drinking water. Click HERE to see a demonstration. Through the use of these packets PUR has provided 1.8 billion liters of clean water to those in developing countries and at the 2009 Clinton Global Initiative made a new commitment to provide 4 billion liters by 2012. This will prevent an estimated 160 million days of diarrheal illness and save an estimated 20,000 lives.

Look To The Stars is giving away a PUR Filtration System to one lucky reader. All you have to do is name one of the celebrities taking part in the Summit On The Summit event. Email the answer, as well as your full name and address (including your country), to contests@looktothestars.org by Tuesday, December 1 and we’ll put you in the draw.

Jumpstart Sets New Charity Record For Reading

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record 2009 campaign officially set a new record for the world’s largest shared reading experience. On Oct. 8th, adults across the globe read Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar to 2,019,752 children! This year’s campaign shattered the previous record of 688,000, set by Jumpstart’s Read for the Record 2008.

Presented in partnership with sponsor and founding partner Pearson, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is a celebration of reading and community service created to raise awareness about how important reading with young children is to developing crucial early language and literacy skills for success in school and in life. This year’s campaign donated more than 275,000 books and raised more than $1.4 million to support Jumpstart’s year-long work with preschool children. Donations are still being accepted at www.readfortherecord.org/donate.

Congress officially declared October 8, 2009 as Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Day and celebrities, governors, first ladies, members of Congress, mayors, and business, philanthropic and community leaders joined the campaign in major cities including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

The record-breaking day’s events kicked off on NBC’s TODAY Show with hosts Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira, Jumpstart President James Cleveland, and Bill Barke, Jumpstart Board Member and CEO, Pearson’s Higher Ed Arts & Sciences Group, as well as celebrity readers including campaign spokesperson Mary-Louise Parker, Tiki Barber, Justin Bieber, Jenna Bush Hager, Giada de Laurentiis, Sonia Manzano, Madison Pettis, Jennifer Stone, Vince Vaughn and The Very Hungry Caterpillar author Eric Carle.

In Los Angeles 100 children were joined by Lo Bosworth of MTV’s The Hills, Actor Henry Winkler, Emily Osment of Disney’s Hannah Montana, and Bill Nye the Science Guy to read. Others at the event included Beth Wray, President, Pearson Learning Teams and Superintendent Dr. Darline Robles, LA County Office of Education.

Look To The Stars attended a special reading in New York by Nelly Furtado. We were also lucky enough to interview Lo Bosworth about her involvement with Jumpstart.

Jumpstart was founded in 1993 at Yale University at the intersection of two national trends: the public need for quality early childhood programs and the emerging national service movement recruiting thousands of college students to community service. During the first year of the program, 15 college students worked one-to-one with 15 preschoolers at New Haven Head Start.

Victoria Beckham Teaches Son To Save The Children

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Ashley Parker

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and 10-year old son Brooklyn took a two-day trip to Clay County, Kentucky, on behalf of Save the Children this week.

Beckham is speaking out about childhood poverty after visiting some of the poorest children in America. She said the visit showed her the need for all children to have an equal start in life.

Clay County has a mean income of just under $20,000 per household, which makes it the poorest area in America.

Beckham taught kids how to play football, read books to them, and passed out free Adidas sneakers and backpacks. She also went to several homes to talk to parents about nutrition and education.

Brooklyn learned how important it is for his generation to help. Beckham said, “I’m pleased Brooklyn is learning that, by helping and joining other children, he can play a role in making his generation the greatest yet.”

Gwyneth Paltrow And Famous Friends Hold Charity Sale

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British store Selfridges hosted a celebrity garage sale for charity in London during the weekend.

Items were donated by Gwyneth Paltrow, Little Britain star David Walliams, TV presenter Denise van Outen, Lily Allen, Davina McCall, members of the All Saints, Jodie Kidd and many more, with proceeds going to Mothers4Children, a charity dedicated to harnessing the compassion of women to create a powerful and enduring platform for change. Established by model and actress Lisa B, the foundation has trustees such as Yasmin Le Bon, Trinny Woodall, Anya Hindmarch and Natalie Massenet, and raises money for charities such as Kids Company and the Foundation for the Relief of Disabled Orphans.

Thousands of people turned out for the event, which featured 45 stalls – many of which were managed by the stars themselves.

Rainn Wilson Steps Out Of The Office For Charity

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Ashley Parker

When he’s not on set of NBC’s “The Office,” Rainn Wilson spends some of his time supporting the Mona Foundation.

The Kirkland-based charity helps women and children around the world. The foundation is currently working in 15 different countries.

He said, “It finds schools and orphanages and institutes that are already working, that are founded on a grassroots level in these different countries whether it’s the Amazon, Panama, Tanzania or Haiti, then provides the financial support to grow in an organic way.”

Wilson recently returned from a trip to Haiti, where the charity provides financial support to a school and its students outside Port au Prince.

Jackie Chan Takes Part In Operation Smile Surgery

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Last week brought news of Jackie Chan’s participation in a charity event in Vietnam for Operation Smile. Now we’ve learned that he assisted in an actual Operation Smile surgery at the Vietnam-Cuba Hospital in Hanoi.

