Look To The Stars News: Placido Domingo

LTTS Exclusive: An Interview With Raul Julia-Levy

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Starring alongside Damon Whitaker and Danny Venegas, Raul Julia-Levy has played the leads of a positive role model in film.

In real life, Julia-Levy plays the role of a philanthropist, actor, producer and activist with a heart. He grew up in a prominent family in Mexico City and met his famous father for the first time in Hollywood when he was 17. Despite any life challenges he has faced, he has remained dedicated to his passions and his cause.

I had the opportunity of meeting of Raul and asking him a few questions on why philanthropy is so important to him.

What initially inspired you to get involved in charity and philanthropy?

I have always had a heart for others since I was 5 years old. My instincts as a human being began at that time and I had a heart for people and animals. I remember my grandfather asked me, “who is the most important person,” and I said HE is, of course, or my mother. He told me he would be back after I could think about it a while. When he returned I told him that “I” am the most important person, and he kissed me and said that is right.

Were you raised to think about others or was there an event in your life that caused you to direct your interests toward charity?

At 7 years my grandfather told me that I have too many shoes – don’t you know there are people that don’t have one pair? A maid worked in the house and her son had holes in his shoes – I gave him 3 pairs of my shoes.

What do you get out of helping others and being a part of such a cause?

It makes me feel important to others and to myself and that I accomplish something – contributing to something important.

Why would you recommend others to get involved?

The rewards of helping others should be spread around and giving something back to the world in a noble way – it is a unique experience for humanity.

What would you like to see change about the world?

Everything needs to change in the world – starting from the respect of wild life and mankind as well as the respect for the environment around the world.

What would you do to fix the issues?

In order to make significant changes we all need to start from our own house and teach others to do the same.

You are involved with a lot of charities. What are the ones you are most passionate about and why?

I support FlauntMyPet, The Humane Society, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Hollywood Children’s Hospital, and the Senior Citizen Foundation because they are all dedicated to supporting mankind as well as animals and survival into the future. I also support the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Michael J. Fox Foundation, & The Lolita Campaign.

Why do you feel these are worthy causes or organizations?

Life is essential for the growth of our planet and I believe these causes support that.

I have heard of the other charities, but I am not familiar with Flaunt My Pet. Could you tell me more?

When my first dog, Randy, died when both of us were 13 years old, it was a very emotional time for me. I felt like I lost a part of my body. Until this day his presence is still very strong to me. As an adult, my dog O’Toole died in 2006 – I was devastated. After spending $3000 we could not save him because he had plastic attached to his intestine. This is how FlauntMyPet.com was born. The death of our dog O’Toole and the astronomical number of dogs killed in this country each year-4 million dogs a year.

Flauntmypet.com is a major social site that will launch in 2009 showcasing a long list of Hollywood Celebrities and their pets. It is currently in the process of becoming a 501c3 nonprofit status. Their mission is to educate and bring the masses together so they can interact and be a part of a cause. For more information, email info@flauntmypet.com.

You and your celebrity friends have also been a great support to the Lolita Campaign. Can you tell our readers about your purpose in the campaign?

We are all dedicated to relocating this wonderful whale back into her natural habitat. It is extremely important that we succeed in this cause because that will set the standard and prevent aquariums and facilities, that don’t meet Federal regulations, from displaying such animals in captivity under poor conditions. We believe that we will succeed 100% in the relocation of the whale.

What other projects are you working on?

Working with AnswersForElders.com, a social site for baby boomers who are taking care of their elderly parents. I am currently involved with an epic movie called Birdwoman of the Snake, a Native American story about Sacagawea, staring Ewan McGregor

If you had the opportunity to use your celebrity status to make changes for the better of the world, what would you do?

Raise awareness, educate people, provide unique information, invite people to get involved and take part of the change.

Who are some of your celebrity friends that really make a difference in the world today?

Johnny Depp, who is incredibly devoted to children and animals; Harrison Ford, Forest Whitaker, Jermaine Jackson, Halima Jackson, Jean Claude Van Dam, 50 Cent, Bob Barker, Elton John, Placido Domingo, Shari Watson aka: Truth Hurts, American Idol: Chikezie, Hayden Panettiere, Lindsay Lohan, Bokeem Woodbine, Wesley Snipes, Richard Grieco and many other A-list celebrities from Mexico City.

How do you think we can get more celebrities to get involved in positive change?

By being a good example and promoting good examples and good work. Showing celebrities that their voices are powerful enough to make things happen.

How do you think we can inspire more people to become involved in giving back?

Utilizing our most powerful tool – our voices through a clear message that is direct and inspirational.

How important is it for celebrities like yourself and your friends to use their voice?

It is extremely important for them to give back in any way, shape or form – part of our mission. We all have a purpose to give back.

