Look To The Stars News: Ben Affleck

Feeding America Launches Hunger Action Month With Celebrity Help

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:00:00 +0000

This September, Feeding America – the nation’s leading domestic hunger relief organization – is encouraging people from all walks of life to raise awareness for hunger relief. Hunger Action Month is an effort to mobilize the public to raise awareness and take action in support of domestic hunger relief.

As shown by Feeding America’s recent study, Map the Meal Gap, one in six Americans suffer from hunger.

Stars Celebrate Father's Day With Charity Auction

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Charitybuzz, the leading destination for luxury online charity auctions, presents the 2011 Dads and Grads Auction, featuring once-in-a-lifetime experiences and covetable gifts that showcase the best of entertainment, sports, food and travel to benefit more than 75 nonprofit organizations around the globe.

Richard Branson, Robert Plant, Ben Stiller, Ben Affleck, Keith Richards, Daniel Craig, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Alyssa Milano are just a few of the many iconic celebrities who have signed on to support their favorite causes, while providing incredible gifts that give back for Father’s Day. Bidding is open from now through June 15th at www.charitybuzz.com/grads&dads.

Instead of the same old pack of golf balls or #1 Dad mug, this year let your imagination run wild. The chance to ride alongside Dale Earnhardt Jr., have cocktails with Richard Branson and score a guitar signed by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are just a few of more than 300 experiences that have hit the auction block with dad in mind. Packages range from a Seth Rogen autographed DVD collection estimated at $100 to the chance to name a Virgin Atlantic A330 Aircraft estimated at $50,000, providing a plethora of gift options at every price point in between.

Stars Unite For Japan With Charity Videos

Fri, 13 May 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Two months ago, Japan experienced a massive 9.0 earthquake and the devastating tsunami that followed. In response to this tragedy, actor Ken Watanabe launched www.uniteforjapan.org to rally people to donate funds for Japan’s relief effort through key organizations like the American Red Cross, Japan Society & Global Giving.

The impact of this natural disaster continues to be felt today by the people of Japan. Unite for Japan has launched two PSA videos featuring a special group of celebrities that came together to convey a very simple message: Unite for Japan.

Some of the stars who are featured in the PSAs are Paula Abdul, Ben Affleck, Zac Brown, Jamie Lee Curtis, Matt Damon, Ellen DeGeneres, Johnny Depp, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Ayako Fujutani, Mikael Hafstrom, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Muramasa Kudo, Sharon Lawrence, John Legend, Richard Lewis, Rob Marshall, Hideki Matsui, Julian McMahon, Jennifer Morrison, Cillian Murphy, Amaury Nolasco, Apolo Ohno, Masi Oka, Robert Patrick, Katy Perry, Maggie Q, Zoe Saldana, William Shatner, Jake Shimabukuro, Cobie Smulders, Steph Song, Ben Stiller, Charlize Theron, John Travolta, Aisha Tyler and Mark Wahlberg.

Ben Affleck Testifies On Capitol Hill For Eastern Congo

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:30:00 +0000

In an effort to persuade the White House to assign a special envoy to address the needs of post-war Democratic Republic of Congo, actor Ben Affleck testified on Eastern Congo before the House of Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa last month.

Although the war ended in 2003, the humanitarian situation is still dire. “Women and girls particularly have been so terribly brutalized there,” says Affleck. "They’re vulnerable and they don’t have a government or a stable military to protect them. "

With a designated representative providing shadow diplomacy and co-ordination of the many organizations that already exist, Affleck believes that cross boarder issues and use of resources would be better served, especially by someone who has a direct line to the White House.

George Clooney In Southern Sudan For Historic Referendum

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:45:00 +0000

George Clooney was in Southern Sudan on Saturday to help raise awareness of the region’s historic independence referendum, which began on January 9.

The star – who is a UN Messenger of Peace and is well known for his work in Darfur and the Sudan – has met with President Barack Obama twice about conflict in the region, and recently launched the Satellite Sentinel Project, which uses satellite imagery analysis and crowd-sourced mapping to monitor the tense border between North and South Sudan.

“Our job is trying to keep this on the front burner of the news,” Clooney told The Associated Press. "I’m the son of newsman. I understand how hard it is to keep stories on the front of news, and sometimes entertainment and news can be meshed together if you do it properly.

