Look To The Stars News: Hank Azaria

Stars Come Out For March Of Dimes

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Halle Berry and Nicole Richie were among the stars at the March Of Dimes’ Fourth Annual Celebration of Babies luncheon.

The event recognizes prominent individuals who are celebrating the birth of their children, and who are role models for March of Dimes commitment to improve the health of babies.

As part of the March of Dimes November Prematurity Awareness Month campaign, celebrities and special guests were urged to join the fight for preemies!

Held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, the Celebration of Babies luncheon honored Dr. Robert Katz M.D., obstetrician to the stars, with the Golden Rattle Award for his commitment to the March of Dimes mission. The March of Dimes Community Award was presented to Donna Holloran, MSW; Allison LaTona, MFT; and Shelley Reicher-Lawrence, CPE of BABYGROUP.

The event also highlighted March of Dimes Stork Club: a group of celebrities and prominent individuals who have welcomed a baby or who are expecting a baby in 2009. This year’s Stork Club, sponsored by Stride Rite, includes: Actor Hank Azaria & Katie Wright, Actress Julie Bowen & Scott Phillips, Musician Howie Dorough & Leigh Dorough, Marketing Director Mitchell Davis & Clare Davis, Lucky Magazine W. Coast Bureau Chief Marlien Rentmeester & John Phelps, Actress/Producer Nicole Richie & Singer Joel Madden, Actress Nicole Sullivan & Actor Jason Packham, Producer Jennifer Todd & Actor Chris Messina. March of Dimes celebrity volunteer parents who also attended the luncheon were Julie Bowen, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Kellie Martin, Elisabeth Rohm, Nicole Sullivan, Alimi Ballard, and Sean Patrick Thomas

 More than 300 guests were greeted with a luxury boutique shopping experience, which included the finest selection of designer clothes, accessories and gifts from vendors: Homemade Baby, Mustela, Heather Moore Jewelry, Bella Inspired, Terri Michele Fragrances, Dr. Peter’s Child Identity Kit, Petit Bijou by Garcelle, Tough Cookies Boutique, Baby Eggi, The Silly Wagon and Dr. Fresh. Fundraising continued with a live and silent auction where guests bid on lavish gifts and luxurious vacations donated by the event’s committee volunteers. News anchor Lauren Sanchez hosted the luncheon program and auction.

Through research, education, advocacy and community programs, the March of Dimes is a champion for the health of all babies. For more than 70 years the March of Dimes has enjoyed a rich history of Hollywood celebrity support. Stars like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and many others have volunteered for March of Dimes lifesaving campaigns. Proceeds from the Los Angeles Celebration of Babies luncheon benefit March of Dimes mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. November is Prematurity Awareness Month, when the March of Dimes calls on everyone who cares about babies to “Fight for Preemies.” Premature birth, the leading cause of newborn death, has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., affecting more than half a million babies each year. Hollywood moms and dads are joining March of Dimes to celebrate their healthy babies and raise funds to ensure all babies have a healthy start. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.

To view video clips from this event, click here.

Affleck, Damon and More To Ante Up For Africa

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:30:00 -0000

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Brad Garrett, Mekhi Phifer, and top poker professional Phil Hellmuth have joined the growing list of celebrities who plan to play in the Ante Up For Africa charity tournament July 2 at the 40th annual World Series of Poker.

Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are expected to go all in for the 3rd Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) Celebrity-Charity poker tournament.

Annually, the largest celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas, the event is accessible for the public to play with their favorite stars or watch as spectators. A full house of celebrities will join Academy Award Nominee, Don Cheadle and “Celebrity Apprentice Star” and WSOP Bracelet winner Annie Duke at the event taking place during the 2009 WORLD SERIES OF POKER® (WSOP) at Rio in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 2 at 2 PM.

This No-Limit Hold’em poker tournament has an entry fee of $5,000 and provides entrants the opportunity to walk away with a six-figure payday. The event allows players to rub elbows with top Hollywood stars, athletes and poker professionals while contributing to a great cause.