The star is an ambassador for Operation Smile, an organization that helps children with cleft palates and other deformities.

Chan spent an hour helping with the surgery, and said he felt as tired as though he’d done martial arts for an extended period of time. The surgery was carried out on Quy Thien Tran, a 6-month-old boy with a primary cleft. Vietnamese singer My Tam and model Hi Anh also observed the surgery.

According to an Operation Smile spokesperson: “When the surgery was over, team members said there was barely a dry eye in the house as Chan carried the child back to his mother. Chan said the next morning that he couldn’t sleep and was awake until 3 a.m. emailing his friends about how much the experience of helping change a child’s life had impacted him.”

The star also talked about his fear of needles, and he had to turn away every time an injection was given to the patient!

The star is currently visiting Asian countries on a mission of charity, and has been raising awareness of his Dragon’s Heart Charity in China and visiting Typhoon victims in Taiwan.

During the weekend, Chan visited the Singapore Tongji Hospital and became a Goodwill Ambassador. This week he heads to Thailand and Cambodia to be a keynote speaker at the International Peace Foundation’s “Bridges: Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace.”

Jennifer Aniston And Courteney Cox Join Up For The Congo

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Ashley Parker

“Friends” co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox have teamed up to head a campaign to fight for women’s rights in the Congo.

They are supporting OmniPeace, an humanitarian fashion brand, which aims to stop violence against women in Congo. Mary Fanaro, the woman who runs the fashion brand, is a friend to both Aniston and Cox.

Cox said, “OmniPeace was created to give back. I can’t think of a better way to support my best friend and all the work that she and OmniPeace do to donate to causes supporting peace, education, human rights and the end of extreme poverty by 2025. Mary’s passion is so contagious and wonderful. It has taught me that anything is possible with enough perseverance and tenacity.”

Aniston and Cox are urging technology fans in the United States and Europe not to buy electronics that contain materials sourced from “conflict mines.” The industry is at the center of violent fighting.

The two women joined Sheryl Crow earlier in the year to raise awareness for the charity. As of now, they’re bringing a new campaign to the attention of Hillary Clinton.

NYC Marathon Attracts Celebrities For Charity

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Regina Walton

The NYC Marathon took place last Sunday, and what a race! The NYC Marathon is one of the most difficult marathon courses around. However, that didn’t stop a long list of celebrities, athletes and even royalty from training and putting on their running shoes to benefit a long list of charities.

If we talked about them all, this article would be encyclopedic. To remedy that, here is the link to the NYC Marathon’s Famous Faces 2009 webpage which notes them all.

However, let’s talk about 10 of them. That’s a nice round number that captures both the breadth and diversity of charities represented in last week’s race.

Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winning actor Edward Norton ran for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. What’s interesting is he didn’t run the race alone: he ran with a group of 30. This group included other celebrities and several Maasai warriors. In addition, Norton has been promoting awareness of this charity via his Twitter stream. Seven-time Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette also ran to benefit the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, as did illusionist extraordinaire David Blaine, who ran 26.2 miles for the Trust.

 ER actor Anthony Edwards also ran the marathon. Edwards is the chairman of Shoe4Africa. He ran to raise funds for the new hospital in Kenya that Shoe4Africa will fund.

Model, actress, editor and author Veronica Webb ran to raise money for the Harlem United Community AIDS Center.

Robert Herjavec, a successful businessman and one of the sharks on ABC’s reality TV show “Shark Tank”, ran to raise funds for Team for Kids.

British TV personality, model and pop star Michelle Heaton ran to help Autism Action, a UK charity.  

Speedskating Olympic gold medalist Dan Jansen ran for ING Run for Something Better team. Pro-hockey player Pat LaFontaine also ran to benefit the ING Run for Something Better team.

Prince of the Netherlands and excutive, Prince Pieter Christiaan Michiel, ran to raise money for the WWF.

Be sure to click over to the Famous Faces 2009 site to read about the other celebrity participants and their charities. It’s simply inspiring to see so many notable people out there to help those less fortunate.

The Duchess Of Cornwall Honors Brooke Fundraiser

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

The Duchess of Cornwall, president of the Brooke animal welfare charity, has recognised a UK teenager, Emily Hanstock, for raising £3,000 pounds to help suffering horses, donkeys and mules in foreign lands, according to The Press Association.

Dorothy Brooke, the organisation’s founder, set up an equine hospital in 1934 – called Old War Horse Memorial Hospital – to address the appalling condition of ex-WWI British horses, emaciated and mistreated on the streets of Cairo. The Duchess recalled her cavalry officer father voicing similar anxieties for the horses being taken to Egypt.

Today, Brooke supports clinics caring for over half a million horses per year and training owners in the poorest parts of Asia, Africa, Central and South America and the Middle East. In communities where people earn less than a dollar a day, these animals are vital to the survival of many families.

Jackie Chan Busy With Charity Work In China And Taiwan

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Action star Jackie Chan has been busy with charity work lately.

Last week, the star hosted a charity concert at the Tangshan Stadium to benefit his Dragon’s Heart Charity, which helps Chinese students in poverty-stricken areas. The concert included a screening of Three Dreams, a film that shows the actor’s charity work and achievements.