Stars To Attend Children Mending Hearts Charity Event

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Children Mending Hearts (CMH), a national charity organization based in Los Angeles, will join 12 Las Vegas-based child advocacy groups to host its third installment of the traveling workshop, Please Mr. President, in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, September 25th.

This activity-filled event will host more than 1000 at-risk children and teens, who will enjoy an afternoon of arts, crafts, food and fun, and special performances by The Fulcos and Kristy Kay alongside some of their favorite young stars, including Tate Donovan (The OC), Corbin Bleu (High School Musical), Josie Loren (Make It or Break It), Ryan Ochoa (iCarly), Chris Massey (Zoey 101), and Le Reve performers, as well as Francia Raisa (Secret Life of the American Teenager), Cirque du Soleil and Blue Man Group performers who are tentatively scheduled to appear.

The participating organizations are After-School All-Stars Las Vegas, HopeLink Family Resource Center, Street Teens, Hope for Homeless Teens, Nevada Homeless Alliance, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, HELP of Southern Nevada, Shade Tree, Southern Nevada Children First, St Jude’s Ranch for Children, the Department of Family Services, and the Clark County School District-Community Partnership Program.

NBC Nightly News Features Stars Who Make A Difference

Wed, 19 May 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Every night this week, NBC Nightly News is featuring a celebrity who is making the world a better place.

The lineup for the week is as follows:

Sally Field, Vital Voices.

Matt Damon And Ben Affleck To Play Ante Up For Africa Charity Poker

Tue, 18 May 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Many would love the opportunity to play poker with some of the biggest names in Hollywood and the most skilled poker professionals. Now you can.

The 2010 Ante Up For Africa Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament on Saturday, July 3 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas offers a special opportunity as the only event of its kind where the general public can participate.

Idol Gives Back To Charity With Celebrity Help

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Idol Gives Back rocked television sets across the US last night to raise funds for charity, with a show that saw performances by Elton John and Alicia Keys, as well as the departure of another contestant.

American Idol contestant Tim Urban was voted off the special edition of the show that has already raised more than $15 million for charities such as the Children’s Health Fund, Feeding America, Save the Children, the United Nations Foundation and Malaria No More.

Joining Elton, Alicia and the contestants live on the show were Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood, Joss Stone, Mary J. Blige, The Black Eyed Peas and Jeff Beck. Taped segments were shown from Annie Lennox (who was unable to attend due to the Icelandic volcanic ash), Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, David Cook, Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Victoria Beckham and many others.

Celebrities Donate To Children Mending Hearts Charity Auction

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:30:00 +0000

The Children Mending Hearts 2010 Fundraising Gala, hosted by Ben Affleck, will take place this Friday in Hollywood. But if you can’t be there to be part of the fun, then why not take part in the awesome celebrity charity online auction.

Items up for grabs include a visit to the set of The Office and lunch with Rainn Wilson, guitars signed by Maroon 5 and Band From TV, set visits to iCarly and Californication, racing gloves signed by Jeff Gordon, a signed script from Mad Men and much more.

The Children Mending Hearts 2010 Fundraising Gala, sponsored by Reality Cares, will take place on April 16 at the Music Box, Fonda Theater, in Hollywood. Funds raised from the event will support the Children Mending Hearts arts & cultural exchange programs with homeless and at-risk children in the United States and refugee children suffering from armed conflict worldwide. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will also benefit Women for Women International, which since 1993 has given more than 243,000 women survivors of war and other conflicts the financial support, rights education, job skills training and business development skills they need to build a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.

Ben Affleck To Host Charity Gala For Children Mending Hearts

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Ben Affleck is set to host a massive charity fundraising gala event next month with a host committee that includes Jennifer Garner, Michelle Williams, Forest and Keisha Whitaker, Sheryl Crow, Kate Walsh, Quincy Jones and Hank Azaria.

The night’s entertainment will include Five For Fighting and Band From TV, the all-star charity group that includes James Denton, Greg Grunberg, Adrian Pasdar, Bob Guiney, Scott Grimes and Jesse Spencer.

Ben Affleck Launches New Charity Initiative For The Congo

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Ben Affleck has launched a new initiative to help people affected by war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Affleck has just returned from a trip to the DRC, and has announced the launch of the Eastern Congo Initiative, which aims to support community groups and organization recover from war, as well as help rape victims.

