Look To The Stars News: Anthony LaPaglia

Ted Danson To Lead Young Storytellers Festival

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Ted Danson, Henry Winkler, Zachary Levi, Anthony LaPaglia and a host of other stars will host a special outdoor festival to encourage literacy in September.

Storypalooza is a festival featuring children’s storytelling games, musical guests, and a live performance of scripts by an all-star cast. The festival is being organized by the Young Storytellers Foundation, a Los Angeles based non-profit organization dedicated to developing literacy, self-expression and self-esteem in elementary school students through the art of storytelling. The Foundation offers a uniquely engaging and effective arts education and youth development program to targeted elementary schools in Los Angeles where students are at-risk and have little or no access to the arts. Twice a year at more than 30 schools, the program pairs 10 students from 4th or 5th grade with 10 mentors. The mentors volunteer one lunch hour a week for seven weeks to guide and encourage the students as they imagine and develop their own short screenplay. In the eighth week, professional Hollywood actors perform the students’ scripts for a live audience.

Storypalooza – which also features appearances by Ben McKenzie, Tate Donovan, Josh Radnor, Mary Steenburgen and many more – will take place on September 26 at Crossroads Elementary School in Santa Monica. More info can be found here.

Richard Branson Attends Bush Fire Relief Celebrity Soccer Match

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Without A Trace star Anthony LaPaglia was the mastermind behind a celebrity soccer match held last week to raise money for victims of the horrific Australian bush fires.

Held at the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, the match attracted celebrity players such as House star Jesse Spencer, Simon Baker, Stephen Moyer, Vinnie Jones, Gracie Otto, Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, Melbourne rock star Toby Rand, Love My Way star Damon Herriman and The Bachelor reality television show host Chris Harrison.

“Anthony rang me and said we’ve got to raise some money for these people and I said sure, I’ll see you there,” said Vinnie Jones. “The fires were so heart-wrenching. This was the least we could do get people involved and raise awareness.”

Hundreds of spectators attended the game, including Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson, who has donated over $500,000 to victims of the fires that have claimed over 200 lives and left thousands homeless.

“Australia has been a second home for years and these particular fires have been absolutely devastating; they’ve ruined lots of peoples lives,” he said. “Virgin is in a position where we can do something about it, and a lot of people just can’t afford to help at the moment so its good to mix business with charity and pleasure.”

Also in attendance were True Blood star Anna Paquin, LaPaglia’s wife Gia Carides and Without a Trace’s Poppy Montgomery.

LaPaglia was inspired to organize the match through the Hollywood United soccer team he plays for because he was born in Australia and wanted to do something for his country.

“When we started to see all of the images coming through from the Victorian fires, I just thought this is what were here for, this is what we do,” he said. “It was terrible to see entire towns wiped out and to see images of cars burnt to a crisp trying to get out just horrifying images. Without hesitation, people – world-class soccer players and celebrities not just from Australia but from America and Britain too – put up their hands to use their profile to help.”

Def Leppard To Rock The Soccer Field

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell will bring a little bit of rock to the sports field this weekend when he takes part in a celebrity soccer match.

Campbell will be part of a music industry team set to take on Hollywood United, a team made up of Hollywood celebrities such as Without A Trace’s Anthony LaPaglia. He will join Billy Duffy from The Cult and Christian Olde Wolbers from Fear Factory and many others this Saturday, November 22, at the Home Depot Center, Field 5, in Anaheim, California. Kick-off is at 3:00 p.m. Proceeds from the game will go to assist in raising funds for the victims of Hurricane Ike.

“I used to play semi-pro soccer for Germinal Ekeren when I grew up in Belgium before I became an axe-slinger,” said Olde Wolbers. "I was a goalie and soccer was my first passion. I always wanted to go pro and my dream of playing for a first-division team was granted until the coach noticed my first tattoo and the longer hair because I started to like metal and I got suspended. That’s when I started playing music more and decided I wanted to be in a band.

“So this Saturday we are playing with Hollywood United, which is owned by the legendary Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols and some of my favorite actors, world-class soccer players from around the world and artists. We are playing for charity to help the hurricane victims in Houston, Texas.

“It feels amazing to live my childhood dream again while helping out and giving some time… ‘The greatest gift is giving someone your time.’

“So come down to the Home Depot Center this Saturday and support for a good cause.”

More information can be found at the Hollywood United website.

Celebrity Soccer Match Scores For Charities

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:24:53 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

Former US soccer player/World Cup champion Mia Hamm and her husband, Major League Baseball player Nomar Garciaparra, have rallied some of their closest celebrity friends for a charity soccer match benefiting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation.

Nearly 6,000 fans attended the event at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, on January 26 to witness celebrities play the “beautiful game” while raising awareness about bone marrow disease. Fittingly enough, it was Mia Hamm who scored the first goal for her team, while Garciaparra coached his team from the sidelines, unable to play due to Major League Baseball restrictions.

“No one else has an event like this, where they get to go out and play soccer,” said Garciaparra.

