Look To The Stars News: Shane Warne

Johnny Depp Raises Bids In Celebrity Charity Auction For Christchurch

Tue, 24 May 2011 14:00:00 +0000

The first round of celebrity charity auctions to benefit two schools damaged in the devastating Christchurch earthquake ended last night, with a new round starting today.

Stars 4 Kids has been set up to raise funds for two Christchurch schools, Shirley Primary and Avonside Girls’ High, both badly damaged in the February 22nd earthquake that killed over 160 people and left thousands without homes and jobs. The auction will be run through New Zealand’s #1 auction site – Trade Me – and can also be accessed by Australia.

The auction that just ended saw a signed photo of Johnny Depp go under the hammer for over NZ$500, a rugby league hat signed by Russell Crowe go for NZ$266, a book signed by British Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson sell for NZ$102, while DVDs and a hat signed by The Mentalist star Simon Baker brought in NZ$200. Other items included a calendar signed by Kylie Minogue, which reached NZ$103, and items from Colin Firth (Best Lead Actor in The King’s Speech), Geoffrey Rush, Donald Trump, Sir Ian McKellen, Guy Pearce and Status Quo.

Celebrity Charity Cricket Raises $500,000 For Earthquake Victims

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:00:00 +0000

The celebrity charity cricket game held at Wellington’s Basin Reserve in New Zealand yesterday has raised NZ$500,000 for victims of last month’s devastating earthquake in Christchurch.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key took part in the game against Australian cricket legend Shane Warne, New Zealand sporting heroes and a selection of hobbits.

Umpired by Martin Freeman and Mark Hadlow from Peter Jackson’s production of The Hobbit, as well as several All Blacks, the game saw teams “coached” by Russell Crowe and James Nesbitt go head-to-head in a friendly game to help those in need. Ian McKellen was also on hand to donate his time.

More Hobbits To Play Celebrity Charity Cricket In New Zealand

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:30:00 +0000

More stars from The Hobbit have been named to take part in this weekend’s celebrity charity cricket match in New Zealand to raise money for victims of the Christchurch earthquake.

Actor Martin Freeman – who will play Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s upcoming films – will umpire the game, along with Kiwi actor Mark Hadlow, who plays Dori the dwarf. Ian McKellen will be match referee. And British actor James Nesbitt – cast as Bofur – will go head-to-head with Russell Crowe as a coach of the two teams, which consist of New Zealand All Blacks and other sporting greats. Even Australian cricket legend Shane Warne is set to appear.

“We’ve been blown away by the level of interest and I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t a sellout,” said Gavin Larson, Wellington cricket boss. “The ground was recalibrated three years ago and the capacity is 8000, which I get the feeling we are going to reach a lot quicker than we thought.”

Ian McKellen And Russell Crowe Join Celebrity Charity Cricket For Christchurch Earthquake

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Sir Ian McKellen – currently in New Zealand to reprise his role of Gandalf for The Hobbit – will be match referee in a celebrity charity cricket game to raise money for victims of the devastating Christchurch earthquake that has claimed over 200 lives.

Joining the wizard for the match will be New Zealand-born actor Russell Crowe – who will coach one of the celebrity teams – as well as Australian cricket legend Shane Warne and former All Blacks Marc Ellis and Tana Umaga.

The game takes place at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Sunday, March13. Tickets go on sale today through Ticketek – $20 for adults and $10 for children.

Andy Roddick Donates $10,000 To Australian Flood Relief

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Tennis ace Andy Roddick has donated $10,000 to help victims of Australia’s floods.

Devastating floods are currently raging through Queensland, causing widespread damage and killing at least 12 people.

The star donated $100 for every ace he served at the Brisbane International.

Michael Parkinson Becomes Charity Patron

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:30:00 +0000

British TV presenter Sir Michael Parkinson has been named the patron of the Child Bereavement Charity in the UK.

The charity provides support and information to all affected by the death of a baby or child or when children are bereaved and also provides accessible training for over 5000 professionals who work with these families and children.

Parkinson has been a long-time supporter of the charity and recently hosted The Ashes Golf Challenge, a major fundraising event for the charity that featured Australian and English cricketers battling it out on the golf course.

Sport Heroes Donate Art To Charity

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Sir Alex Ferguson, Theo Walcott, Thierry Henry, Joe Calzaghe and Shane Warne are just some of the sporting heroes whose artwork will be on display at the Catto Gallery in Hampstead from September 25 to 27 in aid of national charity, the Willow Foundation.

