Look To The Stars News: Michael Jackson

Black Eyed Peas Hold Charity Party

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:35:34 -0000

It was a balmy night in Hollywood, but that did not keep celebrities devoted to friendship and charity away from a birthday fundraiser for apl.de.ap (Allan Pineda Lindo) of hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas. The red carpet arrivals streamed into the Vanguard Nightclub on November 27 with their party shoes on and their hearts on their sleeves – they were there to have fun and raise money for charities in the Philippines.

Black Eyed Peas members Taboo and will.i.am organized the event to celebrate apl.de.ap’s 33rd birthday and to pay tribute to the charities that have helped him in the past. Will.i.am was the first of the group to arrive, and he spoke with the press about his holiday plans and new musical ventures with Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson. Will was excited about the fundraiser because it showed how far he and his friends had come – they were now able to bring their blessings full circle and give back to the communities that raised them.

Taboo was next to arrive. He was excited to be back in the States, and was happy to spend time with his fourteen year old son Joshua. He also said that events like this showed the love the Black Eyed Peas had for others. When they established The Black Eyed Peas Foundation in the early nineties, the band wanted to be sure to give something back to each of their diverse backgrounds – wil.i.am represents the USA, Taboo is of Mexican descent, and apl.de.ap was born and raised in the Philippines.

“For me to go to the Philippines and for him to go to Mexico to integrate our cultures is beyond success, beyond selling millions of records”, Taboo said to explain how the Black Eyed Peas were more than just about music. But the best part of putting this evening together for him was “being able to be with my best friends. Giving back to our community and our fans and doing it to make a difference not only in the States but overseas… to be able to be a part of that and to express our music and talent is a great thing because, beyond selling records, its about giving back for us…We have already won Grammy’s, MTV awards, sold 27 million records. What is there left to do? So now we are giving back and letting people know we are humans before artists.”

Apl. was beaming with pride when he arrived, excited that he was able to be part of an evening to raise money for charities… because he was raised by a charity himself. As a child in the Philippines, the singer was sponsored by an American through the Pearl S. Buck Foundation. His sponsor then decided to adopt him and brought him to the United States were he was able to achieve his dreams.

“It is very important to me to give back the same opportunity that was given to me,” Apl. said on the red carpet. “That’s the only way I know how to do it.”

Apl. is now going to try to hold a benefit annually, and give most of the money to the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, as well as to other Filipino Charities. The most challenging part of the evening for him was getting sponsors, but as soon as the name of a group as successful as the Black Eyed Peas was attached, sponsors came right on board.

The partygoers were from television, music, sport, and movies, as well as many from Los Angeles’ Filipino community. The celebrities who attended spoke of their own charities and how good they feel during the holiday season when they can help others.

Ultimate Fighting Champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, said he was there to support the charities of his friends. “I think it is real important to give back because God giveth and God taketh away…. I support my old high school wrestling team…charity starts at home too – I help out a lot of my family.”

Nate Parker, who will be starring in the new film The Great Debaters with Denzel Washington, was happy to be part of the evening. He is learning from some of the biggest givers in Hollywood that you have to be proud of where you come from and support the people who are still there. “Working with Denzel was a learning experience, not just about acting, but life and how to appreciate what you have. Helping out charities is the way to show you care.”

The celebrities that attended the event included Bi Ling, Bobby Brown, as well as funny guys Chris Reed, Aries Spears, and Ken Davitian. Young Filipino rapper Lil Jordan spit some lyrics on the red carpet for the crowd and showed his support for his ancestral country. VH1’s Celebrity Rap Superstar winner Shar Jackson was there in support of Apl. because he was a friend who always put others before his own needs.

“Hollywood needs more groups like the Black Eyed Peas to give back to the world,” she said.

After greeting the fans, Apl. performed some of his solo music and then shined the spotlight on the up-and-coming groups that the Black Eyed Peas were producing. The evening was deemed a success as it raised money for a great cause, created awareness for the Pearl S. Buck Foundation and other charities, and showed how giving to charities can make a difference in the life of a child.

Bid Now For Christmas Gifts

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:21:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The countdown to Christmas has begun, and celebrities are doing their best to make holiday shopping easy this year. Several charity auctions have already kicked off to raise money for good causes, including one that may be eBay’s largest sale of celebrity items… ever!

The BID 2 BEAT AIDS online auction will open on December 1, World AIDS Day, and will feature over 1000 specially signed items, ranging from posters to iPods. The annual auction will raise money for LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS fundraising and service charity, and in the past has raised up to $175,000.