Imagine the impact we would see if everyone in Hollywood would use his or her voice to make a positive impact in the world. Who knows, maybe philanthropy would become the industry standard and we could all flaunt our pet with a purpose.

José Carreras To Perform Benefit Concert Down Under

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

World renown opera singer Jose Carreras will perform a one-off charity concert in New Zealand next month.

The singer will perform at Elephant Hill Estate & Winery located in Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay, in the North Island of the country to benefit the Leukaemia and Blood Foundation, New Zealand’s leading resource of information specifically for patients, family members and friends affected by leukaemia and related blood conditions.

Gifted with a beautiful voice, José Carreras is considered one of the world’s greatest tenors and opera singers of his generation. With a phenomenal international performance career spanning over three decades and including recognition as one of the famous Three Tenors with Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras continues to mesmerize audiences with his sublime tenor voice.

Carreras is a survivor of Leukaemia himself, and set up the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation after recovering from the disease in 1987.

The singer also recently contributed to a recipe book created to raise funds for the Treetops Hospice in England. Along with comedian Jo Brand and several other celebrities, Carreras donated a recipe to “Helen’s Book”, which was written in memory of professional opera singer and enthusiastic amateur cook Helen Beechinor of Derbyshire, who died of Breast Cancer last year.

Proceeds from the book will go towards a new centre so that it can double the number of people the hospice helps.

Helen’s Book costs £7.99 and is available at Waterstone’s bookstores in the UK.

Tickets to the benefit concert in New Zealand – which takes place on January 31 – are available here.

Dave Dobbyn Promotes Hearing Awareness In Fiji

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

You may have heard of Heal The World – well, now some of the world’s greatest musicians are taking part in a campaign to raise awareness of hearing loss called Hear The World.

Hear the World is an initiative by Phonak – a leading manufacturer of hearing aids – that aims to raise awareness of the topic of hearing and hearing loss and to promote good hearing all over the world, and musician Dave Dobbyn spent the weekend in Fiji doing exactly that.

“I see other people who support ‘Hear the World’ like Harry Belafonte, Annie Lennox, Placido Domingo,” said 51-year-old Dobbyn, whose new album, Anotherland, has just been released. “I’m in great company when we’re all thinking about our ears and our health. Your ears get fatigued like every organ in your body so to treat them with respect and keep the volume down.”

One in five children in Fiji are profoundly deaf, and there is no audiology service in the South Pacific nation – children with hearing loss are often not diagnosed until they reach school.

“A child needs to be able to hear sounds in the environment to hear speech and language in order to produce speech and to develop language,” said Logan McMeekin, a Phonak Audiologist who is fitting hearing aids – free-of-charge – to children affected by hearing loss in Fiji. “Our goal isn’t to restore normal hearing we try and give them cues for awareness of their environment so they’re able to be safe in their environment.”

Dave Dobbyn – who has had 10 songs in New Zealand’s Top 100 Songs of All Time, including Loyal and Slice of Heaven – joins a long list of celebrities who support the Hear The World campaign. Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Buble, Common, Dave Stewart, Dionne Warwick, Franka Potente, Josh Groban, Jerry Hall, Harry Belafonte, Joss Stone, Chad Kroeger, Diane Kruger, Lindsay Lohan, Moby, Placido Domingo, Kelly Osbourne, Eric Roberts, and Rod Stewart are all ambassadors for the initiative, whose goal is to educate the general public about the importance of hearing, the social and emotional impacts and the benefits of available solutions for those with hearing loss. Rocker Bryan Adams is the official photographer for the campaign, and his photos of the ambassadors can be seen on the campaign’s website.

Dave Dobbyn’s message is simple – don’t take it for granted because the ability to hear is a gift. To see a video of him performing for Fijian schoolchildren, click here. To learn more about Hear The World, visit www.hear-the-world.com.

Michael Schumacher Gets Revved Up For Football

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Motor racing legend Michael Schumacher has helped a Formula 1 team take on a Hungarian All Stars XI in a charity football match in Budapest.

The 39-year-old former Formula 1 champion led his team – which also included current F1 drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Nico Rosberg and was coached by opera legend Placido Domingo – to a 6-6 draw in front of 10,000 at the home of Hungarian club Ferencvaros. The Hungarian national team coach, Erwin Koeman, was in charge of the All Stars.

Bulgarian businessman Daniel Borimirov was in the team with Schumacher, but was less than impressed with the driver’s ability to kick a ball.

“Schumi was quite tired,” joked Borimirov. “He is crazy about motors and was driving all day on the track. I felt embarrassed because of his misses.”

Proceeds from the game will go to a Hungarian children’s hospital.

Look To The Stars News: Placido Domingo

LTTS Exclusive: An Interview With Raul Julia-Levy

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