Celebrities and athletes will join poker’s most notable players to raise public awareness and funds to support the victims of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Among those confirmed to participate, subject to availability, are Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Brad Garrett, Cedric the Entertainer, Charles Barkley, Danny Masterson, Hank Azaria, Herschel Walker, Jason Alexander, Kenny Smith, Marlon Wayans, Montel Williams, Reggie Miller, Tia Carrere, Sarah Silverman, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Cheryl Hines, Mekhi Phifer, Rob Schneider; Poker Professionals Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Tiffany Michelle, Erik Seidel and Phil Hellmuth with more to be confirmed.

The tournament will feature a fast-paced structure designed to complete the competition within five hours. Seating for the tournament is open to anyone age 21 or older.

This event, as is every World Series of Poker tournament, is open to the public for viewing and admission is free. The event will take place in the famed Amazon Ballroom in the Rio Convention Center, just one day prior to the start of the WSOP Main Event, the game’s most prestigious poker event.

Cheadle, an accomplished poker player, and Duke, who has more than $4 million in tournament winnings, are committed to raising both public awareness about the tragedy in Darfur and funds to aid its victims. As the world’s richest sporting event, the WSOP awarded more than $180 million in 2008 and attracted participants from a record 124 nations.

In the previous events, many of the in the money finishers volunteered to donate half of their winnings to the charity. Proceeds from the event will go to the ENOUGH Project and Refugees International, organizations whose goals include raising public awareness and providing aid to the survivors of Darfur.

More information about the tournament is available at www.worldseriesofpoker.com. If you would like more information regarding the organization, please log onto www.anteupforafrica.org and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/anteupforafrica.

ABOUT THE WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year-over-year. In December, 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Team Brand Index trailing only the more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

ABOUT ANTE UP FOR AFRICA
Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein. We are dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need. To date, Ante Up For Africa has raised close to $2 million for the cause and has donated to organizations such as Not On Our Watch (NOOW), ENOUGH and The International Rescue Committee. For more information, please log onto www.AnteUpForAfrica.org.

Stars Come Out For The Congo

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Crystal A. Johnson

On Wednesday, February 18, the stars came out to join Children Mending Hearts for an event honoring International Medical Corps for their dedication in supporting the women and children victimized by war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The event was hosted by writer/producer Grant Heslov – of “Good Night and Good Luck” – and his wife Lysa at the House of Blues on Sunset Blvd. With Oscar week at a fever pitch, the A-list crowd was in town to support a good cause and listen to the musical styling of Sheryl Crow. Anderson Cooper was also honored for his work

In attendance for the event were Alyssa Milano – looking stunning in red satin – Ben Affleck, Joel Madden, Hank Azaria and many others.

When asked about his show of support for the event, Affleck replied: “I am involved because I spent some time with the international medical corps in the refugee camps they work in Goma and North Kebo which is in the Eastern Congo as well as a little bit in Uganda, Tanzania and Sudan. I got a chance to see what their work was like…I have personally seen them save lives and I was so struck by it that the least I could do was come to a party.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered 20 years of continuous fighting which has led to an estimated 5.4 million deaths. Lysa Heslov, has personally traveled the DR Congo in January of 2009. She filmed her efforts to raise awareness.

While on the red carpet, actor Hank Azaria admitted that events like this one help to raise awareness for him.

Actress Andie MacDowell was also in attendance and shared her thoughts with The Associated Press: “I want to participate in education and teaching people about what’s happening in the Congo, because I think unfortunately we don’t know. And I think knowledge is everything and once people understand what’s happening and start voicing their opinions about what’s happening – to women particularly in the Congo, about all these women being raped – we can make a change. People are powerful.”

Look To The Stars News: Hank Azaria

Stars Come Out For March Of Dimes

Related past articles

Affleck, Damon and More To Ante Up For Africa

Related past articles

Stars Come Out For The Congo

Related past articles