During the three and a half hour show, Chan spoke of his desire for people to love and respect each other despite the boundaries of race, religion, or nationality. He also presented a check for $800,000 to the charity.

The following morning saw the star at the groundbreaking ceremony for a brand new Dragon’s Heart School in Hebei Province’s Luannan County.

On Friday, Chan attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of a new shop for Roger Dubuis Watches, who donated US $540,000 to the Dragons Heart Foundation.

The weekend saw Jackie arrive in Taiwan, where he is visiting victims of the recent Typhoon. The actor donated $1.5 million to victims immediately after the disaster and recorded this PSA asking for aid.

Glenn Close Is Removing The Shame That Shadows Mental Illness

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

In an effort to bring mental illness into everyday dialogue, Glenn Close co-created the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign and, with the help of director Ron Howard, created a public service announcement pointing out how common such illnesses really are.

The first problem about awareness, even though one in six adults suffer from one form or another, is that mental illness is invisible. The other problem is the stigma attached to it.

“I think a lot of people will find that it’s kind of a relief to simply acknowledge that mental health issues are something every family deals with,” says Howard, “and yet it clearly does still remain stigmatized.”

The stigma is so powerful that it causes many sufferers of illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and post traumatic stress disorder to go undiagnosed, and therefore remain without the help that is available to them. Close’s sister, Jessie, whose bipolar disorder was not diagnosed until she was 47, sees it as very damaging: “We face a stigma that can be as painful as the disease itself.”

Often the result of ignorance, stigma can simply come from not knowing what to say, not knowing what to do, or not even knowing if someone is afflicted, and that’s what Close is addressing through the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign. She wants people to get past the fear and get on with the treatment.

“Change a mind about mental illness and you can change a life,” says Close. “It’s just the beginning. Words are very powerful.”

Fergie Headlines Avon Foundation For Women Gala

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0000

The ninth annual Avon Foundation for Women Gala on October 27 honored exceptional women and men for their efforts fighting breast cancer and domestic violence at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

The event was hosted by award winning actress and Avon Honorary Chair Reese Witherspoon with a special musical performance by Fergie.

More than 550 guests attended the event and raised $2 million to benefit breast cancer research and access to care and domestic violence education, prevention and victim support programs.

Along with Reese Witherspoon and Andrea Jung, presenters included Patrick Dempsey, Courteney Cox, Lauren Conrad and Suze Orman.

Jennifer Garner Makes Time For CHANGE

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Jennifer Garner is the new spokesperson for Save the Children’s Make Time For CHANGE campaign.

The charity’s CHANGE program (Creating Healthy, Active, and Nurturing Growing-up Environments) has teamed up with Frigidaire to donate $1 to every pledge made on the official website to raise funds to help at-risk children in need in the United States.

“I grew up in West Virginia, which is a state that has struggled a lot,” Garner told PEOPLE.com. “It needs so badly the exact kind of support that Save the Children offers, which is helping kids perform better in school … because they are healthier and not worrying about food.”

For more than 75 years, Save the Children has been helping children survive and thrive by focusing on early childhood education, literacy and physical activity and nutrition programs.

Save the Children created the CHANGE program (Creating Healthy, Active, and Nurturing Growing-up Environments) to promote healthier lifestyles for children living in poverty by providing nutritious snacks and regular opportunities for children to be physically active.

“The main realization that I had is that every mom wants the best for their kid,” she says. “Some of us may have more opportunities with time or financial cushions than others so it’s important that we just spend a minute of our time to help other kids in our own country.”

To make a pledge or find out more, visit the official website here.

Emily Deschanel To Hold Q&A For Charity

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:30:00 -0000

The Screen Actors Guild will present a special screening of the hit TV show Bones in Los Angeles tonight, followed by a Q&A session with actress Emily Deschanel.

An actress with talent and poise, Emily Deschanel has built an impressive list of credits in her career, challenging herself with each new role.
 
An animal rights activist passionately involved with the charity Farm Sanctuary, Dechanel works to end cruelty to farm animals and promotes compassionate living through rescue, education and advocacy. She is also involved with The Humane Society and Women for Women International.  Deschanel was born in Los Angeles and received her B.F.A. in Theater from Boston University.

The Screen Actors Guild encourages interest in acting and improving the acting skills of interested persons though educational seminars, workshops, tapes and films.

This event starts at 7pm tonight, October 27, at the SAG Foundation Actors Center at 5757 Wilshire Avenue. For more information, click here.

Charitable Celebrities To Receive 21st Century Leaders Awards

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Celebrities will be out in abundance in Doha, Qatar, next week for the Whatever It Takes Experience presented by 21st Century Leaders and Whatever It Takes.

As well as a private art experience and gala dinner, several stars will be honored with 21st Century Leaders Awards at this massive charity event.

The Doha 21st Century Leaders’ Awards are granted to individuals who, whilst being leaders in their own fields, have also made a serious commitment and significant impact on their chosen cause.

The award is given to individuals who have used their influence to raise awareness, their celebrated status to raise funds, and the respect and notoriety which they have gained from successes in their chosen profession, to make positive policy changes to progress either environmental or humanitarian concerns.

