Look To The Stars News: Elle Macpherson

Stars Want Bluefin Tuna Off The Menu

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0000

A group of actors has written to Robert DeNiro’s Nobu restaurant chain to ask them to stop serving endangered Bluefin Tuna.

According the Britain’s The Telegraph, Sienna Miller, Charlize Theron, Jemima Khan, Woody Harrelson, Laura Bailey, Alicia Silverstone, Zac Goldsmith, Sting, Trudie Styler, Elle Macpherson and Stephen Fry have “written to the restaurant to say they can no longer dine with a clear conscience as long as the restaurant continues to serve bluefin tuna – a species considered by many to be as endangered as the white rhinoceros, panda or tiger.”

The plight of the bluefin tuna has been highlighted by the release of The End of the Line, a film narrated by Ted Danson that shows the effects of overfishing on the world’s oceans.

“The possibility that the magnificent bluefin tuna, one of the fastest creatures on the planet, could be extinct in as little as four years is a tragedy,” wrote the stars in their letter. “Continuing to serve bluefin leaves Nobu vulnerable to public criticism and lagging behind Moshi Moshi, [”Gordon Ramsay":http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/921-gordon-ramsay], Jamie Oliver, Itsu and numerous others. We all love [Nobu, but bluefin tuna] must be completely removed from the menu due to its perilous position as an extremely endangered animal".

“It’s astounding lunacy to serve up endangered species for sushi,” added Stephen Fry. “There’s no justification for peddling extinction, yet that is exactly what Nobu is doing in restaurants around the world.”

A spokesperson for the restaurant said they are taking the issue “very seriously… The consumption of this fish is a cultural institution in Japan and there is still an enormous demand for this delicacy at all our restaurants. In the specific case of the menus at our London restaurants it should be noted that the statement that informs diners that the tuna served is Bluefin was included at the behest of [”Greenpeace":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/142-greenpeace], with whom we have continual dialogue. We are also currently looking at Australian farm-raised tuna as an alternative."

Elton John Charity Oscar Party Attracts Big Stars

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Elton John attracted more than a few big names to his annual charity Oscar party last night, February 22, with Victoria Beckham, Gordon Ramsay, Katie Price and Kate Beckinsale among the 650 guests.

The party is held every year to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, an organization established and overseen by the singer that funds educational programs targeted at HIV/AIDS prevention and the elimination of prejudice and discrimination against HIV/AIDS, and for programs that provide services to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Last year’s party raised over $5 million for the charity, and this year is expected to have topped that, with a guest list that included Kiefer Sutherland, Sharon Stone, Elle Macpherson and Natasha Bedingfield.

“We give them the best that they can possibly afford,” said Sir Elton before the lavish party kicked off at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. “It’s beautiful inside the tent, the food’s great, everyone will be served the best wines, but they need to be because they’ve paid an awful lot of money for a seat.”

Tickets to the event reportedly sold for $3,500.

Martha Stewart Gets Celeb Friends To Sign Decorations

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

An eclectic array of stars, including Dido, The Wiggles, James Taylor, Patti LaBelle, Pink, and Joss Stone, have signed Christmas ornaments for Martha Stewart’s new charity auction.

Stewart’s Sirius Radio show launched the auction this week to benefit the Taste of the NFL, an organization that raises money and awareness for hunger organizations.

Other stars to join in the fun include Howard Stern, David Archuleta, the Kaiser Chiefs, Jane Krakowski, Nigella Lawson, Quincy Jones, Elle Macpherson, Tom Arnold, Jacqueline Bisset, David Cook, Nickelback, Jamie Oliver, Lee Ann Womack, and many more.

The auction – which runs until December 12 – can be accessed through eBay.

Win Jessica Alba's Handbag

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Throughout November, make-up giant Revlon will be donating a percentage of their profits to Rainbow Trust, a children’s charity which provides support to families dealing with terminal or life threatening illnesses. And to celebrate, they are running a competition to win Jessica Alba’s handbag.

As part of the month-long initiative, Revlon has also teamed up with In Style magazine to auction off bags signed by some of Hollywood’s favorite starlets – including Keira Knightley, Elle Macpherson, Claudia Schiffer and Thandie Newton, Sharon Osbourne, and Eva Green – at a champagne tea event at The Berkeley hotel ballroom on the 4 November.

“This is going to be a fun, über glam event which will raise lots of money for an incredibly good cause,” said Trish Halpin, editor of In Style. “After all – what woman doesn’t want a fantastic handbag?”

