Look To The Stars News: Woody Harrelson

Stars Want Bluefin Tuna Off The Menu

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0000

A group of actors has written to Robert DeNiro’s Nobu restaurant chain to ask them to stop serving endangered Bluefin Tuna.

According the Britain’s The Telegraph, Sienna Miller, Charlize Theron, Jemima Khan, Woody Harrelson, Laura Bailey, Alicia Silverstone, Zac Goldsmith, Sting, Trudie Styler, Elle Macpherson and Stephen Fry have "written to the restaurant to say they can no longer dine with a clear conscience as long as the restaurant continues to serve bluefin tuna – a species considered by many to be as endangered as the white rhinoceros, panda or tiger.“

The plight of the bluefin tuna has been highlighted by the release of The End of the Line, a film narrated by Ted Danson that shows the effects of overfishing on the world’s oceans.

“The possibility that the magnificent bluefin tuna, one of the fastest creatures on the planet, could be extinct in as little as four years is a tragedy,“ wrote the stars in their letter. “Continuing to serve bluefin leaves Nobu vulnerable to public criticism and lagging behind Moshi Moshi, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Itsu and numerous others. We all love [Nobu, but bluefin tuna] must be completely removed from the menu due to its perilous position as an extremely endangered animal”.

“It’s astounding lunacy to serve up endangered species for sushi,“ added Stephen Fry. “There’s no justification for peddling extinction, yet that is exactly what Nobu is doing in restaurants around the world.”

A spokesperson for the restaurant said they are taking the issue “very seriously… The consumption of this fish is a cultural institution in Japan and there is still an enormous demand for this delicacy at all our restaurants. In the specific case of the menus at our London restaurants it should be noted that the statement that informs diners that the tuna served is Bluefin was included at the behest of Greenpeace, with whom we have continual dialogue. We are also currently looking at Australian farm-raised tuna as an alternative.”

LTTS Exclusive: Hollywood Knights Slam-Dunk For Charity

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

Look To The Stars’ Delinda Lombado recently got the chance to talk to the CEO of Hollywood Knights International, whose celebrity basketball team is a leader in charity fundraising.

Back in 1973, David Mirisch was way ahead of the curve. As founder of Hollywood Knights International, he is credited with being the first (or at least most important) person to pair celebrities with fundraising, producing some of the first consecutive tennis and golf charity tournaments in Hollywood.

Now headed by David’s son Michael (who took the reins as CEO in 1992), Hollywood Knights International are still going strong and its Celebrity Basketball Team has become a symbol for fundraising world-wide.

This years celebrity roster includes: Aaron Carter (House of Carters), Frankie Delgado (The Hills, Bromance, Keeping up with the Kardashians), Josh Henderson (90210, Desperate Housewives), James Kyson Lee (Heroes), James Lesure (Lipstick Jungle, Las Vegas), Cody Linley (Dancing With The Stars, Hannah Montana), Venom (American Gladiators), Wolf (American Gladiators) and Aaron Yoo (Friday the 13th, Disturbia).

Among the thousands of stars, musicians, and world-class athletes who have devoted their time and influence at Hollywood Knights International events: Frank Sinatra, Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson, Mariska Hargitay, Coolio, David Arquette, Michael Landon, Merv Griffin, Muhammad Ali, Joe Dimaggio, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Evander Holyfield, Mark Harmon, Matthew Perry, Tara Reid, Fergie, Backstreet Boys, Woody Harrelson, Bruce Jenner, Pat Boone, Mario Lopez, Wilt Chamberlain, Gladys Knight, Sugar Ray Leonard, Olivia Newton-John, Pamela Anderson, Shaquille O’Neal, Tony Hawk, Wayne Gretzky, Jimmy Connors, Mike Tyson, Buzz Aldrin, Kevin Sorbo, Boyz II Men, Joe Mantegna and many more.

From March 16-22, the full-service celebrity events production and promotional firm will be making our troops happy during their annual USO Hawaii Tour.

Hollywood Knights International’s CEO, Michael Mirisch, along with HKI’s Director of Marketing/PR, Vicky Mirisch, were kind enough to speak to us about their USO Tour and what drives them to produce some remarkable events.

First of all, tell us more about the USO Tour?

“Our second USO tour takes place in Hawaii and consists of basketball games of celebrity players versus our US troops and will be held on Army, Air Force, and Marines bases. The games are high energy, fun antics, lots of fan interaction on the court, and of course some healthy competition between the players. There will also be autograph signings during halftime and lots of pictures taken with fans and celebrities,” explained Vicky.

