Look To The Stars News: Heather Graham

Heather Graham Plays The Public Option

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:30:00 -0000

As the public option makes a comeback in the House and Senate, a new video by MoveOn Political Action features actress Heather Graham revising her role as the public health insurance option.

The video, released in advance of the White House Health Care summit, shows that the public option is making a political comeback thanks to its continued popularity with voters, and reinforces the message that the public option is the best way to help lower costs for American families and keep private insurance companies honest by forcing them to compete.

Heather Graham first played the public option in a television ad released by MoveOn in October. You can see the original ad here.

 While many thought it was dead, in the last few weeks the public health insurance option has made a remarkable comeback, with 22 Senators and 119 members of the House of Representative signing letters urging the passage of the public health insurance option through reconciliation. On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that he would support holding a vote on the public option if health care moves via reconciliation, something he said on Saturday was likely.

The video, which states “the public option is making a comeback,” depicts lazy and out-of-shape insurance company executives from CIGNA, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Health and Humana being forced to compete in a track meet with Heather Graham playing the public option.  

 "This video shows, in a creative way, that the public option is making a comeback: because of its popularity and because competition helps lower the price of health care," said Justin Ruben, Executive Director of MoveOn. “With insurance companies continuing to dramatically raise their rates, it’s obvious that the insurance industry will not reform itself. While we wish the President had included the public option in his plan, Congress can and should act and use reconciliation to pass real health care reform including a public option.”

You can see the new video here.

Ben Affleck To Address Celebrities At Charity Event

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

Written by Tim Saunders

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.

Featured speaker at the event will be Ben Affleck, who has made several trips to the Congo and this week published an article he wrote about his experiences in TIME Magazine.

“I’ve been traveling to Congo since 2007,” he wrote in the article, titled A Glimmer Of Hope In Africa. “The picture of the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo has grown tragically familiar: a region with great natural wealth, riven by war, racked with hunger and traumatized by a long history of colonial abuse, postcolonial kleptocracy and plunder. In the past 10 years alone, millions have died here, and more die each day as a result of the conflict. Most die not from war wounds but from starvation or disease. A lack of infrastructure means there is little medical care in the cities and none in rural communities, so any infection can be a death sentence. The most vulnerable suffer the worst. One in five children in Congo will die before reaching the age of 5 — and will do so out of sight of the world, in places that camera crews cannot reach, deep in a vast landscape and concealed under a canopy of bucolic jungle.”

Established in 1984, International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

Stars Set To Shine At Global Green Pre-Oscar Party

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Environmental organization Global Green USA will hold their annual pre-Oscar party this week and have invited some stellar performers and hosts.

Entertainment at this year’s party will include Sheryl Crow and Gavin Rossdale and co-hosting the event are stars such as Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, Penelope Cruz , Rosario Dawson, Marisa Tomei, Kate Bosworth, Sebastian Copeland, Lyn & Norman Lear, Damien Rice, Heather Graham, Roland Emmerich, Dominic Monaghan, Matt Petersen, Neil Patrick Harris, Sharon Lawrence and Esai Morales.

Proceeds from the evening – which includes drinks and a gift bag – will go to Global Green USA’s Green Schools Initiative. Green Schools are community facilities that are designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green schools protect occupant health, provide a productive learning environment, connect students to the natural world, increase average daily attendance, reduce operating costs, improve teacher satisfaction and retention, and reduce overall impact to the environment.

General tickets to the party – which will be held on Thursday, February 19, at Avalon in Hollywood – range from $125 – 250. VIP tickets are available for $1000 and give you access to exclusive VIP lounge with hosted bar, unreserved seat in VIP balcony area for the musical performance, an eco gift bag, & access to the after party.

More info and tickets are available from the Global Green USA website.

Charitable Stars Shine For Obama

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Celebrities were out and about in droves on Tuesday to celebrate Barack Obama's inauguration by attending several charity balls.

One of the largest was the Creative Coalition Ball at the Harman Center for the Arts in Washington DC. The sold-out event cost between $10,000 and $100,000 to attend, and attracted appearances by Ashley Judd, Anne Hathaway, Susan Sarandon, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Rachel Leigh Cook, Ron Howard, Heather Graham, Forest Whitaker, Magic Johnson and many more. Entertainment was provided by Elvis Costello, Sam Moore and Sting.

The Creative Coalition is a nonprofit public charity organized by the creative community to learn about pressing issues so they can better inform and influence the community and nation.

Also taking place on the other side of town – at Club Ibiza – was a ball organized by the Recording Industry Association of America to benefit Feeding America.

Hosted by Courteney Cox and David Arquette, the evening attracted big names such as Rihanna, Shakira, Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, Cher, T.I:, Kanye West, Josh Groban, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Family Fun Days For Everyone This Weekend

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Two charity events are taking place on opposite sides of the Atlantic this weekend.

New Yorkers who want to get on their bikes can join Full Metal Jacket star Matthew Modine on his Bicycle For A Day campaign. The 49-year-old will be among cyclists pedaling off from lower Manhattan’s South Street Seaport on Saturday, September 20, to raise awareness of the need to reduce carbon emissions and to demonstrate the many simple things that each of us can do everyday to accomplish a cleaner world.

“The idea behind my project Bicycle for a Day is to help people understand that there is something they can do,” he said. “In fact, just one simple thing they can do every day to become part of the solution. If everybody does this one thing, the cumulative effect could be tremendous. The environmental situation is a great opportunity for us all to work together to find solutions. Bicycle for a Day is just that – citizens of the world joining together globally and acting locally.”

Celebrity supporters of the campaign include Heather Graham, John McEnroe, Lara Flynn Boyle, Liev Schreiber and Liam Neeson, and anybody interested in joining the fun can visit www.bicycleforaday.org for more information.

A day of fun of a different kind is set to take place in the UK on September 21. The Day for Heroes Family Fun Day will go off with a bang in the Detling Show Ground near Maidstone on Sunday, and will feature British boyband McFly.

Celebrities, artists and the military are joining forces to give families a day out to remember, whilst raising essential funds for Help for Heroes. Compered by Cheryl Baker and Shaun Williamson, the day will be packed with entertainment and thrills. A parachute display team of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment will open the show with a spectacular entrance. There will also be 20 free funfair rides – including the ultimate experience reverse bungee power shot – and entertainment including military-based attractions such as aircraft simulators, parachute display teams and a challenging inflatable army assault course.

Help for Heroes was launched in October 2007 in response to the desire of ordinary people to do something practical to help our wounded servicemen and women. Celebrity supporters of the charity include TV show hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May (Top Gear), Prince Harry and Prince William, Simon Cowell, and Sharon Osbourne. David Beckham is also a supporter, saying: “I am incredibly proud and grateful for the commitment and work that our armed forces do for our country. I support the campaign fully.”

For ticket information and more information, visit www.dayforheroes.com.

Look To The Stars News: Heather Graham

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