Look To The Stars News: Madonna

Madonna To Build Schools In Malawi

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Madonna has not forgotten her commitment to help the children of Malawi and has announced plans to build ten new schools in Malawi with buildOn, a deeply respected non-profit organization that has an unparalleled track record of school construction in Malawi.

buildOn has already built 54 primary schools in Malawi and with Madonna’s commitment will greatly expand their work.

Madonna, who is scheduled to perform at this Sunday’s Halftime show, is about to release a new film and a new album still feels passionately about her vow to help Malawi’s neediest children receive an education.

LTTS Exclusive: Dancing With The Stars' Louis Van Amstel Talks Charity

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Misty Schwartz of Look To The Stars recently caught up with Dancing With the Stars pro Louis Van Amstel, who is on tour to promote his lifestyle brand (and just-released 5-disc workout DVD set) called LaBlast Fitness.

What is the criteria for choosing the charities that you so strongly support?

Meet Leonardo DiCaprio For Charity

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:15:00 +0000

Acclaimed actor and hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio has partnered with leading charity auction site charitybuzz.com to auction the chance for a winning bidder and guest to meet him at one of his upcoming film premieres, with VIP seats and access to an excluisve after party.

Bidding on the experience, valued at $25,000, is open through February 8 – to access the auction, click here. 100 percent of net proceeds will benefit Sean Penn’s JP/HRO through the Cinema For Peace “Help Haiti Home” Online Auction.

The Cinema for Peace Foundation was founded in 2008 to raise public awareness of social inequality and injustice in the world through the medium of film. DiCaprio has been a longtime supporter of Cinema for Peace. Back in 2009, he received a “Green Oscar” from the organization.

Meet Madonna And Help Sean Penn's Charity In Haiti

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Since her rise to super celebrity status, Madonna has auctioned everything from her gold-embellished tassled bustier to autographed Chanel boots to penned love letters. Now, the pop queen and living legend is putting herself on the online auction block for the first time ever to raise funds for a cause close to her heart.

Madonna has partnered with leading charity auction website Charitybuzz.com to offer the chance for one lucky winning bidder and a friend to meet her at the January 23rd premiere and afterparty for her newest film W.E. in New York City.

The experience, valued at $25,000, will raise funds for J/P Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO), a nonprofit founded by Madonna’s ex-husband Sean Penn to rebuild the infrustructure destroyed by the earthquake and combat the poverty that the majority of Haitians are facing.

Songs For Japan Raises $10 Million For Earthquake Victims

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Songs For Japan, the unique, star-studded album collection created to help raise money for victims of Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami disasters, continues to benefit the survivors through Japanese Red Cross Society.

Yesterday in Tokyo, senior executives from four major music companies – EMI, Sony Music, Universal Music and Warner Music Group – met with Japanese Red Cross Society Vice President, Yoshiharu Otsuka, to recognise the milestone of $10 million raised and donated from the global sales of Songs For Japan. The occasion was a reception hosted by Frances Moore, chief executive of worldwide recording industry organisation IFPI.

A music industry-wide initiative, Songs For Japan is an unprecedented compilation of 38 major hits and classic tracks, including 21 Billboard Hot 100 hits and five #1s from more than 30 of the biggest names in contemporary music. The collection was rush-released worldwide on March 25 – only 14 days after the earthquake struck Japan – as a digital album via iTunes, followed by the release of a physical two-CD set.

Stars Step Up For Save The Children East Africa Appeal

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Yesterday saw the launch of a ground-breaking celebrity charity social media campaign, ’I’m Gonna Be Your Friend’ supported by many of the world’s most famous names in entertainment and their fans, including Beyoncé Knowles, Annie Lennox and Sting.

A global audience close to 600 million Facebook and Twitter fans will be able to view a short film of the crisis in East Africa created by award-winning director Kevin MacDonald from footage of East Africa. The film is set to the 1973 Bob Marley & The Wailers song ‘High Tide or Low Tide’ and will reach over a billion people.

The campaign was developed to support Save the Children’s fundraising for the devastating food crisis affecting millions of children and their families across East Africa.

Celebrity Guests To Hit Cannes For AIDS Charity

Wed, 18 May 2011 15:30:00 +0000

The annual amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala will hit Cannes tomorrow, May 19, with some very special guests.

Janet Jackson, Brooke Shields, Gwen Stefani, Michelle Yeoh, Milla Jovovich and Patrick Dempsey are expected to be among the guests during the event at the 64th annual Cannes International Film Festival. Other event chairs include amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole, amfAR Global Fundraising Chair Sharon Stone, Karl Lagerfeld 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.

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.

Starbucks To Release Celebrity Charity CD For Maternal Health

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Starbucks is to release an exclusive companion CD inspired by a new documentary produced and directed by Christy Turlington on April 12, featuring tracks by Madonna, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, Gwyneth Paltrow, Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen, Martha Wainwright, Jennifer Lopez and others.

A portion of the sale of each CD sold will be donated to CARE and Every Mother Counts.