Friday, October 30, will see Sir Ben Kingsley CBE, Venus and Serena Williams, Josh Hartnett, Danny Boyle and Christian Colson honored for their outstanding charity and humanitarian work. A surprise guest will open the event, and an art exhibition will also take place featuring original artworks by George Clooney, Stella McCartney, Sir Roger Moore KBE, Sir Michael Caine CBE, and Lady Shakira Caine, Sir Ian McKellen, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Laurence Fishburne, John Travolta, Pierce Brosnan OBE, Morgan Freeman, Charlize Theron, Minnie Driver, Lucy Liu, Susan Sarandon, Courteney Cox & David Arquette, Whoopi Goldberg, Penelope Cruz, Benicio del Toro, Joseph Fiennes, Anjelica Huston, Christian Slater, Harvey Keitel, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Gillian Anderson, Hilary Duff, Adrien Brody, Mickey Rourke, Robin Wright Penn, Patrick Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Stephanie Powers, Toni Collette, Daniel Craig and many more.

An active supporter and patron of charities such as the Prince’s Trust, Teenage Cancer Trust and First Star, English actor Sir Ben Kingsley CBE is very much devoted to helping disadvantaged young people and children. In 2008, Kingsley was awarded the “Cinema for Peace Honorary Award”, for the portrayal of the humanitarian role-models Simon Wiesenthal, Itzhak Stern and Gandhi.

In April 2009, following the success of Slumdog Millionaire, filmmakers Danny Boyle and Christian Colson announced a commitment of £500,000 to Plan, an international children’s development organization. The money will be spent on a five-year program focusing on education and sanitation, designed to improve the lives of children in Mumbai’s slum communities. In consultation with Plan, the filmmakers have also founded the Jai Ho Trust, an independent trust which aims to ensure that Rubina Ali (who played the youngest Latika in the film) and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail (youngest Salim) receive an education, housing and social support. The trust will also hold a sum of money for the two children until they reach adulthood.

American actor and film producer Josh Hartnett supports a number of worthy causes and has backed Global Cool, a charity focused on climate change since its inception. Launching with a reception at No.10 Downing Street in London in 2007, Josh Hartnett met with former Prime Minister Tony Blair on behalf of the group and has since taken the message of greenhouse gas reduction far and wide, to let people know that they really can make a difference to the environmental health of our planet.

Professional women’s tennis players whom have won a combined 12 Grand Slam titles. The Williams sisters have demonstrated an immense amount of charitable work off the court. The “Williams Sister’s Tour” set out to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities which provides housing for families of seriously ill children. In addition, Serena started The Serena Williams Foundation which focuses on education, and helping underprivileged children in Africa who cannot afford to go to school or college to do so.

WhateverItTakes.org is a unique charity artwork project which inspires hope by gathering artworks from leaders in all fields; royalty, film, music, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, sports, literature etc. The artworks are used to ethically produce Whatever It Takes products which are then sold to raise funds for charitable causes chosen by each contributing leader. 21st Century Leaders Foundation’s mission is to assist and encourage a generation of influencers – royalty, Nobel peace prize laureates and well-known leaders in the fields of film, music, fashion, art and literature – to raise awareness and funds for international development causes, thereby leading the way in promoting positive environmental sustainable development. 21st Century Leaders was founded in May 2003 when Charlotte di Vita was made a Goodwill Ambassador to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. 21st Century Leaders was also the 10th Anniversary celebration of Trade plus Aid, the foundation for which Charlotte had received an MBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

To find out more about this event – to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Doha on October 30/31 – click here.

David Suzuki Receives Alternative Nobel

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Environmentalist David Suzuki will receive an honorary alternative Nobel – the Right Livelihood Award – for his decades-long efforts to raise awareness about climate change. Suzuki will receive the award in December in Sweden, just ahead of Nobel Prize presentations.

Created to recognize efforts in areas that are not within the Nobel Prize scope, Right Livelihood selected Suzuki “for his lifetime advocacy of the socially responsible use of science, and for his massive contribution to raising awareness about the perils of climate change and building public support policies to address it.”

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Suzuki said, “Some things in the world we have to live with – entropy, gravity, the speed of light and the Laws of Thermodynamics. Other things such as the economy, market or currency were created by us and if they don’t work, we should change or replace them with something that does. When we are told we need a strong growing economy to afford to protect the environment or that reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be too expensive, we elevate economics above ecology. This is suicidal.”

The Right Livelihood Award Foundation, a charity that awards the exceptional in order to further its laureats’ causes, appears as frustrated as Suzuki. The Foundation’s website states: “Despite the scientific warnings about the imminent threat and disastrous impacts of climate change and despite our knowledge about solutions, the global response to this crisis is still painfully slow and largely inadequate.”

Like many, their eyes are on December’s Copenhagen Climate Conference where hopefully a new global warming treaty, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol in 2012, will be approved.

Carrie Ann Inaba iParticipates At Food Bank

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

ABC’s Dancing with the Stars judge and iParticipate celebrity ambassador Carrie Ann Inaba donated her time – along with 50-plus volunteers – for a day of service at the Three Square Food Bank in Las Vegas on Wednesday, October 21.

