Look To The Stars News: Robin Williams

Smile Train Performs 250,000th Cleft Repair In China

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Smile Train, the world’s leading cleft charity with over 2,200 partner surgeons operating in over 1,100 partner hospitals in over 80 countries, today announced that it has performed its 250,000th cleft repair surgery in China, since it began operations there in 1999. All 250,000 surgeries have been performed by local Chinese surgeons.

Smile Train was founded in 1999 with the mission of providing every child born with a cleft the same opportunities in life as a child born without. The charity has a large number of celebrity supporters, many of which used their star-status to increase the organization’s profile last year. Among the many efforts during the year, Dean Cain, Tatyana Ali and Erik Estrada appeared on The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards to help raise awareness for Smile Train by highlighting a recent trip they took to Mexico with the charity. Additionally, Erik Estrada continued his mission to support Smile Train by choosing to dance for the charity on the Univision hit show Mira Quien Baila! raising over $10,000. Lastly, comedian Jimmy Pardo continued the giving trend with his Third Annual PARDCAST-A-THON.

Other celebrity supporters include Robin Williams, the late Walter Cronkite, Hilary Swank, Colin Powell, Jane Kaczmarek, Sammi Hanratty, Kevin Connolly, Stephen Colbert, Christie Brinkley, Helena Bonham Carter and many more.

Jewel To Co-Host Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Veterans Day Special

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:15:00 +0000

ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is teaming up with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to present a one-hour special: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition “Rise and Honor” A Veterans Day Special, featuring appearances by some huge celebrities.

Jewel and Ty Pennington

Jennifer Aniston Joins Celebrity Charity Campaign For St. Jude

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

For 50 years, the entertainment industry has embraced the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

When Danny Thomas set out to build the hospital in 1962, some of the biggest stars of that era such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Jr., Dinah Shore and Jack Benny donated their time and talents to help raise awareness and funds for St. Jude. Today, that tradition continues with celebrities from film, television, music and sports all donating their time, talents and support to the 2011 St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign.

Jon Stewart And David Blaine To Tour The Troops With USO

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Admiral Mike Mullen will wrap up his four-year appointment as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by leading a star-studded, eclectic group of celebrities on his final USO entertainment tour overseas this summer.

Admiral Mullen will be joined by “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, Hall of Fame forward Karl Malone and illusionist David Blaine as they entertain deployed servicemen and women on a three-country, six-day tour. (Locations and dates of the tour stops remain unannounced for security reasons.)

Harry Potter Star To Be Honored With Charity Hero Award

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000

The Trevor Project’s mission to stop suicide in LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) youth will benefit from two star-studded events this weekend.

On Sunday, June 26, “Style Your Life, Live Your Style” will celebrate the lives that have been saved by the Trevor Project and the It Gets Better campaign through fashion, music, and cocktails.

At this time confirmed attendees include Max Adler, (Glee); Tanya Chisholm, (Nickelodeon); Tamra Barney, (Real Housewives of Orange County); Valery Ortiz, (On the Up and South of Nowhere), Skyler Stonestreet, (Pop Artist); David Collins, Producer; and various other agents, producers, directors and designers.

Celebrity Guests Announced For Charity Cannes Gala

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Janet Jackson, Brooke Shields, Gwen Stefani, Freida Pinto, Michelle Yeoh, Milla Jovovich, Patrick Dempsey and Harvey Weinstein are among those who will travel to Cannes to raise funds for AIDS research at amfAR’s annual Cinema Against AIDS gala, to be held on May 19 during the 64th annual Cannes International Film Festival.

Other event chairs include amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole, amfAR Global Fundraising Chair Sharon Stone, Milutin Gatsby, Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, Ryan Kavanaugh, Karl Lagerfeld, Michel Litvak, Vincent Roberti, Carine Roitfeld and Donatella Versace.

The annual star-studded event at the Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, will include a formal dinner and a world-renowned live auction, all to benefit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. As in previous years, Harvey Weinstein will recruit talent from the room to help with the live auction.

Selena Gomez Fills Her Bottles For UNICEF

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Selena Gomez has given her fans a glimpse into her home in a new video promoting UNICEF’s Celebrity Tap Project.

The UNICEF Tap Project is a public service campaign that aims to draw attention to this serious issue and encourage the public to take action to reduce the numbers of children dying daily from waterborne illnesses, the second-highest cause of preventable childhood deaths in the world.