“The more I traveled, the more I was struck about it, the more I fell in love with the people, the more I was horrified by what was happening,” the actor told CNN. “And the more I did, I started to develop this idea of partnering with the Congolese people and wanting to empower community-based organizations there that were doing extraordinary work.”

Natalie Portman Supports Hungry In America

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:30:00 +0000

Natalie Portman was out and about in New York on Sunday night to host a special charity event to kick off the Hungry In America Project.

Held at the Colicchio & Sons Restaurant, and hosted by The Feed Foundation, the event launched a new documentary titled Hungry In America, directed by Lori Silverbush and Kristi Jacobson. The film addresses the fact that one in four children in the US lives on the brink of hunger.

The event was attended by famous faces such as Jake Gyllenhaal, and boasted a host committee that included Ben Affleck, Marcia Cross, Samantha Harris, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Ali Larter, Katherine McPhee, Julianne Moore, Alison Sweeney and many others. Catering was via Tom Colicchio.

Angelina Jolie And Demi Moore Front Video To Empower Women

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Pulitzer Prize winning author Nicholas Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, sat down with Oprah this week to discuss their book, “Half The Sky,” which features miraculous stories about empowering the poorest girls and women in the world.

The heart breaking episode of Oprah also aired Kristof’s hard-hitting video about a teenage Cambodian sex-slave. The film, which is fronted by Angelina Jolie and includes narrations by Ben Affleck and Demi Moore, recounts stories about the death, mutilation and despicable discrimination against young women and teenagers in the world’s poorest places.

“In the 19th century, the foremost challenge was slavery,” Kristof says. “Today, we think it is the gender inequity, especially in the developing world.”

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.

Ante Up For Africa To Hit Las Vegas Tomorrow

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Ante Up For Africa will support Refugees International’s efforts for the displaced people of Darfur and all of Sudan as part of its charity celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas on July 2, 2009.

The event is hosted by WSOP Bracelet Winner and Celebrity Apprentice Star Annie Duke and Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle, with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Brad Garrett planning to attend. Professional poker players and Refugees International supporters Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, and Phil Hellmuth will also be participating.

“We are grateful to Ante Up For Africa for shining a spotlight on the ongoing crisis in Darfur and generating such significant support for the people who have been forced from their homes by this conflict,” said Ken Bacon, President of Refugees International. “An event like this makes it possible for Refugees International to continue to demand action from the world’s leaders to provide basic assistance and protection to refugees in Sudan and around the world.”

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.

Matt Damon Seeks Support With Petition

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Actor Matt Damon is encouraging people to join him in signing a petition asking senators to cosponsor the Durbin-Corker Water for the World Act of 2009.

The Act will help 100 million people gain access to clean water and sanitation by 2015, but currently needs at least 15 more cosponsors to move forward.

“On my trip with the ONE Campaign to Zambia, I walked two miles with a 14-year-old girl to a well—the closest water source to her village,” said Damon. "I asked if she wanted to stay in her village when she grew up, and her face exploded into a huge smile. The translator said, “she is being very shy…she says that she wants to move to big city, Lusaka, and that she wants to be a nurse.”

Hillary Clinton Receives Vital Voices Award

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Several celebrities attended the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards ceremony earlier this month in order to present awards to five of the world’s outstanding female leaders. Speakers such as actresses Candice Bergen and Sally Field were among the award presenters, but the speakers weren’t all female.

Actor Ben Affleck took the stand to point out that, because it is women that hold society together, the problems women face are relevant to men: “As long as violence against women – sexual or otherwise – remains strictly and exclusively a ’women’s issue’, it will always be an issue. We men must own this and we must recognize that it is vital to our own survival and we must help our brothers see it as such.”

Vital Voices, which aims to empower women leaders, gave their final award – the ‘Global Trailblazer’ – to the organisation’s co-founder, America’s Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to honor “her passionate commitment to promoting women’s rights and securing justice for all people around the world.”

Matt Damon And Ben Affleck Head Back To The Charity Poker Table

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are heading back to the poker table to raise money for charity.

