Look To The Stars News: Harry Belafonte

Angela Lansbury And Regis Philbin Are Living Landmarks In New York

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

The New York Landmarks Conservancy is honoring another incredible group of New Yorkers who have made outstanding contributions to the City at this year’s Living Landmarks gala on November 2 at the Plaza Hotel at Fifth Avenue.

Philanthropist Lewis Cullman, theater historian Louise Kerz Hirschfeld, legendary actress Angela Lansbury, restaurateur Danny Meyer and TV personality Regis Philbin will join an illustrious list of current “Landmarks.” Former Mayor David Dinkins will receive the special Lew Rudin Living Landmark Award for Public Service.

Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch are Honorary Co-chairs for the evening. The Celebration Committee includes Living Landmarks Mica Ertegun, Agnes Gund, Barbara Goldsmith, Marian Heiskell, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Philippe de Montebello, Elizabeth and Felix Rohatyn, Tommy Tune and Bunny Williams.

Alfre Woodard To Attend Desmond Tutu Book Event

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Alfre Woodard, Deborah Santana, Sharon Gelman, Kitsaun King, Marlene Saritzky and noted guests will attend an afternoon of food, drink, enjoyment and a special program on October 30, where Artists for a New South Africa pays tribute from afar to Desmond Tutu.

The event will celebrate the publication of Tutu: Authorized, an extraordinary new book, celebrating eighty years of Archbishop Tutu’s life,

The book features interviews with President Barack Obama, Kofi Annan, Aung San Suu Kyi and ANSA supporters Harry Belafonte, Jackson Browne, Samuel L. Jackson, Quincy Jones, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Hugh Masekela, Deborah Santana, Blair Underwood, Alfre Woodard and many more.

Serena Williams Named As UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:35:00 +0000

UNICEF today announced tennis champion Serena Williams’s appointment as international Goodwill Ambassador.

Williams is one of the all-time greats of professional tennis, having achieved a decade-long dominance of the game. While she is best known for her power and finesse in competition, her generous philanthropic endeavors off the court are just as dynamic.

UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake welcomed Williams to the UNICEF family today at the 2nd Annual Social Good Summit in New York City.

Celebrities Support Troy Davis Ahead Of Execution

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:05:00 +0000

On September 21, the state of Georgia is set to execute Troy Davis in the face of overwhelming evidence that he is innocent, and a number of celebrities are lending him their support through Amnesty USA.

Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a Georgia police officer in 1991. However, the case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but two of the state’s non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their testimony.

Many of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis.

Harry Chapin's Charity Legacy Lives On

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0000

July marked the 30th anniversary of musician and social activist Harry Chapin’s untimely death.

The anniversary fell on the heels of WhyHunger’s 12th annual awards ceremony to honor individuals dedicated to issues surrounding food both nationally and globally.

WHY is the charity that Chapin co-founded to advance long-term solutions to hunger and poverty. Actor Christopher Walken spoke at the event and artist and activist Harry Belafonte also attended the celebration.

Elizabeth Taylor And Bill Clinton Honored For Charity Work

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Elizabeth Taylor, Bill Clinton and Diane von Furstenberg were honored by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) last Wednesday.

The black-tie benefit marked amfAR’s 25th year, and featured a special reunion performance of “That’s What Friends Are For” by all of the original artists: Sir Elton John, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Stevie Wonder. Also in recognition of amfAR’s 25 years, special tributes were made to the Foundation’s co-founders, Mathilde Krim, Ph.D and Dame Elizabeth Taylor. The evening was presented by Hublot, and co-sponsored by M*A*C Viva Glam. More than $1.5 million was raised for AIDS research.

President Bill Clinton, Diane von Furstenberg, and Dame Elizabeth Taylor were each presented with the amfAR Award of Courage for outstanding leadership and distinguished service in furthering amfAR’s mission, and for playing a vital role in increasing AIDS awareness and accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research. Ms. von Furstenberg was presented with her award by her husband, Barry Diller. Chelsea Clinton presented the award to her father. Sir Elton John delivered a personal message from Dame Elizabeth Taylor, who could not be in attendance, stating “I am there in spirit and I join you in saluting my fellow honorees and all these extraordinary leaders. I am inspired by their example, exhilarated by their vision, and encouraged by their compassion and love. And I love them in return.” Sir Elton accepted the award on her behalf.

Celebrities To Feed The Homeless For Thanksgiving

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0000

This Thanksgiving, leaders in the entertainment and business communities will join Maria Cuomo Cole, her family, corporate sponsors, and New York City officials when HELP USA provides meals to over 400 of New York City’s homeless.

This meal serving initiative is a part of HELP USA’s Heritage of HELPing PSA Campaign in partnership with the Oneida Indian Nation. The challenges of homelessness and hunger that people face today bring a sense of urgency to HELP USA’s mission and the symbolic significance surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Oneida Indian Nation approached HELP USA with this joint effort to feed hundreds of homeless New Yorkers for the holidays, as well as support the American Indian Empowerment Fund, reinvigorating the culture and legacy of native people helping others. A number of corporate partners and celebrity guests will be at the event to support the campaign, serve meals and “host” the event as it streams live online.