“As you know, I’m part of this year’s Celebrity Tap Project for UNICEF,” she says on the video. “Myself and many others are collecting our tap water and putting it in these fancy bottles for you guys to win. So I wanna make a quick video to show you guys that we are filling up these bottles with my tap water – this is my home – and I want to thank you guys so much for helping kids all over the world.”

Selena Gomez Joins UNICEF Celebrity Charity Tap Project

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Celebrities from the worlds of music, film, television and sport have joined with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to engage consumers in a conversation about the lack of access to safe, clean water for nearly 900 million children and adults across the globe.

Celebrity supporters – UNICEF Ambassador Selena Gomez, along with Adrian Grenier, Dwight Howard, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Robin Williams – will bottle their own tap water from their homes for a sweepstakes benefiting the UNICEF Tap Project. Supporters of the UNICEF Tap Project can enter to win a limited-edition “Celebrity Tap Pack,” a one-of-a-kind case of custom-made water bottles featuring tap water from the homes of each celebrity advocate, all the while raising vital funds for UNICEF’s clean water and sanitation programs.

Kelly Clarkson And Bret Michaels To Perform At Muhammad Ali Celebrity Charity Event

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Muhammad Ali’s annual celebrity charity Fight Night is to return to Arizona this month.

Celebrity Fight Night XVII will be hosted by Grammy Award-winning superstar of country music Reba McEntire, who is returning for her sixth time as emcee. The black tie event will begin with cocktails and a silent auction with dinner, an exciting live auction and entertainment to follow. Billy Crystal will make a special introduction of Muhammad Ali and multi-platinum recording artist Matchbox Twenty will open the musical portion of the evening, followed by a performance from Grammy Award-winning vocalist Kelly Clarkson. Additional performers will include the Top 12 American Idol 2011 finalists, Bret Michaels, Jackie Evancho and Lee Greenwood, under the direction of David Foster – who is returning for his 12th consecutive year as the evening’s Musical Director.

This year, Muhammad Ali will honor Halle Berry, Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons, former NBA and NFL owner Red McCombs and No. 1 ranked LPGA Champion Cristie Kerr with the 2011 Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Awards. Kevin Costner & Modern West will perform at the official after-party immediately following the event.

Cher Attends Kat Kramer's Films That Change The World‏

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:30:00 +0000

As reported earlier this week on LookToTheStars.org, the third installment of Kat Kramer’s Films That Change the World featured the world premiere of the documentary “Elephants and Man: A Litany of Tragedy” at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood on Thursday, January 20.
 
 The film, executive produced by Melya Kaplan and directed by Jacek Kropinski, chronicles the history of elephants in captivity. Kaplan, founder of the nonprofit Voice for the Animals Foundation, contends that zoos and circuses are not capable of properly caring for elephants due to their size and their need for vast amounts of space in which to roam. Many celebrities have joined Kaplan in a campaign to persuade zoos to close elephant exhibits and transfer the pachyderms to larger sanctuaries.

Halle Berry to be Honored at Celebrity Fight Night

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:37:00 +0000

One of the nation’s premier charity events, Celebrity Fight Night, has announced that this year Halle Berry will be honored while multi-platinum recording artist Matchbox Twenty will open the musical portion of the evening.

This annual star-studded gala presented in honor of featured guest, Muhammad Ali, will be held on Saturday, March 19th at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Ariz.

In addition to Matchbox Twenty, there will be performances from Grammy Award-winning vocalist Kelly Clarkson, Legendary country singer, Lee Greenwood, the Top 12 American Idol 2011 finalists as well as Bret Michaels.

Stars Celebrate A Time For Peace

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Time For Peace – the humanitarian film and music awards – was held in Paris on Friday, with Sting winning an accolade for best music, and Jimmy Jean-Louis attending.

The Time for Peace Film & Music Awards launched in New York in 1994 by Marion Einbeck and Robert Einbeck, is a response to the need for popularizing films and music recognized for their artistic quality that further the ideals of humanist values such as tolerance, better understanding between people, respect for differences, and human solidarity.

The award has previously been presented to filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg for Schindler’s List and later Amistad, Michael Radford for Il Postino, Scott Hicks for Shine, Caroline Link for Jenseits der Stille (Beyond Silence), Jan Sverak for Kolya, actor Robin Williams for his performance as Sean McGuire in Good Will Hunting, and last year to Edward Zwick for Blood Diamond; in music the award has gone to artists such as Stevie Wonder for Conversation Peace, Jewel for her songs Pieces of You and A Night Without Amor, Charles Trenet for his lifetime achievement, and in 2007 to Charles Aznavour for Colore Ma Vie, to mention only a few.

