Look To The Stars News: Greg Kinnear

Star-Studded Event Honors CNN Everyday Heroes

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0000

This year’s CNN Heroes event featured a host of famous presenters including Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson, Greg Kinnear, George Lopez and Julia Louis Dreyfus.

Presented by Anderson Cooper, the third annual event honored the top 10 CNN Everyday Heroes of 2009, and was taped in front of an audience of 2,500 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Performances by Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood and R&B singer Maxwell enhanced the evening, which took place on November 21 and will be broadcast on CNN on November 26.

The winners of the awards were selected by a panel that included Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, Malaak Compton-Rock, Kirk Cameron, Masi Oka, Shakira, Ted Turner and Colin Powell.

The honorees – as listed by CNN – were:

Brad Blauser is providing hope and mobility to disabled children and their families in Iraq. Since 2005, his Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids program has distributed nearly 650 free pediatric wheelchairs to children in need.  
Roy Foster started Stand Down House to help veterans struggling with addiction and homelessness in Florida. Since 2000, his program has provided life-changing services to nearly 900 veterans. 
Doc Hendley is providing clean water to communities worldwide. Through creative fundraising, his nonprofit Wine to Water has brought sustainable water systems to 25,000 people in five countries. 
Breast cancer survivor Andrea Ivory is bringing early detection to the doorsteps of uninsured women. With mobile mammography vans, her group has provided more than 500 free screenings in Miami, Florida. 
Zimbabwe native Betty Makoni founded the Girl Child Network to provide a haven for young victims of sexual abuse. The organization has rescued more than 35,000 girls since 2001.  
 School bus driver Jorge Munoz is helping hungry New Yorkers make it through tough times. Since 2004, he has handed out more than 70,000 meals from his mobile soup kitchen in Queens — for free.  
Efren Peñaflorida gives Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership through education. His Dynamic Teen Company’s 10,000 members have taught basic reading and writing to 1,500 kids living in the slums. 
 Budi Soehardi founded a children’s home in one of the poorest areas of Indonesia. Today, Roslin Orphanage in West Timor provides food, shelter and education to more than 45 children.  
 Derrick Tabb started The Roots of Music to give young people an alternative to New Orleans’ streets. His music education program provides free tutoring, instruments and music instruction to more than 100 students. 
Jordan Thomas, 20, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, lost both of his legs in a boating accident in 2005. Since then, his Jordan Thomas Foundation has raised more than $400,000 to provide prosthetics for children in need.

Each of the top 10 Heroes receives $25,000, with the top Hero – Efren Peñaflorida – winning $100,000.

“With the recognition they receive on our stage,” said Anderson Cooper, “they’ll be able to help thousands and thousands of people. Through their efforts, lives will be changed and lives will be saved.”

To find out more about the winners, visit the CNN Heroes website.

Mary-Louise Parker Joins Read for the Record

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:13:00 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Mary-Louise Parker is joining in for Jumpstart’s Read for the Record campaign.

Also pledged to take part is Lo Bosworth from MTV’s The Hills, who will be signing books at American Eagle Outfitters in Hollywood between 1-2 this afternoon, September 2nd.

Other celebrity readers expected at this year’s October 8th event include Laura Bush, Jesse McCartney and Greg Kinnear.

Both Bosworth and Parker have made PSA’s supporting the campaign encouraging people to sign up to pledge to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to a child or children in their local communities.

This year’s official Campaign book is a limited edition of the classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. The commemorative book includes a foreward with messages from Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira of NBC’s TODAY Show , Mary-Louise Parker and LL Cool J. The special limited edition can be purchased online at www.readfortherecord.org/books.

Read for the Record is a program designed to share the joy of reading with young people around the world, and it helps to put books in the hands of low-income children. To find out how you can pledge to read, visit ReadForTheRecord.org, or to take part in Lo’s “Very Virtual Book Drive”, click here.

LTTS Exclusive: An Interview With The Hill's Lo Bosworth

Tue, 05 May 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Brandy Reynolds

Lo Bosworth – star of the hit MTV television show The Hills – is a young female philanthropist who truly believes in education.

As a college graduate, she has made the decision to teach children what she’s learned by educating one child at a time as an advocate of Jumpstart. Jumpstart’s mission is to ensure that all children in America enter school prepared to succeed. Year-round, Jumpstart recruits and trains thousands of people to work one-to-one with children in low income communities, helping preschoolers develop the language, literacy and social skills they need to succeed in school and in life.

Look To The Stars recently got the chance to interview this young women about how she is making a difference.

Why do you support Jumpstart?