The event was part of the iParticipate initiative that Look To The Stars reported on earlier this week, in which celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Blythe Danner, Morgan Freeman, Faith Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Simon Baker (CBS’ The Mentalist), Emily Deschanel (FOX’s Bones), Eva Longoria Parker (ABC’s Desperate Housewives), Julia Louis Dreyfus (CBS’ The New Adventures of Old Christine), Masi Oka (NBC’s Heroes), Michael Strahan (FOX’s Brothers), Kate Walsh (ABC’s Private Practice) and Rainn Wilson (NBC’s The Office) have joined with the Entertainment Industry Foundation to encourage people to volunteer for good causes.   

Inaba joined her fellow volunteers in sorting and packaging food for distribution to needy residents of Southern Nevada. Three Square is the only food bank in Las Vegas and prepares more than 8 million meals annually for underprivileged families.

The photo shows iParticipate celebrity ambassador Carrie Ann Inaba, center, and UnitedHealthcare employees Brian Elkjer, left, and Jay Sivasailam at the Three Square food bank in North Las Vegas during the event.

Photo © Isaac Brekken/UnitedHealthcare

Inaugural Noble Awards Celebrate Hollywood Philanthropy

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Look To The Stars was proud to be part of the inaugural Noble Awards on Sunday, October 18 – an event that honored a host of charities and the celebrities that support them, elevating awareness of the significant impact of their work.

Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the event honored Morgan Freeman with a lifetime achievement award, as well as Laila Ali (Women’s Sports Foundation), Billy Bush (Lollipop Theater Network), Kenny Edmonds (Stand Up To Cancer), Teri Hatcher (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles), Norman Lear (Playing for Change), Joel Madden (The Art of Elysium), AnnaLynne McCord (The Blind Project), Nancy O’Dell (Best Buddies International), Eva Longoria Parker (Padres Contra El Cancer) and Brett Ratner (DoSomething.org).

Lionel Richie was on hand during the ceremony to present an award to Joel Madden, who attended the event with Nicole Richie and his brother Benji.

“I want to welcome him to our family and present this Noble award to a guy I love very much – Joel Madden!” said Lionel as he introduced Joel to the crowd.

“They are just as much a part of it,” said Madden, paying tribute to Nicole and Benji. “Nicole does just as much as I do with Art of Elysium and all the charities we work with. And so does Benj – Benj actually does more then I do, and he plays the guitar better then I do, so he is a little more entertaining for the kids.”

Madden later Twittered about the emotions he felt as he accepted his award: “Just left the NOBLE awards. Got an award that was really for the people at the Art of Elysium. Awesome folks and I’m humbled to know them. By the way got totally choked up when I got my award. I hate thinking about kids in the hospital, they should be getting the awards not us.”

The award itself was designed by Antonio Banderas, with personal touches added by children who participated in The Art of Elysium workshop at the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Morgan Freeman received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless work and dedication to over a dozen non-profits. Freeman’s diverse charitable efforts include working with American Red Cross, Artists for a New South Africa, the Campaign for Female Education, Earth Biofuels, Grenada Relief Fund, Mississippi Animal Rescue League and Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine. Freeman has also done PSAs for Sierra Club, and a number of Entertainment Industry Foundation campaigns, covering issues like colon cancer prevention, health care reform and volunteerism.

“I think so often we don’t know that our gestures matter,” said Teri Hatcher, who was also honored. “I think when you get involved in your local community charity you really do see you make a difference and it’s empowering for you.”

Look To The Stars was at the awards, and we will bring you more about the fantastic event over the coming days.

Stars Want Fans To iParticipate In Charity Initiative

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0000

The Entertainment Industry Foundation has mobilized the entertainment community around a groundbreaking initiative designed to inspire a new era of service and volunteerism.

Called iParticipate, the initiative aims to show what we can achieve when we all pull together. A number of celebrities have given their support to the campaign, including Michelle Obama, Blythe Danner, Morgan Freeman, Faith Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Simon Baker (CBS’ The Mentalist), Emily Deschanel (FOX’s Bones), Eva Longoria Parker (ABC’s Desperate Housewives), Julia Louis Dreyfus (CBS’ The New Adventures of Old Christine), Masi Oka (NBC’s Heroes), Michael Strahan (FOX’s Brothers), Kate Walsh (ABC’s Private Practice) and Rainn Wilson (NBC’s The Office).

As a centerpiece for this initiative, EIF has enlisted major broadcast networks including, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, for an unprecedented, week-long television event beginning Monday, October 19. Tune in to seven days and nights of television and watch how your favorite TV shows and personalities shine a light on the power of community service.

The rate at which Americans volunteer regularly has not increased in 40 years and has generally remained around 26% of the population, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While volunteerism usually declines during periods of economic distress, volunteerism is currently on the rise in America, particularly among young people, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

EIF has also produced a series of public service announcements to reinforce the importance of volunteerism. Through these PSAs, EIF will also recognize and encourage support for five key areas of service: Education & Children, Health & Well Being, Economic Development, Environmental Conservation, and Support for Military Families.