Robin Williams Show To Benefit Earthquake Victims In New Zealand

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Robin Williams is in New Zealand this week, and will donate 100% of the proceeds from his Christchurch shows to victims of September’s devastating earthquake in the city.

“It is devastating what has happened in Christchurch but from what I have learnt, the people there are incredibly resilient,” said Williams. "The first quake of 7.1 would have been traumatic enough but I understand that since then, the people of Christchurch have experienced close to 3,000 after-shocks.

“That is an unimaginable trauma to have to endure. I hope this donation will go some way to helping the extensive rebuilding effort in the city.”

Streisand, Aerosmith Items Up for Grabs

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:20:00 +0000

Now is your chance to get into Barbra Streisand’s pants.

BiddingForGood, the leading cause-related e-commerce platform, has reached $100 Million raised for schools and non-profits across the country and is well underway to raising even more with the Hall of Fame 2010 Auction.

The auction will run until October 24, 2010, and is filled with great items including over a dozen pieces of clothing personally owned by Barbara Streisand and donated by the Barbra Streisand Foundation.

George Clooney And Friends To Appear On Comedy Central Charity Special

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Over 50 amazing performers will show their support and lend their comedy chops to “Night Of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Concert For Autism Education,” the biennial/bi-coastal event which raises funds to help ease the severe shortage of effective schools and education programs for autistic children and adults.

This year’s presentation features star-studded taped segments from the Beacon Theatre in New York City with additional live wrap-arounds from Los Angeles including a celebrity phone bank which allows viewers to call in during the show to donate while speaking with additional comedic heavyweights. Jon Stewart hosts an evening filled with live performances and sketches from a roster of comedy all-stars with live wrap-arounds in LA and showcasing the taped segments from New York City which premieres on COMEDY CENTRAL on Thursday, October 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Andre Agassi And Friends Raise $8.5 Million At Charity Grand Slam

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:00:00 +0000

As reported by LookToTheStars.org last week, Andre Agassi hosted his star-studded Grand Slam For Children on October 9. The event saw a host of famous faces hit the stage, and raised a massive $8.5 million for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation’s educational work.

Among those to perform were Elton John, Jason Mraz, Jennifer Hudson, Rob Thomas, David Foster and Bill Cosby, and an auction feature items donated by Katie Couric, Michael Phelps, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, Robin Williams, Wayne Gretzky and many more.

The live auction saw a personal dinner with Robin Williams go under the hammer for 6 people at $100,000 each. Lars Ulrich’s drum lessons went for $35,000, and a trip with Freida Pinto to India went for $75,000.

Elton John And Friends To Rock Andre Agassi's Charity Bash

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Elton John, Jason Mraz, Jennifer Hudson, Rob Thomas, David Foster and Bill Cosby will perform at Andre Agassi’s Grand Slam for Children on October 9.

The annual event supports the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation’s efforts to transform education and benefits the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy (Agassi Prep), a K-12 public charter school in Las Vegas that strives to provide children with a first-class education. Hosted by tennis legend and philanthropist Andre Agassi and presented by Genworth Financial, the 2010 Grand Slam for Children will take place Saturday, Oct. 9 at Wynn Las Vegas.

Celebrating its 15th year, the Grand Slam brings together international stars – from music to comedy – each year to build awareness and raise money for the Foundation. Dedicated to transforming education, the Foundation opened the Agassi Academy in 2001; in 2009, the public charter school graduated its first senior class with 100 percent of graduates accepted into college. The Foundation’s work is directly impacting students in Las Vegas, Agassi’s hometown community, but it has broader implications for education nationwide.

Stars Announced For Idol Gives Back

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Emmy Award-winning Idol Gives Back welcomes Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, The Black Eyed Peas, Annie Lennox and Jeff Beck as performers on this year’s event, airing Wednesday, April 21.

The brainchild of Simon Fuller, Idol Gives Back has made history by raising over $140 million for charity to date. This year’s special will help raise awareness and funds to benefit various U.S. and international charities, including Children’s Health Fund, Feeding America, Malaria No More, Save the Children’s U.S. Programs and the United Nations Foundation. Viewers will once again be able to make donations during and following the show. In addition, the week’s voting results will be revealed, sending one of the finalists home.