For me, education was always such an important part of my life. I believe we have to start educating children at the very beginning, with reading. It’s the literacy aspect of Jumpstart – combined with my love of learning – that made me want to team up with this organization in particular.

What improvements have you seen since you have been working with this organization?

I was at a event recently in Santa Monica shooting a PSA for JumpStart [with] ambassadors who went to Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA . This group of college students read to kids at St Josephs 2 or 3 times a week, and they tell me that there’s a significant amount of improvement. They take kids in pre-school who are at risk and read to them for hours every single week trying to prepare them for kindergarten so that they’re at the appropriate reading level.

For someone in our age group who doesn’t have a lot of time or money, what would you suggest they do to get started in giving back?

The first thing to do is… go to the website and educate yourself about the organization. October 8 is our Read for the Record day, and you can sign up to be a reader and give a hour or two of your time to help out. I think that’s a great way to participate.

Were you brought up to give back or was there a certain event in your life that made you want to give back?

For me, I have been able to live a privileged life and I am so fortunate in that aspect. I try to remember the things I’ve done to get to this place, and now that I’m here I have the time and energy to give back to people. I think that when you’re in a privileged position, the best thing you can do is help others around you. Once you’ve attained success, then you do have the time and money to help others.

Do you think that young women in Hollywood are doing a good job at publicizing issues that affect our world? Do you think they could do more to get their fans involved?

I think to a certain degree yes, they could do more, but at the same time people want to support causes that they really do care about. And I think when you support a charity that you care about, that’s when the most work gets done. A lot of people go to charities to get their photo taken on the red carpet, and that’s different from really giving your time and energy to a cause. So I’d like to see more people really being active: finding one organization that they’re really passionate about and giving their time and energy to that.

What would you like to see change about the world when it comes to charity work?

I feel like any charity work out there is amazing. I feel like more people out there need to be willing to turn off the TV and get out there and help. One thing that I’m really interested in is working with more charities that are focused on people in our country. A lot of people focus on people overseas and I feel like there’s so much we can do here at home and make a difference.

Will any of your upcoming work reflect the philanthropic work you’re doing?

My sister and I are writing a children’s book and we’re trying to get that published. When I started reading to children and started working with Jumpstart, it inspired me to write a book. That was a really interesting experience for me and I’m really hoping that I can get our book published.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

Kelly Ripa. I love her show and I watch it every morning. I think that she’s so inspirational: she’s a mom and she has a strong family. We love her for just being herself. She has a career that I aspire to have.

Look To The Stars would like to thank Lo Bosworth for taking the time to talk to us. More information about Jumpstart’s Read For The Record campaign can be found at the charity’s website. Celebrity readers expected at this year’s event on October 8 include Laura Bush, Mary-Louise Parker, Jesse McCartney, and Greg Kinnear.

Kristen Bell Attends Alzheimer's Event

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress Kristen Bell was one of the many stars to attend the 17th annual Alzheimer’s Association A Night At Sardi’s event in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, March 4.

Held at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the event attracted stars such as Jason Alexander, Vanessa Williams, Dick Van Dyke, Michelle Pfeiffer, P. Diddy, Greg Kinnear, Zachary Levi, Michael Chiklis and William Shatner, and honored the producers of Fox Sports and the TV show “Friday Night Lights”.

The charity event is one of the biggest annual fundraisers for the Alzheimer’s Association, garnering over $17 million since it was first held.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Their mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. More information about their work can be found at their website.

Star Trek Fans: Beam Me Up For Charity Auction

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Alzheimer’s Association is currently auctioning off some very cool celebrity encounters.

Going under the hammer at Charity Folks right now are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities such as the chance to join Greg Kinnear or Dennis Quaid at the Bel Air Country Club for a round of golf, tickets to the LA premiere and after party of the new Star Trek movie starring Eric Bana, a guitar signed by the Jonas Brothers, and the chance to meet Mandy Moore backstage at one of her concerts.

The Alzheimer’s Association aims to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, as well as to provide and enhance care and support for all affected and reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

These are great items for a great cause, but you had better be quick because the auction ends very soon.

Click here to go straight to the bidding.

James Caan Joins Stars At Callaway Charity Golf Event

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

The Callaway Golf Foundation will host it’s second professional/celebrity golf tournament, the Callaway Golf Foundation Challenge, at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles on December 15 to benefit groundbreaking cancer research projects supported by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF).

Professional golfers will be paired with actors, business leaders and entertainment industry executives for a round of golf, while amateur golfers will have a chance to improve their swing at the David Leadbetter Clinic, taught by the infamous golfing instructor himself.