To coincide with the week of programming, hundreds of employees working at entertainment industry companies are answering the call to serve with organized volunteer projects throughout Los Angeles. Planned projects include:

Tuesday, October 20
Paramount Pictures, NBC Universal and United Talent Agency (UTA) will team up to make food packages for families at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Thursday, October 22
Warner Bros. Entertainment employees will be planting trees in Griffith Park, which was devastated by fires last year, in partnership with TreePeople.
WME Entertainment will volunteer at the Lowman Special Education Center with The Art of Elysium, a program that helps children battling serious medical conditions.
Fox Entertainment Group, International Creative Management (ICM) and Screen Actors Guild(SAG) will work side-by-side with CITY YEAR corps members to beautify Carthay Center Elementary School.

Friday October 23
Sony Pictures Entertainment,AEG and Paradigm will build homes for Habitat for Humanity at the first LEED certified housing development in the city of Lynwood.

Saturday, October 24
Disney | ABCTelevision Group and Creative Artists Agency(CAA) will assemble holiday care packages for military troops with Operation Gratitude at the Van Nuys National Guard Armory.

Other entertainment organizations who will volunteer this week include: CBS, Directors Guild of America, Nickelodeon, Producers Guild of America and Writers Guild of America.

Also as part of the initiative, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars judge and iParticipate celebrity ambassador Carrie Ann Inaba will donate her time along with 50-plus volunteers for a day of service at the Three Square Food Bank in Las Vegas on Wednesday, October 21st at 10:30 AM.

Inaba will join her fellow volunteers in sorting and packaging food for distribution to needy residents of Southern Nevada. Three Square is the only food bank in Las Vegas and prepares more than 8 million meals annually for underprivileged families. Inaba supports numerous charities along with “iParticipate” including the Face Foundation and Rescue Train.

To find out more about iParticipate, to watch PSAs, or to take part in this amazing revolution of volunteerism, visit the official website here.

Actresses Honor Teachers, Past And Present

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

“The teacher that I miss and remember with such gratitude is Florence Hunt, who taught English. She encouraged me to write plays, she took me to plays, and when I got into drama school, I wrote her to tell her that her support really made such a huge difference. Teachers are the best.” So says actress Sigourney Weaver in response to the troubling trend of American teachers having to buy classroom supplies with their own money.

Actress Sharon Lawrence also shared some fond memories: “I was part of the first integrated school system in Charlotte, North Carolina, and my teacher, Queen T Bird, was the first inspiring teacher I ever had. She changed the way I thought about myself, the way I thought about my classmates, the way I thought about everything, really. I’m very grateful to Miss Queen T Bird for being the teacher of my life.”

In support of such teachers across the US, Adopt-A-Classroom partnered with Office Max in a campaign called Working To Erase Teacher Funded Classrooms to create an annual, one-day event, “A Day Made Better,” now in its third year. Besides bringing attention to the situation, 1100 teachers nominated by their principals for their exceptional efforts were each given a huge box of supplies worth $1000 earlier this month.

“It is unbelievable that teachers would have to shell out [for classroom supplies] from their very small monies that they get every year to do this,” says actress Christina Applegate. “This should be the right for children and it should be paid for so that they can have a future.”

“I grew up with real respect for my mother and my father who were teachers,” said actress Shirley MacLaine. “Please help Adopt-A-Classroom so teachers don’t have to fund them themselves.”

To find out more, click here.

Judd Apatow To Be Honored By Fulfillment Fund

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann will be honored at the Fulfillment Fund’s annual STARS Gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel on October 26.

Each year, the Fulfillment Fund’s STARS gala honors a leader in the entertainment industry for extraordinary generosity and philanthropic involvement.

STARS has been recognized as one of the top five most successful annual fundraising events in Southern California, raising up to $2 million each fall to support programs offered through the Fulfillment Fund.

Judd is a leading force in the world of comedy and has been recognized for his work as a producer and writer on many critically acclaimed television shows. Leslie has been making audiences laugh for years, starring in recent hits such as “17 Again.” Together, Leslie and Judd have demonstrated a commitment to philanthropy through their support of organizations for the homeless and 826 LA, a writing and tutoring center for disadvantaged youth.

The STARS 2009 Gala will also include a special presentation of the Gitnick Visionary Award to Jana Waring Greer, President and CEO of SunAmerica Retirement Markets.

The Fulfillment Fund has three main goals: 1) Help disadvantaged students graduate from high school; 2) Increase the number who go on to college; and 3) Help them successfully complete college and transition into the working world.

Leading celebrities and comedians have served as entertainers and presenters at STARS including Christian Bale, Warren Beatty, Kate Beckinsale, Annette Bening, Jamie Foxx, Kate Hudson, Salma Hayek, Quincy Jones, Steve Martin, Tim McGraw, John Mellencamp, Mike Myers, Sidney Poitier, Chris Rock, Seth Rogen, Sinbad, Will Smith, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Denzel Washington and Stevie Wonder.

STARS 2008 raised over $1.6 million to benefit the Fulfillment Fund’s programs.  The event honored Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary Pictures and included award presentations to Wells Fargo Regional President Shelley Freeman and Fulfillment Fund Founding CEO Andrea Cockrum. Special guests included Ryan Seacrest who served as Master of Ceremonies, as well as Christian Bale and Kate Beckinsale who both made special appearances.

