Look To The Stars News: Tiki Barber

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.

Make Time For John Legend's Show Me Campaign

Wed, 27 May 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of John Legend have the chance to get their hands on a limited edition watch from Audemars Piguet engraved with his signature for charity.

The watch is just one of 500 produced, and proceeds from the auction will go to Legend’s Show Me Campaign. Founded in 2007, the campaign envisions a world in which all people have the opportunity to flourish free of the devastating effects of poverty. Their mission is to end poverty through sustainable development, education and service.

The self-winding Millenary Pianoforte watch features a black and white piano key-inspired dial fashioned of mother-of-pearl with date display and centre seconds, a 45 × 40mm white gold case, self-winding movement, transparent sapphire caseback and black crocodile strap with deployment buckle. It is water resistant to 20 meters.

Also going under the hammer for the Show Me Campaign are meet-and-greets with the singer, the chance to play golf with NBC broadcaster and former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber and New York Giants center Shaun O’Hara, a personal shopping experience with John Varvatos, and a bag signed by John Legend.

The auction runs until June 4 and can be accessed here.

John Legend Performs For Show Me Campaign

Thu, 21 May 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Singer John Legend hosted a benefit for his Show Me Campaign on Tuesday, May 19, that raised over $300,000.

Along with Wyclef Jean, Jeffrey Sachs, former New York Giants player Tiki Barber and many others, Legend rocked a rooftop performance to raise support of the campaign he started two years ago to encourage social, economic, personal and educational growth of individuals, families and communities.

“Our organization by itself can’t do it, but we believe we can be part of the solution and we don’t want to wait around for everybody else to do it,” he said. “We’re funding a village in Tanzania and we’re seeing positive results on the ground that show that our work is making a positive impact over there, and if we were just to replicate that throughout the world, we can see a lot of progress made.”

Legend established the organization after watching Sachs discuss his book, The End Of Poverty, on television. Following a meeting with Sachs, Legend traveled to Ghana to witness the poverty problem firsthand. He established the Show Me Campaign soon afterwards, and has since become involved in a number of initiatives in the fight to alleviate poverty.

“This guy is just so talented and people love him, they love his music and when they listen to him he’s so smart and so compelling and he’s helping them understand what these issues are about,” Sachs said.

To find out more about the Show Me Campaign, visit its official website.

Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation Ball To Honor Stars

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0000

The Children’s Cancer & Blood Foundation (CCBF) will be hosting its annual “Breakthrough Ball” fundraising gala on Tuesday, October 28, at the newly reopened Plaza Hotel in New York City.

The Foundation expects to exceed last year’s highly successful fundraising gala that raised in excess of $1 million for treatment and research into the causes of childhood cancers and blood diseases.

NFL great Tiki Barber, last year’s honoree and honorary co-chair, will return to award this year’s CCBF Breakthrough Spirit Awards. Charles Grodin will once again serve as Master of Ceremonies. This year’s honorees will include artist, musician and producer, Swizz Beatz; actor/activist Steve Guttenberg; major league star and Yankee analyst Al Leiter; and Laureen Kelley, founder of Save One Life.

Foundation chairperson Les Lieberman said, “Our research and clinical staff are the best in the world, and we are on the cutting edge of developing cures and the best treatments for children suffering from a range of cancers and blood diseases. The money we have raised has gone to building a new state-of-the art laboratory, funding new fellowship positions for young scientists and doctors, and has helped develop new treatments for these serious diseases. These funds also ensure that no child or family is left behind regardless of ability to pay, and that is very important to all of us at CCBF. Our thanks to Charles Grodin, Tiki Barber, and all the people who are committed to making the 2008 gala the best ever.”

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings will provide entertainment. A live auction will be held that will include beautiful DiModolo custom jewelry, a five hour Bombardier Skyjet package, a Caribbean cruise, a personal photo shoot by Heisler Pictures, Inc., a golf package at the top Hamptons’ golf courses, a chef’s dinner for 20 at the winner’s home with ’Cesca chef Kevin Garcia, and much more.

The CCBF supports the pioneering and lifesaving work of the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Weill/Cornell Medical Center. Each year they treat thousands of children with an array of pediatric diseases from cancers to sickle cell and HIV/AIDS. They have a truly incredible group of doctors, scientists and staff committed to finding cures, as well as new and better treatments for these youngsters regardless of their ability to pay. They have made great advances in many of these diseases in recent years.

Proceeds from this benefit will ensure that the CCBF continues its exceptional mission to provide the very best up-to-date treatments for young people, as well as engage in breakthrough research that will hopefully lead to improved care and cures.

For more information concerning the CCBF, visit their website.

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