The Celebrity Soccer Challenge, which aims to be an annual event, was inspired by the loss of Hamm’s brother.

“I understand the pain of bone marrow disease first hand,” explains Hamm on her website. “In 1997, my brother Garrett passed away from complications related to aplastic anemia. Through an all-star exhibition soccer match, we are able to raise awareness and funds for bone marrow disease research, and to support families through the marrow transplant process. It was clearly my most satisfying moment away from the field.”

Through her foundation, Mia Hamm has brought her competitive spirit to the field and beyond in support of raising funds and awareness for bone marrow transplant patients.

“You change a family’s life — not just the recipient’s, but the entire family’s life – forever,” she said. “You change that despair and struggle they’ve had, and give them an opportunity for hope.”

During halftime, Hamm appealed to the audience to get tested for the National Marrow Donor Program Registry, while recipients of transplants were also on hand to tell their stories.

“If I got just one more person signed up, that’s one more opportunity that someone out there has,” she said.

Hamm inspired at least one participant to take action – Paul Caliguri, who was playing on team Nomar United.
“During halftime, I heard the stories and I was so moved,” said Caliguri. “I’m registered now. It’s fantastic. I ran up the stairs and came back before the end of the game.”

Team Mia FC’s roster included such celebrities as retired Baseball pro Mike Lieberthal, New England Revolution players Taylor Twellman & Pat Noonan, Chris Albright of the U.S. Men’s Soccer team, actor Milo Ventimiglia, comedians Andy Samberg and Seth Myers of Saturday Night Live fame, soccer hero Eric Wynalda, actor Eric Braeden, actress Elizabeth Shue, and Ty Pennington.

“I’m friends with Mia, because she was on the show with us one time,” said Pennington, host of ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’. “Shining a light on the bone marrow thing is really cool. I lost a cousin to it, but another friend of mine fought it and won. There really is hope out there. A cotton swab [the testing method for the registry often is a cheek cell sample] goes a long way.”

Team Nomar United included skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, musician Rivers Cuomo, US soccer player Landon Donovan, actress Bianca Kajlich, Ted Colleti, actor/comedian Carlos Mencia, Dodgers VP Kim Ng, Peter Vagenas of the LA Galaxy, and actor/activist Anthony LaPaglia.

The light-hearted game, which was played with lax rules, even gave some celebrities a chance to play against their own heros: “I was pretty stoked to play with Tony Hawk,” said Paul Caliguri, a member of Team Normar United. “I was trying to feed him the ball so he could score, but maybe he needed a skateboard to do that.”

More praise came from Rivers Cuomo of the band Weezer, who knocked in Nomar United’s first goal: “It was a dream come true,” Cuomo said. “Passing with Landon Donovan and going against Mia Hamm — it’s just unreal. I was terrified, but I was so excited that the excitement overcame the terror.”

And perhaps the highest praise came from Los Angeles Galaxy’s general manager Alexi Lalas: “As far as I’m concerned, Mia Hamm in the soccer community is royalty – so when the queen calls, you go.”

Donations from the Celebrity Soccer Challenge will benefit bone marrow transplant patients and their families. All proceeds from the event will benefit funds set up at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Beckham To Play Charity Soccer Match

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:41:39 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Soccer star David Beckham is to play in a charity match to benefit those affected by the devastating wildfires currently causing havoc in Southern California.

November 4 will see Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy team, which he joined in July, take on a celebrity team – known as Hollywood United – with profits going to the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.

“Everyone’s expected to play, including David,” said Galaxy General Manager, Alexi Lalas. “This is a great opportunity for our organization to do something positive for our area, our home, and for our friends and neighbors who have been impacted by these incredibly devastating wildfires.”

The fires have now been burning out of control on the border between LA and Mexico for two weeks, and over 500,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. During this time, 800 square miles and over 2000 buildings and houses have been destroyed, with 12 people confirmed dead.

“Our players are residents of Southern California,” said Lalas. “This is a great way for us to bring some attention and, most importantly, raise some money.”

The match will take place at Galaxy’s home ground, the Home Depot Center in Carson, and a large turnout is expected. A host of celebrities have stepped forward for the Hollywood United team, including Without A Trace star Anthony LaPaglia, The Transporter’s Jason Statham, former Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell, and former footballer turned actor, Vinnie Jones.

“We’ve all witnessed the destruction these wildfires have caused throughout Southern California,” said Lalas. “Through soccer, we have the ability to help those who have been impacted by this disaster. We encourage all Galaxy fans and soccer fans everywhere to come out and support this worthy cause.”

The footballers are not the only ones doing their bit for the cause. Singer Gwen Stefani has donated the profits from her concert in San Diego on October 30 to victims of the wildfires.

“When I heard about the devastation of the fires, I felt I should cancel my show out of respect,” said the native of Orange County, California. “But then it occurred to me there might be a more useful solution.”

Stefani announced that the proceeds of the show will go to the San Diego Foundation’s After-The-Fires Fund 2007, which has been set up to provide grants to emergency relief providers and non-profit service organizations involved in the fires

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