Celebrities anticipated to attend include: Greg Kinnear, James Caan, Kyle Maclachlan, Tim Allen, Kevin Nealon, George Lopez, Josh Kelly, Matthew Lillard, Andy Richter, Peter Gallagher, Joe Mantegna, Bruce Greenwood, Jillian Michaels, and Callaway Golf staff professionals Phil Mickelson, Johnny Miller, Morgan Pressel, Rocco Mediate, David Leadbetter, Rich Beem, Jim Colbert, Leta Lindley, Fredrik Jacobson, Cameron Beckman, Roger Cleveland and Vicky Hurst.

Proceeds from the Callaway Golf Foundation Challenge will support Entertainment Industry Foundation’s efforts to fast track better prevention methods and improved therapies for ovarian, breast, colon and prostate cancers.

Please visit www.callawaygolfoundation.org to learn more and to make a donation.

Joe Pesci Joins Charity Golf Tournament

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:45:35 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actor Joe Pesci and former NFL players Sterling Sharpe and Kordell Stewart have joined the line-up of celebrities for the 2008 BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament on May 15, while actors Samuel L. Jackson, David James Elliott, Kevin Sorbo, and Lucas Black have withdrawn.

“We are very excited to have Joe Pesci and Kordell Stewart joining the field for the first time and to have Sterling Sharpe return,” said Darin MacDonald, tournament director of the BMW Charity Pro-Am. “It is unfortunate to hear about Samuel L. Jackson, David James Elliott, Kevin Sorbo and Lucas Black, but we understand. They had committed to play, but apparently the shooting schedules of their new movies have changed. We understand that their work takes precedence, and we wish them all well with these productions.”

The celebrities now scheduled to compete in this year’s BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament are Joe Pesci, Dennis Quaid, Luke Wilson, Greg Kinnear, Kurt Russell, Catherine Bell, Wayne Gretzky, Janet Jones-Gretzky, Ty Gretzky, Dave Coulier, Stefanie Schaeffer, Patrick Warburton, Oliver Hudson, Michael Pena, Sterling Sharpe, Kordell Stewart, Jason Dohring, Josh Kelley, Cheech Marin, Javier Colon, Steve Azar, Gary Valentine, Mark Rypien, Branford Marsalis, Pat Green, George Rogers, Ben Wright, and Jennifer Mills. Winnings from the tournament will go to the winner’s charity of choice.

Fore!! Celebrities Hit The Green For Charity

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:19:05 -0000

Written by Richard Alan Krieger

BMW’s Golf Charity Event will be televised live on the Golf Channel from the Bright’s Creek Golf Club, N.C., on May 15-18, 2008. It will be the only U.S. Nationwide golf tournament where amateurs, celebrities, and pros gather together for charity.

The professional winner of the overall 72 hole event will take home $117,000 from the total purse of $650,000, which is one of the largest purses on the Nationwide Tour. Amateurs and celebrities will compete for individual prizes and cash donations to the charity of their choice out of the beneficiaries selected by South Carolina Charities. The Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America, and the Spartanburg Community College will also benefit from this event.

The first seven tournaments have raised more than $5.7 million for 80+ area charities.

The celebrities playing include Samuel L. Jackson, Dennis Quaid, Luke Wilson, Greg Kinnear, Kurt Russell, Wayne Gretzky, Catherine Bell, David James Elliott, Janet Jones, Dave Coulier, Stefanie Schaeffer, Patrick Warburton, Oliver Hudson, Michael Pena, Jason Dohring, Kevin Sorbo, Josh Kelley, Cheech Marin, Javier Colon, Lucas Black, Steve Azar, Gary Valentine, Mark Rypien, Branford Marsalis, Pat Green, George Rogers, Ben Wright, and Jennifer Mills. Those with the 14 lowest scores from Thursday-Friday-Saturday will advance to Sunday’s final round.

Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend Aims to Raise $500,000

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 21:33:39 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Over 30 celebrities are expected to attend the Dennis Quaid 2006 Charity Weekend from 4th-7th of May in Austin, Texas, where the actor lives.

Top names such as Hugh Grant, Greg Kinnear and Matthew McConaughey will reportedly be among those aiming to raise $500,000 for local and international children’s charities. Planned events include a celebrity poker challenge, a fashion show, an auction, golf and a benefit concert by Quaid’s band The Sharks.

The Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend has become an annual event since its inauguration in 2003, and has raised $700,000 to date. This year’s event will benefit Any Baby Can, Austin Children’s Shelter, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, and the International Hospital for Children.

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