Look To The Stars News: Patrick Stewart

May The Paws Be With You - Mark Hamill Joins Charity Auction For Animals

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

Precious Paws, the non-profit animal rescue organization based in Los Angeles, is launching the biggest fundraiser in the group’s history.

On Thursday, November 5th at 7:00 pm PST, Precious Paws will debut its Celebrity Experience and Entertainment Memorabilia Auction to an international audience exclusivel y on eBay. This 10-day auction, which is co- sponsored by Auction Cause, the nation’s leading online auction company, will conclude at 7:00 pm PST on Sunday, November 15th.

The charity is pleased to announce Mark Hamill will be participating in the event by allowing them to auction off a lunch for two with him. The actor, director, writer and producer who is best known for his role of Luke Skywalker in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, George Lucas’ epic space saga was an enormous success and revolutionized the film industry. For his portrayal of Skywalker, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films honored Hamill with the Saturn Award for Best Actor. Post “Star Wars,” Mark Hamill has found success on Broadway in such productions as Amadeus and The Elephant Man, as well as on television. His achievements on the small screen include his work in front of and behind the camera, in both live-action and animated productions.

Throughout this highly-anticipated event, guests will also have the opportunity to win lunches with other prominent celebrities, including Susan Olsen, Eric Roberts, Stephen Collins, Anthony Michael Hall, Nicole De Boer, Robbie Rist, Alana Curry, McKenzie Westmore, and Adrianne Curry & Chris Knight.

Precious Paws is a nonprofit dog and cat rescue organization that was founded in 2003 by Georgyne La Lone. “We are passionate about our mission to rescue unwanted companion dogs and cats from the streets and shelters,” says Ms. La Lone. “We spend a great many of our resources providing food and medical care to these loveable animals. It is our hope that through this auction, we will be able to continue providing the best to these rescues that do so much to enrich our lives.”

Bidders will also have the chance to bid on a visit to the set of iCarly, a tour of the “Hungry Girl” office which includes a meet and greet with Lisa Lillien, ”Hungry Girl” author and her staff and an autographed “Hungry Girl” book. Bidders will also have the opportunity to purchase some of the most coveted celebrity memorabilia, including an autographed electric guitar by Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, an autographed acoustic guitar by The Eagles an autographed Collector’s Beer Can by Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, a variety of autographed pictures from Star Trek celebrities, including Patrick Stewart, Scott Bakula, Kate Mulgrew and Avery Brooks, Paris Hilton and Jimmy Buffett memorabilia, and autographed posters from notable musical luminaries BB King, John Denver and Billy Idol.

For more information on the Celebrity Experience and Entertainment
Memorabilia Auction, contact Georgyne La Lone at (818) 773-3336 or www.preciouspaws.org.

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.

Derek Jacobi Joins Madonna as Charity Patron

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Sir Derek Jacobi has just signed on as the latest Patron of Children of Peace, joining existing Patron Madonna, and a long list of famous names, in supporting the charity’s work.

Children of Peace works to protect children from the violence in Israel and Palestine, while establishing projects and programs in the arts, education, health and sports for Israeli and Palestinian children, aged 4-17.

The charity has so far garnered the support of stars such as Dame Judi Dench, Dame Helen Mirren, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Stewart and Emma Thompson.

Proud supporter Corinne Bailey Rae calls the organization a “remarkable charity”, going on to say, “Children do not choose. Right now they are the innocent bystanders in all of this. Yet, they are the next generation and we must give them every opportunity to live normal lives and live in peace with each other.”

In his official acceptance statement for the office of Patron, Sir Derek Jacobi says:

“I am honoured to have been asked to become a Patron of Children of Peace. The children of the region of whatever nationality or religion have been foremost in my mind when I hear reports of the conflict in the area. Children hold our future in their hands. We must assist, guide and support them in bringing a stable, caring and sound resolution to the past and present conflict. Please help us to understand them and help them in their need.”

To learn more about how you can get involved, visit www.childrenofpeace.org.uk.

Young Girl Calls Celebrities For A Hand

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:37:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Tilly Lockey is only two years old, but she is hoping for a little magic. At the moment, this bright-eyed toddler is eager and happy, but she lacks the ability to do the things that other two year olds do. She can’t reach out for her toys. She doesn’t know what it is like to clutch a crayon and draw a picture. She can’t even hold her mother’s hand.

You see, Tilly Lockey has no hands of her own. But she wants some. And with a little help, she might just get some.

When Tilly was still a baby, she contracted Meningococcal Septicaemia, a deadly form of flesh-eating meningitis for which there is no vaccination. It was every mother’s nightmare – to see her baby slowly turn purple, then black, tubes coming out of every part of her tiny body, helpless and beaten by a relentless disease. For four weeks Tilly fought back in intensive care, and after ten blood transfusions later she was finally pronounced out of danger. Unfortunately her hands and toes were already dead, and had to be removed.

But this is where the magic comes in. Tilly’s parents, Adam and Sarah, have launched a campaign to give their daughter a hand – two hands, in fact. And they are appealing to the stars for help.

The initiative involves celebrities making prints of their hands – or perhaps just drawing around them – and then customizing them in a way that defines their character. Harry Potter creator JK Rowling heads the field, with drawings of wizards adorning her fingers. Sir Cliff Richard has donated a plain green handprint to represent his clean image, and Only Fools And Horses actor Sir David Jason has decorated his print with pictures from the long-running BBC comedy series. The pictures will then be auctioned in October.

Other celebrities, such as retired English footballer Alan Shearer, pop duo Erasure, David Prowse – who played Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies – and several members of Manchester United have also made clay casts of their hands for the initiative.

Tilly has so far received over 40 handprints and casts for the auction, including those from singer Katie Melua, Rolf Harris, Patrick Stewart, Linford Christie, Wendy Richard, The Weakest Link’s Anne Robinson, and several English cricket players. But in order for her to get the prosthetic hands she so desperately wants, she needs more. If anyone can help Tilly, the campaign can be reached via enquires@tillylockey.co.uk. More information on Tilly’s story and the handprint auction can be found at www.givetillyahand.co.uk.

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