So far this year, Jennifer Garner has already recorded a segment, and David Cook has visited Ethiopia for the show.

Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night Hits Phoenix For Charity

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:30:00 +0000

Reba McEntire resumed her hosting duties at this year’s Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix on Saturday night.

American Idol judge Randy Jackson had the honor of introducing the boxing legend on stage at the event, while Glenn Frey, David Foster, Sam Moore and Charice provided entertainment.

Among those to receive awards at the event included NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and film producer Jerry Weintraub. The evening also featured a live auction that included lots such as dinner with Muhammad Ali, Steve Nash, Kevin Costner, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Douglas, Billy Crystal or Robin Williams, a day out with Reba McEntire, a meet-and-greet with Michael Buble and much more.

Eagles Founder Glenn Frey Busy With Charity Work

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Eagles singer Glenn Frey acted as honorary chairman for the 2010 grand auction to benefit the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Coachella Valley on Saturday, March 13, at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort in Indian Wells, California.

“I’ve been helping kids — at-risk kids — for a long time,” he told The Desert Sun last week. “Thirty years. It seems like now times are even more troubled for young people.”

The rock legend first became active in children’s charities in the 1990s, when he started hosting inner-city kids in Colorado each summer.

Glenn Frey To Headline Celebrity Charity Fight Night

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Glenn Frey of the Eagles, one of the world’s most successful rock bands having sold more than 120 million albums, will headline the entertainment at Celebrity Fight Night XVI on Saturday, March 20th at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, AZ.

Celebrating his 50th year on the world stage, Muhammad Ali will receive a special introduction from Grammy Award-winning producer and American Idol judge, Randy Jackson during the event.

Stars Remember Natasha Richardson At Charity Gala

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

The stars were out and about on Wednesday, February 10, to remember actress Natasha Richardson – who died in a skiing accident last year – and honor Elton John at the annual New York Fundraiser for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

The event, held at Cipriani 42nd Street, featured performances by Rufus Wainwright and Lady Gaga, and featured a guest list that included Cyndi Lauper, Vanessa Redgrave, Meryl Streep, Sharon Stone, Stanley Tucci and many more.

Sir Elton received amfAR’s 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.

Toronto Film Festival To Host Cinema Against AIDS

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:00:00 +0000

On September 15, 2009, amfAR – The American Foundation for AIDS Research – and Dignitas International will partner on the first-ever Cinema Against AIDS event during the Toronto International Film Festival.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and amfAR Ambassador Michelle Yeoh will serve as chairs of the evening, along with amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole, John Demsey, Milutin Gatsby, Trudy Grant, amfAR Founding Chairman Dr. Mathilde Krim, Dignitas co-founder Dr. James Orbinski, and Kevin Sullivan. Grammy Award-winning musical artist Sarah McLachlan will deliver a special performance.

Animated Frog Helps Raise Awareness Of Rainforests

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:30:00 +0000

London’s Picadilly Circus came alive last week when its iconic Coca Cola and McDonalds signs burst into life with the appearance of a new animated rainforest frog. St Trinian’s star Talulah Riley was on hand to launch the new initiative, which is part of an ongoing campaign for the Prince’s Rainforests Project.

The McDonald’s sign gives members of the public the chance to interact with the breathing frog, allowing them to be photographed in front of the screens with the frog seemingly on their hand, head or shoulder, in keeping with the PRP campaign video.

Look To The Stars Invites You To The Bash Of All Bashes

Thu, 14 May 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Look To The Stars is proud to be associated with a special charity party being held in Hollywood this weekend featuring a number of celebrity guests.

The Bash has been organized by a group of teenage girls – Teens Helping Teens – including Hayley Hasselhoff – daughter of David – and Autumn Chiklis, daughter of Michael Chiklis, who wanted to support the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The founders of the event are Nathalia Ramos (Disney Bratz) and Bosilika An, and the board includes Mady Feder, Marissa Lepor, Savanah Slotkin, Ellen Basser and Zelda Williams (daughter of Robin Williams).

“Around Christmas, Teens Helping Teens noticed that the teens in the hospital were really lacking things to keep them entertained,” explained David Hasselhoff. "The kids that have to stay in the hospital are often there for a really long time and a lot of them are in isolation wards and can’t really communicate with anyone but the nurses and their families. The girls of Teens Helping Teens went around and asked all these kids what they wanted the most to make their stay more comfortable and almost all of them said they wanted a computer or a PlayStation or something that would occupy them without risking them getting sick.