Songs For Japan: Stars Donate Tracks To Charity Album

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 04:30:00 +0000

In what stands as a major global music relief effort to benefit those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, over 30 of the biggest names in contemporary music have joined together for the worldwide release of “Songs for Japan,” an unprecedented compilation of 38 chart-topping hits and classic tracks.

The digital album is available worldwide on the iTunes Store for $9.99. Proceeds from the album’s sale will benefit the disaster relief efforts of the Japanese Red Cross Society.

The “Songs for Japan” track listing features an all-star lineup:

Jennifer Lopez Presents UNICEF Women Of Compassion Award

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

On February 11, 2011, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF honored two individuals – Frida Giannini, Gucci Creative Director, and Carrie Auer, UNICEF Representative in Malawi – who have made key contributions to UNICEF’s mission to save and improve children’s lives worldwide.

The awards were bestowed at the inaugural Women of Compassion Luncheon at the home of Colleen & Bradley Bell. Actress, recording artist and UNICEF advocate Jennifer Lopez presented Giannini with this special award.

Also in attendance at the celebrity charity event were Mary J. Blige (Honorary Chair), Camilla Belle, Paz Vega and Marc Anthony.

A Charity Message From Madonna

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Madonna, whose Raising Malawi charity has made substantial inroads helping over a million children orphaned from the AIDS epidemic in that African nation, is stepping up the pace considerably on all fronts — especially in regard to her plans for building the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls.

The pop legend has issued the following statement: "I remain deeply committed and am more passionate than ever about helping the children of Malawi — especially the girls. In a country where only 33% of Malawian girls attend secondary school, I realize that the plans we had in place for the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls simply would not serve enough children. My original vision is now on a much bigger scale. I want to reach thousands not hundreds of girls. I want to do more and I want to do it better. While I am grateful to all the people who have given me guidance and support up until now, we are in the process of implementing several changes and additions to the management of Raising Malawi in both the US and Malawi.

“I am also working with Trevor Neilson and his team at Global Philanthropy Group to shift the strategies that we had in place so that we can accomplish our goals with more efficiency as we continue to consult with our government partners in Malawi. This is a larger challenge than I thought, but I welcome it. We are focused on an approach, which builds schools within communities across the country. We are currently determining the size, location, staffing and curriculum of the schools. I will continue to monitor the process of reaching these goals here and through my ongoing visits to Malawi.”

Madonna Sends Christmas Cheer To Malawi

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Madonna continued her generous donations to Malawi over Christmas by sending boxes of gifts to orphanages in the country through her charity, Raising Malawi.

The gifts, which included toys, clothes and chocolate, were accompanied by a note that read “To my Malawi children on Christmas and Boxing Day. I wish I was with you. See you soon, M.”

According to Us Magazine, the iconic singer also held a party at Consol Homes, an orphanage near Lilongwe, where over 1000 people celebrated the season of good will with local orphans.

Bid 2 Beat AIDS In Celebrity Charity Auction

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Bring home a bit of celebrity this holiday season while giving back to a good cause. The 6th annual Bid2Beat AIDS auction will see hundreds of signed and rare celebrity items go under the hammer for charity.

Launching on World AIDS Day – December 1 – the auction will benefit LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS fundraising and service charity.

Past auctions have seen items donated by 50 Cent, Madonna, P. Diddy, Rihanna, Mariah Carey and many more. This year looks to be the biggest yet.

Yoko Ono Donates Glasses To Celebrity Charity Auction

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:35:00 +0000

Yoko Ono is just one of a number of A list stars who have donated something from their personal wardrobe to raise funds for Alder Hey Imagine Appeal.

The diminutive star has chosen a pair of her own iconic Porsche Carrera sunglasses and signed them for the charity’s unique Clothes Throw event, which starts with a special online auction this Sunday 3rd October for seven days. An auction item of this stature rarely comes along and organisers are delighted that Yoko Ono, who is Honorary Patron of the charity, has donated these signed sunglasses, like the ones she wore on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in the 1980s.

“I am delighted to be able to support this important fundraising initiative by donating a pair of my favorite sunglasses- the ones that John loved to see me wear,” said Yoko. “As Honorary Patron of Alder Hey Imagine Appeal, I know how much the funds are needed to support the pioneering work of this wonderful hospital.”

LTTS Exclusive Interview: Adam Lambert

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:18:00 +0000

American singer/songwriter/performer, Adam Lambert has been living the dream since becoming runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol.

In November of 2009, he released his debut album, “For Your Entertainment” and followed up with a controversial performance at the 2009 American Music Awards.

In addition to a monster tour and paparazzi-laden existence, the pop-icon has been busy encouraging his fans to give back and help ‘Glam Out Classrooms’ for DonorsChoose.org, and it’s working beautifully.

Bill Clinton Donates Signed Golf Club To Charity Auction

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Fancy a round of golf with Bill Clinton? Well, CharityBuzz.com has the next best thing: a golf club signed by the former president, with the proceeds going to charity.

