Look To The Stars News: Malaak Compton-Rock

Star-Studded Event Honors CNN Everyday Heroes

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0000

This year’s CNN Heroes event featured a host of famous presenters including Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson, Greg Kinnear, George Lopez and Julia Louis Dreyfus.

Presented by Anderson Cooper, the third annual event honored the top 10 CNN Everyday Heroes of 2009, and was taped in front of an audience of 2,500 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Performances by Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood and R&B singer Maxwell enhanced the evening, which took place on November 21 and will be broadcast on CNN on November 26.

The winners of the awards were selected by a panel that included Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, Malaak Compton-Rock, Kirk Cameron, Masi Oka, Shakira, Ted Turner and Colin Powell.

The honorees – as listed by CNN – were:

Brad Blauser is providing hope and mobility to disabled children and their families in Iraq. Since 2005, his Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids program has distributed nearly 650 free pediatric wheelchairs to children in need.  
Roy Foster started Stand Down House to help veterans struggling with addiction and homelessness in Florida. Since 2000, his program has provided life-changing services to nearly 900 veterans. 
Doc Hendley is providing clean water to communities worldwide. Through creative fundraising, his nonprofit Wine to Water has brought sustainable water systems to 25,000 people in five countries. 
Breast cancer survivor Andrea Ivory is bringing early detection to the doorsteps of uninsured women. With mobile mammography vans, her group has provided more than 500 free screenings in Miami, Florida. 
Zimbabwe native Betty Makoni founded the Girl Child Network to provide a haven for young victims of sexual abuse. The organization has rescued more than 35,000 girls since 2001.  
 School bus driver Jorge Munoz is helping hungry New Yorkers make it through tough times. Since 2004, he has handed out more than 70,000 meals from his mobile soup kitchen in Queens — for free.  
Efren Peñaflorida gives Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership through education. His Dynamic Teen Company’s 10,000 members have taught basic reading and writing to 1,500 kids living in the slums. 
 Budi Soehardi founded a children’s home in one of the poorest areas of Indonesia. Today, Roslin Orphanage in West Timor provides food, shelter and education to more than 45 children.  
 Derrick Tabb started The Roots of Music to give young people an alternative to New Orleans’ streets. His music education program provides free tutoring, instruments and music instruction to more than 100 students. 
Jordan Thomas, 20, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, lost both of his legs in a boating accident in 2005. Since then, his Jordan Thomas Foundation has raised more than $400,000 to provide prosthetics for children in need.

Each of the top 10 Heroes receives $25,000, with the top Hero – Efren Peñaflorida – winning $100,000.

“With the recognition they receive on our stage,” said Anderson Cooper, “they’ll be able to help thousands and thousands of people. Through their efforts, lives will be changed and lives will be saved.”

To find out more about the winners, visit the CNN Heroes website.

Meet Chris Rock On The Set Of His New Movie For Charity

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Comedian Chris Rock has launched a new charity auction in which you can meet him on the set of his new movie.

Proceeds from the charity auction will go to Journey for Change, a charity set up by Malaak Compton-Rock to empower young people through global service.

“Journey for Change is a great cause,” said Chris Rock. "Not just because it is my wife’s charity… well she is making me say this… but the kids from Brooklyn that she helps are kids that are just like me. Someone helped me and I came out okay. Now we are trying to help them. So bid on the auction and come hang out with me on the set of my new movie “Death of a Funeral.”

Death at a Funeral is a remake of Frank Oz’s 2007 British comedy of the same name, and co-stars Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, Regina Hall, and James Marsden. It is expected to be released next year.

In addition to your set visit and meet & greet, the winning bidder will receive a VIP tour of SONY Studios, an autographed copy of the script, an autographed copy of the day’s filming schedule, an autographed DVD, and an autographed book.

To be part of this auction, which ends on May 1, visit the Charity Folks website.

Gabrielle Union Launches Breast Cancer Program In Ghana

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Susan G. Komen for the Cure has expanded its mission to Africa thanks to a little bit of help from Gabrielle Union, Malaak Compton-Rock, and Billye Aaron.

Komen for the Cure – a global leader of the breast cancer movement – invited the three women to an international breast cancer symposium in Accra, Ghana, late last month, where they met Ghana President John Kufuor for a dedication ceremony at the new HopeXchange Medical Center, a state-of-the-art breast cancer diagnostic and treatment facility.

“I’m hoping to dispel some very prevalent myths about what causes breast cancer and to break down some barriers for Ghanaian women,” said Union. “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem— so do breast self-exams and go see a doctor. Early diagnosis and treatment will literally save your life.”

Ghana is one of several African countries the charity is focusing on, and the symposium highlighted the issues that block breast cancer care, including economics and politics.

“Once a country has the infrastructure in place to detect, diagnose and treat breast cancer, it opens the door to the successful treatment of many other cancers,” said Komen President and CEO Hala Moddelmog. “Developing health care delivery systems, when done logically and successfully, can be a self-replicating process in other countries.”