The array of memorabilia up for sale this year is simply colossal, with perhaps the most interesting items being a series of “Lend a Hand to LIFEbeat” cards that feature the handprints of over 100 celebrities. Stars such as Britney Spears, Jack Black, and Kathy Griffin traced around the outlines of their hands and decorated their artworks for the auction, and the finished products will make a unique addition to any Christmas stocking.

Also included in the auction is a selection of signed musical instruments. Rapper 50 Cent has donated the tambourines he used during his performance at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, and Metallica and the Foo Fighters have both donated guitars. There are also over 200 official RIAA gold and platinum record awards up for sale, from artists such as Annie Lennox, Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Green Day. Rare tour crew jackets from Guns N Roses, Cher, George Michael, and Prince are also available.

There are a stack of autographed CDs and DVDs on offer in the auction, from Mariah Carey, Elton John, Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5, Amy Winehouse, and Val Kilmer, as well as books signed by Madonna, Bill Clinton, Rosie O’Donnell, Martha Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Ethan Hawke. Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Elijah Wood, and Usher have all signed posters for the auction.

For those people after something a little different, the auction also includes an iPod designed by Yoko Ono, a box of cereal signed by Will Ferrell, Borat’s hat signed by Sacha Baron Cohen, and a Spiderman action figure autographed by Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

And if nothing mentioned so far whets your appetite, there are also signed items from Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Nelly, Joan Collins, John Travolta, Kanye West, The Cure, Jay-Z, Cameron Diaz, Victoria Beckham, Robin Williams, Hilary Duff, Jason Alexander, Jack Nicholson, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adam Sandler, John Legend, Jessica Simpson, Whoopi Goldberg, Aerosmith, Denzel Washington, Good Charlotte, James Blunt, Jeremy Piven, Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Norah Jones, Razorlight, Wyclef Jean, and many more… far too many to list here.

More information and a full list of items can be found at www.bid2beataids.com.

As if this wasn’t enough choice for Christmas shoppers, there are also several other auctions and events on the go at the moment. The biggest of these is the 10th Annual Collaborating For A Cure Benefit Dinner and Auction, a massive black tie gala to be held on November 29. It also happens to be one of the highest grossing charity events held every year in New York, and last year raised over $4 million for the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that has provided over $55 million in grants to cancer research, and has been instrumental in the development of new cancer drugs.

The gala dinner and live auction will be held at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue, New York City, and over 1200 guests are expected to attend. The host for the evening is Chevy Chase, and attendees will be treated to a very special performance by Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh, members of 70’s rock group, the Eagles.

Selected items up for auction on the night as well as online include dinner with Chevy Chase, the chance to play tennis with Andre Agassi, and a meet and greet with Aerosmith.

More information can be found at www.charitybuzz.com.

Also on the Charitybuzz website is an auction to raise funding for Stand Up For A Cure, an organization dedicated to lung cancer research and awareness.

The auction runs from November 28 until December 12, and features unique items such as the chance to have Andrea Bocelli perform in your own home, the opportunity to have Patti LaBelle host your cocktail party, and VIP tickets to see Céline Dion at Madison Square Gardens.

And if you still can’t find a suitable gift, have a look at the Have A Heart Auction on Charitybuzz. All proceeds from the auction, which features the chance to meet Avril Lavigne, a copy of “An Inconvenient Truth” signed by Al Gore, and a “Godfather II” DVD signed by Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, will benefit HEART, an organization that aims to foster compassion and respect for all living beings.

But you have to be in quick, as the auction ends on November 29.

Celebrity Donations To Katrina Relief Efforts

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 15:50:00 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

A list of what some celebrities have done to help Katrina victims:

Steven Spielberg, $750,000 to the American Red Cross and $750,000 to the Bush Clinton Fund
Nicolas Cage, Diddy, George Clooney each donated $1 million.
Oprah donated $1 million through her charity, Oprah’s Angel Network
Hilary Duff donated $250,000.
John Travolta delivered supplies using his private plane.
Sean Penn rescued people using an occasionally leaky boat.
Michael Jackson offered a song, “From the Bottom of My Heart”.
Jamie Foxx raised $600,000 with a celebrity auction.

Look To The Stars News: Michael Jackson

Black Eyed Peas Hold Charity Party

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Bid Now For Christmas Gifts

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Celebrity Donations To Katrina Relief Efforts

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