Stars To Attend Coma Patient's Gala

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0000

A gala to raise funds for charity in the name of a 17-year-old British coma patient will take place this Saturday.

Sophie Wilkinson has been in a coma since she was involved in a car accident last October, and her plight has attracted a wide range of celebrities to step forth and help raise the funds needed to provide her with care. Earlier this year her parents set up the Sophie’s Gift Fundraising Program on behalf of the Southampton Hospital Trust to raise the £250,000 (US$500,000) needed to provide Sophie with a Mobile CT Scanner. As well as receiving a video and words of encouragement from Johnny Depp, Sophie has also got support from the likes of Sharon Osbourne, Top Gear’s Richard Hammond, and Chris Tarrant.

Sophie’s parents, Andrew and Alison Wilkinson, have also established a database of celebrity voices to help wake up other coma patients. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Amanda Holden are just some of the names who have already committed to the initiative.

The Sophie’s Gift Gala Dinner will take place on the 5th July at the Macdonald Botley Park Hotel, with proceeds to go to the Southampton Hospital Charity. Tickets are still available from www.sophies-gift.com for £65 each. Attendees can expect live entertainment and a spectacular auction and gala dinner, with several celebrities – such as Chris Tarrant and Mike Osman – scheduled to make an appearance.

Stars Pound The Pavement In London Marathon

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:51:45 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

35,000 people set off through the English rain yesterday in the third biggest London Marathon ever held. And a handful of celebrities slipped on their running shoes, polished off their pedometers, and sweated their way along the 26 mile course for charity.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay managed to compete in his ninth marathon with very little of his trademark bad language, and completed the race in just under three hours.

“It doesn’t get any easier,” said the Michelin-star winner, who was raising money for Spina Bifida research. “There were thousands who came out – they were fantastic.”

Actress Amanda Holden – whose show, Britain’s Got Talent, has just returned to TV – also braved the blisters for a good cause. The 37-year-old ran the event to raise money for the Born Free Foundation, of which she is patron. She trained for six months for the marathon, during which she set up a website for people to follow her training and sponsor her effort. She raised over $12,000 from sponsors, including pledges from Simon Cowell ($2,000) and Piers Morgan ($2,002).

Other celebrities puffing their way through the streets of London included Ronan Keating and former Big Brother winner Kate Lawler, who raised thousands for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Look To The Stars News: Amanda Holden

Stars To Attend Coma Patient's Gala

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Stars Pound The Pavement In London Marathon

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