The golf club is part of an auction to raise money for the Ellen Hermanson Foundation, a charity set up in 1997 in the memory of journalist Ellen Hermanson to help those affected by breast cancer. Proceeds from this auction will help fund the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Southampton Hospital, as well as other activities undertaken by the Foundation.

Celebrities To Make A Difference At We Promise Charity Gala

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:00:00 +0000

The red carpet is being rolled out and the stars will be present in Virginia Beach on September 1, 2010, at the We Promise Foundation’s Diamonds in the Sky Gala black tie fundraising event to benefit children with life-threatening illnesses.

Actress Teri Polo of the “Meet the Parents” movie series will return as special Celebrity Emcee, and Olympic Gold Medalist, Bode Miller, will trade in the slopes for the sand and surf as a special guest. Also in attendance will be music legend, Eddie Money, who will provide world-class entertainment with a live performance.

These stars and more will be bringing Hollywood’s glamour and glitz to the oceanfront to support the We Promise Foundation’s mission to make dreams come true for children. Though, the biggest stars of the evening will be the “We Promise” children, who have experienced unthinkable hardship through their battle with degenerative, life-threatening, debilitating and chronic illnesses.

Children Of Peace To Benefit From Charity Comedy Night

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

After the sell-out success of last year’s Stand-up for Peace, Children of Peace’s renowned comedy night is back with a fantastic line-up, in aid of an inspirational cause. The money raised will go towards projects that specifically bring Israeli and Palestinian children together in the hope that they will develop long lasting friendships.

Children of Peace – the UK based multi-faith and non partisan charity– aims to build friendship, reconciliation and trust between Israeli and Palestinian children and youth, aged 4-17, through shared arts, education, health and sports programs, regardless of faith, gender or heritage.

Madonna Celebrates Human Rights Justice In Malawi

Mon, 31 May 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Last week, LookToTheStars.org reported that Madonna and Raising Malawi were urging fans to sign a petition requesting the release of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga – the Malawi couple sentenced to 14 years hard labor for the “crime” of homosexuality. After a global outcry – and more than 30,000 signatures – Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has pardoned the couple.

“We celebrate this astounding turn of events with Steven, Tiwonge, and the countless Malawians fighting for their release,” says Madonna. "It is a historic day for Malawi.

“Though they are free from prison, sadly their safety and future in Malawi is still unknown. I hope this is just the beginning of our work together.

Madonna Calls For Support Of Equal Rights In Malawi

Mon, 24 May 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Madonna – founder of Raising Malawi – is asking her fans to join her in support of equal rights and the freedom to love in the African country following the jailing of two men for 14 years for the “crime” of homosexuality.

“I am shocked and saddened by the decision made this week by the Malawian court, which sentenced two innocent men to prison,” says the singer. "As a matter of principle, I believe in equal rights for all people, no matter what their gender, race, color, religion, or sexual orientation.

“This week, Malawi took a giant step backward. The world is filled with pain and suffering; therefore, we must support our basic human right to love and be loved.

Madonna Returns To Malawi

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Madonna took David – the son she adopted in 2006 – and Mercy, the daughter she adopted in 2009, back to to visit their homeland of Malawi last week.

The family arrived on Monday, April 5th and stayed for five days. Madonna says that she wants to make sure that her children maintain their emotional ties to their homeland. She’s also promised to take family trips to Malawi twice a year.

“Malawi has become my second home,” Madonna said during a farewell event organized by members of Raising Malawi, a charity she established in Malawi. “I will be coming here twice every year.”

Madonna Launches Digital Learning Programme

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:12:00 +0000

Madonna has launched an exciting new global education initiative called Connect To Learn.

Madonna, Connect to Learn’s global spokesperson, was joined at the launch by Millennium Promise co-founder Prof. Jeffrey Sachs and Ericsson CEO and President Mr. Hans Vestberg, during a visit to Malawi.

The initiative, a collaboration between The Earth Institute, Ericsson, and Millennium Promise, will focus on advancing the global breakthroughs needed in secondary education, especially for girls, and the extraordinary opportunities that new information and communications technologies are making possible for improving educational quality around the world.

Madonna Laying the Foundation for Girls in Malawi

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:31:00 +0000

Madonna is currently visiting Malawi to lay the first brick in the construction of the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls.

The singing sensation writes in her blog on the Raising Malawi site about how she felt when she first visited the poverty-stricken nation, and how much it means to her to be able to support the orphans through her work with the charity.

“Our academy will educate, protect, and empower 450 young girls who are Malawi’s hope for the future. We will stop the brain drain happening in so many African nations—our students will receive an internationally competitive education while incorporating local values.”

Jennifer Aniston Donates To Charity In Haiti

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Jennifer Aniston has donated $500,000 to Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health and AmeriCares. Each organization is currently involved in relief efforts in Haiti.

She also joined a number of other celebrities last Friday night and took part in the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. Organized by George Clooney, the telethon drew over 83 million viewers and has raised more than $58 million.

Other celebrities have also donated large sums of money to aid in earthquake relief. Gisele Bundchen gave $1.5 million. Sandra Bullock, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt and George Clooney have each donated $1 million, and Madonna donated $250,000.