To find out more about this year’s event and how you can attend, click here.

Anthony Edwards Busy With Charity Initiatives

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

E.R. star Anthony Edwards has announced that $1 from every ticket sold to his new film Motherhood via website Fandango.com – during the film’s first two weeks – will go to charity.

The actor has revealed how his sister is a breast cancer survivor and he is thrilled the campaign will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  

“It’s fantastic,” he said. "Obviously breast cancer affects a lot of women in America. I have a sister who’s a survivor. People uniting together and raising money and awareness this way is hugely important and it seems right on with Motherhood.
 
“It’s not a gimmick. It’s a real thing and we can celebrate motherhood and the challenges that go right along with it, so I think Fandango stepping up and Susan Komen being the benefactor is fantastic.”

 Edwards has also revealed that he will take part in the New York Marathon on November 1 for Shoe4Africa – an organization for which he sits on the Board of Directors – which aims for empowerment through sports & education, creating unique health initiatives, and promoting Aids awareness.  

“The big project in my life right now is raising money to build the first public children’s hospital in Kenya through an organization called Shoe4Africa. We use running as a medium to bring women together and empower women in Africa to run for health initiatives and AIDS education. I’m running on November 1st with 30 people to raise awareness and funds.”

Kaiser Chiefs Join Concert For CARE

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

British band the Kaiser Chiefs have been added to the bill for this year’s Concert For CARE.

The Kaiser Chiefs have had a whirlwind past five years; three Top 5 albums, numerous hit singles, and 2009 saw them sign off with a hometown showing at this years Leeds Festival. Since that performance, the band have decided to take some time away from the spotlight, slowly beginning work on album four. Having worked with David Arnold in the recent past, the Kaiser Chiefs are delighted to make an exception to their time off the road and lend a musical hand to ‘Concert For CARE’.

Music and Comedy giants – such as Gary Barlow, Rob Brydon, Damien Rice, David Walliams and more – will join together in a one off event for aid agency CARE International. This one-off live event will take place at London’s Brixton Academy on November 2.

‘Concert for CARE’ is the brainchild of David Arnold, one of Britain’s most successful film and television composers and ambassador for CARE International (CARE). CARE works in 70 countries and helps 55 million people to find ways out of poverty each year.

Announcing the line up David Arnold said: “I have wanted to do this concert from the day I met a 20 year old woman in Rwanda who was orphaned at 14, is HIV positive and has to look after her two younger brothers. Without CARE’s support she would be unable to keep them in school, feed them or keep a roof over their heads. I have asked my colleagues from the music and comedy world to get together to help raise money and awareness of the amazing work CARE does all over the world.”

Geoffrey Dennis, CARE International UK chief executive, said: “We are really proud to have David Arnold as a CARE Ambassador. The money raised from the concert will mean that we can continue to help some of the world’s poorest people.”

Tickets are priced £30 and can be purchased from www.ticketweb.co.uk.

To find out more, click here.

Look To The Stars Helps Promote Hollywood Philanthropy At Noble Awards

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Look to the Stars is pleased to announce that we will work year-round with The Noble Awards to promote philanthropy in Hollywood.

The inaugural Noble Awards, taking place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, October 18, has announced five new award honorees. The Blind Project, The Lollipop Theater Network, Padres Contra el Cancer and Playing for Change will be honored along with six previously announced charities. In addition, Morgan Freeman will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. The two-hour event, hosted by “Access Hollywood’s” Billy Bush, seeks to annually honor up to a dozen charities and celebrities who actively support them, elevating awareness of these organizations and the significant impact of their work.

Celebrities who will accept awards on behalf of the charities being honored include Laila Ali (Women’s Sports Foundation), Billy Bush (Lollipop Theater Network), Kenny Edmonds (Stand Up To Cancer), Teri Hatcher (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles), Norman Lear (Playing for Change), Joel Madden (The Art of Elysium), AnnaLynne McCord (The Blind Project), Nancy O’Dell (Best Buddies International), Eva Longoria Parker (Padres Contra El Cancer) and Brett Ratner (DoSomething.org). During the ceremony, each will be presented with an award sculpture, designed by Antonio Banderas, with personal touches added by children who participated in The Art of Elysium workshop at the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Brian McKnight and Julio Iglesias, Jr., along with Emily Bear and Timothy Mitchum will provide live musical performances throughout the evening.

“We are delighted to present these eleven distinguished charities and their celebrity supporters with the inaugural Noble Award,” stated Janeen Mansour, creator and executive producer of The Noble Awards. “With the presentation of The Noble Awards, our goal is to turn the spotlight back onto these celebrities and charities to provide recognition, to educate, to inspire, and to encourage even more support from the Hollywood community and the public at large.”

Morgan Freeman will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless work and dedication to over a dozen non-profits. Freeman’s diverse charitable efforts include working with American Red Cross, Artists for a New South Africa, the Campaign for Female Education, Earth Biofuels, Grenada Relief Fund, Mississippi Animal Rescue League and Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine. Freeman has also done PSAs for Sierra Club, and a number of Entertainment Industry Foundation campaigns, covering issues like colon cancer prevention, health care reform and volunteerism.