Photographers Focus On Hunger

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:30:00 -0000

The world’s best talent in photography, entertainment, and fine food are joining together to help feed hungry New Yorkers tomorrow, September 18.

FOCUS: an Auction of the Finest Photography to Benefit City Harvest will feature hors d’oeuvres prepared by celebrated chefs, auctions of collectible fine art photography, and live music from the Bacon Brothers.

The auction’s organizing committee features some of Hollywood’s greatest stars, including Harrison Ford, Kevin Bacon, Susan Sarandon, Uma Thurman, Whoopi Goldberg, as well as Rachael Ray and Malaak Compton-Rock. Photographs from over 50 artists are up for auction, including Tim Robbins.

On one special night, the world’s best talent in photography, entertainment and fine food come together. This premier NYC event features live and silent auctions of collectable fine art photography, along with live music performances and special tastings prepared by celebrated chefs – all in support of City Harvest, an organization that collects excess food from restaurants, manufacturers, wholesalers, greenmarkets, hotels, corporate cafeterias, grocery stores and farms, and delivers it to more than 600 community food programs. Each week, City Harvest helps over 260,000 hungry New Yorkers find their next meal.

The auction will take place at Skylight Studios at 275 Hudson Street, New York, at 7pm. Door sales are $250.

Malaak Compton-Rock - A Champion For Children

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:12:58 -0000

Written by Theresa Mills

Malaak Compton-Rock is no stranger to the spotlight. The former public relations executive and wife of comedian Chris Rock has spent years attending high-profile parties and red carpet events. Yet despite her glamorous lifestyle, the mother of two is not concerned with celebrity. Malaak Compton-Rock has dedicated her life to serving others, and this month she is putting all of her energy into preventing child abuse through her Champions for Children.

As part of child abuse awareness month in April, Compton-Rock helped organize a star-studded national campaign to highlight the issue of child abuse. The campaign, which was shot by renowned photographer Timothy White and appears in the April issue of Redbook magazine, provides critical information on child abuse prevention, as well as inspiration and hope for abuse victims and their families.

“We believe children have a right to grow up in families where they feel loved, safe and secure – where smiles and laughter are a part of everyday life,” she said on her Champions for Children website.

Compton-Rock created the Champions for Children Foundation with the support of friends and celebrities to fund child abuse prevention programs not funded by the government. The foundation provides programs that help children and youth in care develop self-esteem, confidence and relationships by giving them the skills, support, and opportunities to be successful throughout their lives.

“The key to prevention is breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect,” said Compton-Rock. “By giving vulnerable families the skills, confidence and support to raise healthy children, we prevent the likelihood of abuse and neglect in later years. It is time for society to change its approach to stop child abuse by making prevention an absolute priority. This will be our legacy to the millennium generation and their children.”

Oprah Gives Big With New Show

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:59:06 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Oprah Winfrey is the brains behind a highly anticipated new series premiering next week on US television. Oprah’s Big Give is a reality show with a difference – contestants will compete to give and not receive.

In the eight one-hour episodes, a group of 10 people are given the challenge of a lifetime – to change the lives of complete strangers in the most creative and dramatic ways possible. The contestants must criss-cross the country, and find ways to impact the fates and fortunes of unsuspecting people who are in for the surprise of their lives.

The series will begin in Los Angeles, where Oprah will hand the contestants sealed envelopes with only a picture and the name of a complete stranger. Under intense pressure, they must give big to change this person’s life in just five days. The contestants must use their creativity and resources to generate the most powerful and sensational ways to make a real difference to their “charges’” lives.

The contestant deemed to be the biggest giver at the end of the series will win $1 million.

“Big Give is fun, entertaining, emotional, inspiring, and intense,” Winfrey told TV Guide. “It’s always fun for me to be able to give and to watch people’s reactions. I love a great surprise. There are many moments that will leave you in tears of joy. I wouldn’t be involved with anything that was going to humiliate or dehumanize or make anybody feel bad. When we decided to do a series, we knew that we had to create something that was different, a new kind of television, a new kind of idea.”

And she has roped in an impressive array of her celebrity stars to help her. The series will be hosted by Nate Berkus, and a panel of judges will be made up of “Naked Chef” Jamie Oliver, NFL player Tony Gonzalez, and Malaak Compton-Rock, wife of comedian Chris Rock. There will also be appearances by Donald Trump, John Travolta, skateboard legend Tony Hawk, Andre Agassi, and Jennifer Aniston.

“[Aniston] comes on one of the shows and delivers a really big surprise, something nobody expected,” Winfrey told OK! Magazine. “I always say that she’s everybody’s favorite Friend, and that’s absolutely what she’s like in real life.”

Oprah’s Big Give premieres on ABC on March 2 at 9pm.

Look To The Stars News: Malaak Compton-Rock

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