“Revlon are proud to be working alongside In Style Magazine to hold the UK’s first-ever In Style Handbag Auction to raise money for the Rainbow Trust Charity,” added Scott Peterson, commercial director UK & Ireland for Revlon. “This amazing event is perfectly suited to Revlon’s heritage of contemporary glamour and iconic beauty. We are also pleased to bring this event to life in-store through our partnership with Boots to raise even more money and grateful to our spokeswoman Jessica Alba for donating her designer bag for the Boots customers to win.”

More information about the competition and auction can be found at the In Style website.

Sir Elton John's White Tie And Tiara Party Hits The Beach

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Once a year Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish throw open the doors of their exquisite Berkshire home to a sparkling array of celebrities for their annual White Tie and Tiara Ball, and last night was no different as a staggering number of stars filed into the singer’s house for this year’s much-looked-forward-to event.

More than 600 guests turned up to the beach-themed party, each paying around US$6,000 for the dinner, auction, and concert. This year’s performance came from Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson, and attendees included Bill Clinton, Elle Macpherson, Denzel Washington, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael Caine, Simon Cowell, Rod Stewart, Mischa Barton, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Gordon Ramsay, Tracey Emin, Roger Federer, Natalie Imbruglia, Kelly Osbourne, and Jemima Khan.

Sir Elton decorated his lavish garden with palm trees and sand for the party, which raised money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Last year’s event raised over $12 million for the cause, and the White Tie and Tiara Balls have made over $50 million since 1998.

It's A Long Way Down For Charity

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:09:46 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

What was quite possibly the party of the year was held in London on November 8, in celebration of the adventure of a lifetime.

The Long Way Down charity dinner and auction was held to mark the successful completion of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s 15,000 mile motorcycle ride from the most northern point in Scotland to the most southern point of South Africa, an adventure that is now the subject of a television series being shown on BBC2 on Sunday nights, and an action-packed book. A host of celebrities, including Elle Macpherson, James Nesbitt, and Scottish singer Sharleen Spiteri dusted off their best clothes for the event, which included performances by The Magic Numbers and Beth Orton.

The evening raised over $621,000 for the Long Way Down team’s charity partners, including Riders For Health, an organization that has worked for over 15 years to develop delivery systems for healthcare in Africa, as well as CHAS, a Scottish charity committed to providing children’s hospice services, and UNICEF.

“I’ve been involved with CHAS for many years,” said McGregor during the auction event. “It’s the most extraordinary place. 20% of the money raised tonight will go to CHAS, to help the children. They will be very grateful, as will I.”

The top selling item of the evening was a replica of the BMW R1200 motorcycle the pair rode during their journey. The bike, which was painted half in McGregor’s color scheme and half in Boorman’s, sold for an unbelievable $103,000. This was followed by one of the Nissan Nivara support vehicles that completed the trip, which was snapped up for $87,000. Other items included an African holiday for four people which reached $27,000, and a one-of-a-kind Gary Hutchins Edbanger guitar, sold for $18,000. In fact, the guitar proved to be so popular that the company that produced it agreed to make two more, both of which reached the same price.

Several celebrities also donated their own items to the auction, including Jay Kay from British pop group Jamiroquai, whose mountain bike fetched $12,000, slightly more than his personal hovercraft, which reached $10,000. Actor Simon Pegg sold the Nike shoes he wore in his latest movie, “Run Fat Boy Run”, for $3000.

The Long Way Down team is committed to raising as much money as possible for children affected by HIV, poverty, and conflict in Africa, and visited several sites in Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Rwanda where UNICEF works during the adventure. Both McGregor and Boorman hope that the auction will go a long way in achieving that goal.

“We have started a partnership with UNICEF that will continue for a long long time,” said McGregor, who paid $20,000 for six fashion dresses for his wife during the auction. “The people that we met who work for UNICEF, and the children they help, really touched us to our core. I have often thought that where I would say ‘I don’t know what we can do’, UNICEF says ’Here’s what we can do’.”

More information on the epic journey can be found at www.longwaydown.com.

Stars Sparkle for Elton John AIDS Foundation

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A charity party organised by Sir Elton John has raised $12.2 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and was a night to remember for all those involved.

Kate Winslet, Dame Judi Dench, and Elle Macpherson were among the 500 guests who dusted off their best clothes for the 9th annual White Tie and Tiara charity ball and auction, held on June 28 at Sir Elton’s home in Berkshire.