Mandy Moore And Christina Ricci To Attend amFAR Gala In Dubai

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Celebrities such as Mandy Moore, Christina Ricci and Matt Dillon will attend this year’s amFAR gala to be held as part of the Dubai International Film Festival.

The event will take place on December 10 at the Dubai International Financial Centre, and the stars will be joined by Queen Noor of Jordan and others.

A limited number of seats are open and guests can take part in a racy auction for products ranging from a one-of-a-kind Chanel bag personally created by Karl Lagerfeld, especially for amfAR to Cartier’s Market Special Edition Middle East Watch and many more. Tickets can be bought from the amfAR website (www.amfar.org) or from the local amfAR Dubai office (call 04-4068786).

Wyclef Jean And Bono Receive ‘Ripple Of Hope Award’

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer Wyclef Jean, and (RED) founder/U2 front man Bono, were honored this week at a ceremony thrown by The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, where each were awarded the ‘Ripple of Hope’ Award.

“As champions of justice, Bono and Wyclef have brought the national spotlight to human rights violations, empowered local activists, and transformed the lives of millions of people living in poverty from Port-Au-Prince to Darfur,” said Kerry Kennedy, founder of the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. “Their efforts evoke the spirit of my father and we are honored to recognize them.”

Jean was honored for his work to inspire change in his native country of Haiti through his Yéle Haiti Foundation.

Wyclef Jean To Be Honored By World Hunger Year

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Wyclef Jean will receive a special award for helping impoverished communities at this year’s World Hunger Year (WHY) Chapin awards.

The awards – which will take place at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York City tonight, June 8 – will honor Jean’s work in his native Haiti to aid the poverty-stricken country.

WHY was formed in 1975 by Bill Ayres, a radio talk-show host, and singer/songwriter Harry Chapin. Chapin saw hunger and poverty as an insult to America. Many of his concerts were benefit performances for the 82 charities he was known to support, and the sales of all his concert merchandise were donated directly to WHY. At the time of his death in 1981, it was discovered that Chapin had donated almost all of his personal fortune to charity. Today, WHY is an international non-profit organization that connects grass roots charities to funding expertise and publicity.

Dave Dobbyn Promotes Hearing Awareness In Fiji

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

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.”

Your Chance To Appear On Screen With Johnny Depp!

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:30:13 +0000

This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience – an exciting new charity auction is offering one lucky bidder the chance to make their big screen debut alongside Johnny Depp in his newest movie.

The online auction website Charity Buzz is hosting the auction, which promises to give the lucky bidder a role as a featured extra in a scene including Depp in his latest film – Public Enemies, an action-thriller that tells the story of America’s criminal folk hero John Dillinger (Depp), who conducted a wave of bank robberies in the 1930s. The role will be non-speaking, and will be shot sometime in May in Chicago.

Proceeds from the auction will go to the Robert F Kennedy Memorial, an organization dedicated to advancing the human rights movement through providing innovative support to courageous human rights defenders around the world. Some of the group’s work has included co-founding the Alliance for Fair Food to support farmworker rights groups; giving a voice to Hurricane Katrina survivors in their efforts to help displaced people realize their right to return and participate in rebuilding New Orleans; beginning planning for the first public interest law firm in the African nation of Chad to look out for the rights of the poor and guard against environmental degradation; and struggling for equal justice in Brazil in cases where violence and intimidation has been used against advocates who protect the human rights of landless workers.

Celebrity Auctions Kick Off The New Year

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:24:10 +0000

The new year has kicked off with a flurry of celebrity charity auctions, with items for sale to benefit a plethora of worthwhile causes and issues.

The American Civil Liberties Union is a national organization that advocates individual rights by litigating, legislating, and educating the public on a broad range of issues, including free speech, AIDS, human rights, racism, and more. The Southern California branch of ACLU has launched an auction on www.charityfolks.com to raise much-needed funds.

Items up for auction until January 3 include lunch with Jake Gyllenhaal on the set of his new film, a framed and autographed art print by Viggo Mortensen, the chance to dine with Harry Belafonte or Mike Farrell, a signed T shirt and photo from Danny Glover, and original artwork from singer Maria McKee, and an autographed copy of Corinne Bailey Rae’s single, “I’d Like To”.

Gere Awarded Humanitarian Honor

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:29:43 +0000

Actor Richard Gere has received a prestigious humanitarian award in his home city of Philadelphia.

The Golden Globe winner accepted the Marion Anderson Award, named after the famous African-American opera singer who fought racial segregation in the 1930s, at a ceremony at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on November 12.

“I’m not worthy of this award in any way whatsoever,” said the 58-year-old star of films such as “Chicago” and “Pretty Woman”. “I can’t tell you how this makes me feel. My heart is so wide open.”