“The Entertainment Industry Foundation is pleased to be a part of the inaugural Noble Awards,” said Lisa Paulsen, President and CEO of Entertainment Industry Foundation. “We are honored and so proud to present our dear friend and exceptional actor Morgan Freeman with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding charitable work and ongoing contributions to so many important social causes.”

The Noble Awards will kick off the “Be A Noble” Movement, a perennial effort to encourage each and every person to “Be A Noble,” and inspire them to give back and take action with a purpose on a global scale. Some of these initiatives include:

Look to the Stars will work year-round with The Noble Awards to promote philanthropy in Hollywood.

As part of next year’s Cup with a Cause program, 7-Eleven, in collaboration with The Noble Awards, will produce a series of celebrity-designed coffee cups featured in stores nationwide. A minimum of $250,000 will go towards each participating celebrity’s charity of choice. During The Noble Awards’ cocktail hour, guests will be asked to design cups as part of the program.

Participant Media and Takepart.com, the official “action” platform for the Awards, have partnered with the “Be A Noble” Movement to provide the Foundation with a web platform to showcase the work of all the organizations they are honoring throughout the year.

ONEHOPE Wine has bottled an award-winning varietal of wine to be labeled “NOBLE.” 100% of all proceeds from each bottle will go towards the “Be A Noble” Movement, to be distributed among the honored charities.

Rumblefish Jewelry will design a jewelry line based on The Noble Awards and “Be A Noble” Movement, where a percentage of sales will be donated to Noble charities.

Additional partners include EIF/iParticipate, The Hollywood Reporter, Audi, Beverly Hilton, Mobile Cause, Rosenthal and GoodSearch.

As the film industry has the Oscars, television the Emmys and the music industry the Grammy Awards, the charity community and its most dedicated Hollywood supporters will gain global recognition with the staging of The Noble Awards. Produced on behalf of the Celebrity Charity Awards Corporation, a non-profit organization, the first annual awards will take place on October 18, 2009. The Celebrity Charity Awards Corporation will launch a year-round movement to BE A NOBLE to better unify the efforts of charities with celebrities, influencers, media and everyday citizens in order to create an effective forum for change and service. For more information, please visit www.thenobleawards.org.

Idol Gives Back Is Back!

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

After a one year hiatus, Idol Gives Back is set to rock for charity once again.

The American Idol special will air April 21, 2010, and will benefit national and international charities including Malaria No More, Save the Children and the United Nations Foundation.

“I am very pleased to announce that we will be doing our third Idol Gives Back on April 21, 2010,” said Simon Fuller, Idol creator and CEO of 19 Entertainment. “This is our opportunity to reach out and support the people of America and around the world who need our compassion and generosity to improve or even save their lives. America will undoubtedly prove once again what a remarkable and generous nation it is. For American Idol to be able to facilitate this kind of initiative makes me very proud.”

“Idol Gives Back” has raised over $140 million since its inception in 2007. The event regularly attracts appearances by major stars such as Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon and many others – including 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama. The show last aired in 2008.

Ben Stiller Rewrites The Future In Uganda

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Ashley Parker

Save the Children has a special project called Rewrite the Future and Ben Stiller has joined it. Supported by Italian jewelry company Bulgari, the star traveled to northeastern Uganda.

Rewrite the Future’s goal is to provide an education for 8 million children in countries that are most difficult to act in. They provide necessary supplies, books and uniforms. The campaign started in 2005, and they hope to achieve their goals by 2010.

This was Stiller’s first trip to Africa. He said, “The goal of Rewrite the Future was really to go to the children in the most affected areas, the hardest to reach, and try to help them gain access to education.” He wanted to make an effort to help this dream become a reality. In Karamoja, Stiller visited different projects established by the charity, and was able to spend time with the children. He said the “aim is to integrate [an educational framework] into the fabric of what’s going on there, from the inside out…it’s about helping people to help themselves. It’s different from delivering a shipment of grain. It’s really about connecting with people.”

Stiller had only seen Africa on television before this trip, and was taken aback by what his eyes beheld. He began to see what life was really like for these children and their families. For a while he was afraid that his celebrity status would void the good work he could’ve been doing. However, that changed for him. “As a person, and seeing what’s going on in the world, there’s only so much you can take before you go ’I’ve just got to try to do something, whether it seems cynical or not.’” It may seem some celebrities do charity work for the wrong reasons, or that some don’t do enough. He decided to put the children before himself and do what he could to help.

In Uganda, like many other underdeveloped nations, education is less of a priority than simple survival. Stiller wanted to promote the importance of education so that the children are able to grow up and take care of themselves, living comfortable lives instead of struggling to survive.

Even though Stiller has returned to the United States, his efforts to raise awareness will continue. He is currently working on a film called Help Me Spread Goodness. It is about a victim of a Nigerian email scam who goes to Nigeria in search of the man who scammed him. In the meantime, the victim’s eyes are opened to the reality of the harshness of life in that country.

Stiller also went on another trip with Rewrite the Future to Haiti.

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