The theme of the night was “Las Vegas”, and the evening sparkled and shone as the celebrity party-goers wore their most stylish dresses and suits for the $6000/ticket event. Sir Elton’s house, “Woodside”, was lavishly decorated with a pink stretch cadillac, giant props from his “Red Piano” shows at Caesar’s Palace, and seven Elvis impersonators serenaded the crowd as they enjoyed a feast of “Las Vegas proportions”: truffle soufflé, followed by filet mignon with Maine lobster tail, and a giant knickerbocker glory for desert.

The dinner was followed by a special auction, in which guests bid on items such as a four day tennis lesson with Roger Federer (sold for $650,000), and an Audi R8 sportscar (snapped up for $800,000).

The most sought-after items for sale on the night included an artwork by party guest Tracey Emin, a trip to South Africa with Sir Elton and his partner, and a brand new Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe (which is said to be so elite that it has a waiting list that lasts until 2009). All of these items were sold for over $1.6 million each.

After the auction, guests such as Sir Michael Caine, Kirsten Dunst, and Stephen Fry – who wore a white tie AND tiara – were treated to the concert event of a lifetime. Backed by a 25 piece orchestra, Elton John joined Dame Shirley Bassey and Sir Tom Jones on stage to duet on songs such as “Hey Big Spender” and “Delilah”.

During the event, Sir Elton said that over the last 15 years the Elton John Aids Foundation has raised over $125 million. Much of this money has been used to raise awareness and aid for those affected by the disease in 55 countries.

Elton John Crowned Karaoke King

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:09:59 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Sir Elton John has given hope to aspiring singers everywhere by being crowned Karaoke King in a recent charity auction.

The event, held at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London on June 21, raised funds for the Hoping Foundation, a non-profit organization that assists children in Palestinian refugee camps. Bidders at the auction were able to “buy” their favourite singer to perform a song of their choice, or in some cases to perform a duet with them.

Sir Elton gave his rendition of the Elvis Presley tune “Are You Lonesome Tonight” in front of an audience that included Kate Moss and Elle Macpherson. His talents were bought by Elizabeth Hurley for $200,000 as a birthday gift to herself.

Other popular choices included Australian-born singer Nick Cave, well known for his dark songs, who raised $150,000 by singing Destiny Child’s “Bootylicious”, and Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan, who performed Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire” for $60,000. Bryan Adams shook the building to its foundations with his version of “Rocking All Over The World”, and James Blunt serenaded the audience with his gentle tones on “Summertime”.

A total of $700,000 was raised during the evening, much of which will go towards providing university scholarships in Lebanon, as well as emergency relief for Palestinian families forced to flee their camps at Nahr Al-Bared during recent fighting.

Gorbachev Cancer Fundraiser Draws Stars

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 08:13:15 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev hosted a gala dinner last weekend to raise money for the cancer charity he established in memory of his wife.

Raisa Gorbachev died of leukemia in 1999, and the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation aims to create a specialist hospital in St. Petersburg, Russia, that will provide high-quality medical care to children with cancer.

The gala event at Hampton Court Palace was attended by Bob Geldof, former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, actors Ralph Fiennes, Kim Cattrall and Anna Friel, singer Rod Stewart, authors Tom Wolfe and JK Rowling and supermodel Elle Macpherson.

UK Comic Relief Raises £40.2m

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 14:52:42 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

An eight-hour TV comedy marathon featuring cameos by Tony Blair and Kate Moss has brought this year’s Comic Relief appeal to a close, and the total funds raised to over £40m (78m USD).

Mr Blair played himself in a sketch set at Number 10 opposite comic Catherine Tate’s schoolgirl character Lauren, resorting to her catchphrase “Am I bovvered?”

The “Red Nose Day” TV gala featured other big names not normally known as comedians, including Daniel Craig, Elle Macpherson and Sting, while established comedy stars such as Ricky Gervais and Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen provided laughs aplenty.

The comedy was interspersed with music from the likes of The Killers, Sugababes and Girls Aloud, and with regular appeals for viewers to make pledges by Billy Connolly and others.

Although the appeal began on January 31, the majority of donations were made on Friday, with the final figure of £40,236,142 announced at the end of the TV show.

This year’s event marked the 11th anniversary of Red Nose Day and the 21st anniversary of Comic Relief in the UK. To date, £425m (825 USD) has been raised.

Charging For Charity

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 19:51:17 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Bono and Elle Macpherson are the faces behind the (RED) American Express Card, which Bono was proud to launch yesterday.

The card donates one percent of all funds charged on it to fighting the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

The U2 frontman feels that getting everyone working together, including big companies, will go a long way towards curing the disease and improving the world.

Look To The Stars News: Elle Macpherson

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