The Willow Foundation, set up by Arsenal legend Bob Wilson and his wife Megs, is a national charity that provides special, morale-boosting and memorable days for seriously ill 16 to 40 year olds.

Kylie Minogue Leads The Stars In Australian Charity Concerts

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Over 120,000 people attended the Sound Relief fundraising concerts in Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday, March 14, to raise money for victims of devastating fires and floods in Australia.

The concerts have raised over AUS$5 million to go towards the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Fund Appeal and Queensland flood relief efforts, with some of the world’s greatest entertainers turning on performances of a lifetime for a good cause.

Coldplay, Jack Johnson, Taylor Swift, Kings Of Leon, Neil Finn and Crowded House, and Kasey Chambers were just some of the artists that entertained the crowds, which included celebrities such as Toni Collette, David Wenham and Shane Warne. Kylie Minogue appeared at the Melbourne concert with a special rendition of I Still Call Australia Home, and the Sydney concert was closed by Olivia Newton-John and Barry Gibb, who performed Islands In The Stream and a wide range of Bee Gees hits. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin also joined Aussie legend John Farnham on stage for a duet on You’re The Voice.

Olivia Newton-John Sends Message Of Hope To Fire Victims

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Olivia Newton-John has sent a message of hope and love to the victims of the Australian bushfires. Speaking exclusively to Look To The Stars, the multi Grammy winning artist has urged people to donate to disaster relief funds

“My heart goes out to [the victims],” she said. “My heart hurts for my country and the animals and people of Australia and I just can’t imagine the horrors they’re going through. I send my love, I wish I was there to do more at this moment. I’ve been really touched by the generosity of the Australian people because they are an amazing resilient people that have always dug deep to help. I ask everybody to dig even deeper because this is just an unprecedented catastrophe. I send out my love and light to everybody affected.”

The singer’s words come the day after a massive benefit concert/telethon was held in Australia to raise money for the cause. Australia Unites featured a host of celebrities including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Rachel Griffiths, Naomi Watts, Ellen DeGeneres, Anthony La Paglia, Shane Warne, Rove McManus, and Australian Olympic legend Cathy Freeman. Manning the phones for the evening were Orlando Bloom and girlfriend Miranda Kerr. Among the performers were The Living End, Jessica Mauboy, Jimmy Barnes, Lee Kernaghan, Shannon Noll, Kate Ceberano, and John Williamson.

Shane Warne Puts His Cards On The Table

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Australian cricket legend Shane Warne has joined with World Poker Champion Joe Hachem to host a poker tournament to benefit sick and underprivileged children down under.

October 27 will see the Crown Casino in Melbourne come alive as the pair kick off the tournament with a tongue-in-cheek “learn to play poker” session, followed by an evening of high rolling fun.

There is guaranteed to be a celebrity playing at every table, with Kath and Kim’s Glenn Robins and ex-Westlife singer Brian McFadden already signed up and ready to go.

It's Never Too Crowded For Charity

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:35:00 +0000

Half of the band is American, yet they originated in Australia, and the lead singer is a New Zealander. Veteran pop band Crowded House can truly be considered as one of the most international music groups ever to grace the airwaves. And even though they are currently halfway through a world tour to promote their latest album, they still find time to be part of a new collaborative CD to raise money for Oxfam.

“The Cake Sale” (CD /MP3) is a new record featuring a loose and expansive collective of musicians and writers, including Crowded House founding member Nick Seymore, who have combined to create a 9 song CD of previously unreleased recordings. Profits from the album, which also features Nina Persson from The Cardigans, Damien Rice, and Snow Patrol, will go to Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign, as well as to their overseas program work. It was released in Britain in September, where it has already raised almost $300,000, and was made available in the US on October 16.

Crowded House formed in 1984, as a result of the demise of an earlier band called Split Enz. Ex-Enz singer/songwriter Neil Finn, and drummer Paul Hester, joined bass player Nick Seymore to form the new band, then travelled to Los Angeles. There they were signed to Capital Records. Over the next 12 years, the band released four albums, and garnered a loyal fan base with a strong repertoire of hits on both sides of the Atlantic, including “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, “Weather With You”, and “Four Seasons In One Day”.