The Cannes Charity Poker event, which is being sponsored by 888.com, will coincide with the Cannes Film Festival and is being held to raise money for Ben Affleck’s and Matt Damon’s charities – Not On Our Watch in aid of the children in the Darfur region, and One Voice For Freedom, the children’s anti-slavery charity whose patrons include Michael Caine, the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu.

The Cannes Charity Poker event is a privately run affair and the final 60 places will have been vetted by the organizers in an attempt to attract only the very top ‘A’ list celebrities.

Stars Sign Posters For Charity Foundation

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Now is the time to deck your walls with a selection of movie posters signed by your favorite stars in a new charity auction being run by ClothesOffOurBack.org.

Going under the hammer are a Brokeback Mountain poster signed by the late Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, a Big Love poster and DVD set signed by Bill Paxton, a Philadelphia poster signed by Denzel Washington, and SAG Conversation Series posters signed by stars such as Kirk Douglas, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Greg Grunberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Holly Hunter, Rob Schneider, Kyra Sedgwick, Tom Selleck, Forest Whitaker, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Ben Affleck, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Tim Robbins, Ali Larter, Jesse Spencer and many more.

Proceeds from the auction will go to the Screen Actor’s Guild Foundation, an organization that offers substantive services to Guild members in its mission to assist, educate and inspire actors in their professional endeavors and to give back to the communities in which they live. Founded in 1985, the non-profit SAG Foundation is governed independently of the Guild and funded through the generosity of grants, donations, volunteering and fundraising efforts.

Have Your Favorite Star Record Your Voicemail Message

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Now is your chance to bid on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a celebrity record your outgoing voicemail message – with proceeds going to charity.

A range of stars have put their voicemail recording talents under the hammer for this very special charity auction, including Ben Affleck, Robin Williams, Cindy Crawford, Billy Crystal, Joe Mantegna, Isla Fisher, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Sacha Baron Cohen, Felicity Huffman, Jennifer Garner and many more.

Proceeds from the auction will go to the International Medical Corps and their work in supporting the women and children victimized by war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered 20 years of continuous fighting which has led to an estimated 5.4 million deaths.

Stars Come Out For The Congo

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

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.

Ben Affleck To Address Celebrities At Charity Event

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:00:00 +0000

This Wednesday, February 18, will see some of Hollywood’s biggest stars turn out at the House of Blues in Los Angeles to honor International Medical Corps (IMC) and support its life-saving work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Expected to attend the event are George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Diane Keaton, Felicity Huffman, Forest Whitaker, Tobey Maguire, Kate Walsh, Heather Graham and Brooke Shields, with entertainment to be provided by Sheryl Crow.

The evening is to be hosted by writer/producer Grant Heslov (“Good Night & Good Luck”) and his wife Lysa, who founded the arts exchange organization, Children Mending Hearts, and traveled to IMC’s programs in the Congo last month. A special humanitarian award will be presented to CNN’s Anderson Cooper for his reporting in Africa.

Celebrities Sign iPods For Charity Auction

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Tonic.com has announced the launch of a new charity auction series. Leading celebrities from the worlds of music, film, television, and fashion have contributed an autographed iPod loaded with their personal playlist to be auctioned off, with all proceeds benefiting Music Rising, a campaign founded in 2005 to replace lost or destroyed instruments of musicians in the Gulf Coast Region after the hurricane disasters.

Over seventy celebrities will participate in the auction series including U2’s The Edge, former President Bill Clinton, Madonna, Beyoncé Knowles, Cher, Donna Karan, Warren Buffett, Christy Turlington, Britney Spears, Michael Stipe, Gwen Stefani, Mariah Carey, Stevie Nicks, Michael Buble, Ben Affleck, Ellen DeGeneres, Estelle, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Scarlett Johansson, Peter Wentz, Randy Jackson, will.i.am, Kevin Bacon, Gisele Bundchen, Marc Jacobs, Ed Burns, Samantha Ronson, Nick Lachey, Petra Nemcova, Mandy Moore and many others.

Each celebrity was given a new iPod which they each autographed and Tonic pre-loaded with a playlist of ten to twenty of the celebrities’ favorite songs. Beginning February 12 between one and five separate iPod auctions will simultaneously launch every week on eBay; playlists will be revealed to the public on both tonic.com and eBay when auctions are launched.