I know most of your events are open to the public, is this also the case with the USO Tour?

“Unfortunately, the games are not open to the public; only military personnel and their families.”

What is the most rewarding aspect of being part of this organization?

“That’s an easy question. Raising money to help people all over the world through events that incorporate celebrities, fun, and giving back to the community. There is a feeling of incredible satisfaction after every event we produce because we know at the end of the day countless lives are going to change for the better. There is that quote from Emerson that states: “to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, that is to have succeeded.” This quote hangs in our office and we read it every single day. It really sums it all up for us.”

Have you seen an increase in awareness about ‘charity’ from the celebrities involved?

“The majority of the celebrities with whom we work are charitable people in general, and want to give back to the community. It’s not something you can fake,” said Michael. “Most of our events are not paid personal appearances where the stars receive a fee, so when you see a celebrity at a Hollywood Knights event, they are lending their name to the cause itself. We are so grateful to the countless celebrities that have year after year taken the time out of their busy schedules to support our events and the charities that are involved.“

Is there any celebrity in particular that has gone above-and-beyond to lend their name and time to the Hollywood Knights International?

“The truth is, it’s impossible to just name one celebrity,” Vicky told us. “But there are several people who, over the years, have contributed so much to our programs: Josh Henderson and Wesley Jonathan, The Miz, Adrian R’Mante, Brutha, Bryan Datillo, Thad Luckingbill.

Michael: What was it like to take over as CEO? Growing up with such an incredible role model (David of course) must have been an amazing experience?

“My father is an icon and pioneer in the celebrity fundraising business. He pretty much invented this genre and at 73, he’s still producing events. He is an incredible role model and it’s been a blessing and my good fortune to have him as a father first and foremost, and also a business mentor. He continues to inspire me every single day. I became CEO when I officially took the basketball team under my wing and infused it with young talent that packed the gyms out with screaming fans.”

What was the public reaction like when HKI first started producing events? Was it embraced by Hollywood?

“It was a new concept, but it was definitely embraced. The fact that we’re still here and thriving is a testament to that!”

What was the driving force behind David establishing HKI? It seems that no one else was doing this in the 70’s, so what ignited the spark?

“Back in the early 1970’s, David was a very successful publicist with clients such as Merv Griffin, Omar Sharif, Johnny Mathis, Pat Boone, Lindsay Wagner, Raquel Welch, The Supremes and Perry Como. He was representing Tony Trabert, the tennis champion and also representing Murietta Hot Springs in Palm Springs. He decided to put the two together and create a celebrity tennis tournament. A few other events were added and the outcome was a successful event that he really enjoyed producing – and the public enjoyed attending. He realized that this was a niche business that he could launch and he’s been doing it ever since!”

If HKI could eradicate one ‘thing’ (hunger, poverty, cancer, homelessness) from the face of the Earth, what would it be?

“Delinda, great question but tough to answer! But HKI seems to gravitate towards causes that help children in need. So many kids are suffering in the world. We also find that celebrities gravitate and involve themselves more when they can lend their names to children’s causes as well. “

In your opinion, do celebrities make better golfers, ballers or soccer players?

“There are so many amazing celebrity golfers, then basketball players, then poker players. The other sports are more for show and fun than skill!”

Who is the best Hollywood Knight Int. celebrity basketball player? Soccer player?

“Basketball player is a tie between Cylk Cozart and Nana Gbewonyo. Golfer is hands down Jack Wagner.”

Craziest stunt one of your ‘celebrities’ has pulled in efforts to raise awareness?

“Wolf from American Gladiators actually climbed up the basketball backboards and caught the balls as they were going in the baskets and slammed dunked them in! At first we were all worried if the backboards would collapse; Wolf is a built like a body builder. But the fans went crazy and it was just the funniest thing to watch. “

Any thoughts, ideas or quotes regarding what we all can do in terms of making this world a better place?

“Try to live your life without being selfish. Focus on the positive, because there’s no benefit to focusing on the negative. Smile at people and show kindness, even if you have to fake it, over time it will feel natural. Most importantly, learn to love yourself first, faults and all, so that you can honestly and sincerely show love to everyone that matters to you.”

LTTS and Delinda would like to thank Vicky, Michael and David Mirisch for their time and dedication to helping the less fortunate and keeping all of us entertained while doing so.

Here’s just a sampling of what the Hollywood Knights have planned for this year: The Foothill Aids Project Celebrity Bowling Classic (April 09); Kiwanis Club of Simi Valley Celebrity Golf Classic (May); Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Celebrity Fishing Tournament (May); A.G.Spanos Golf Tournament (June); Cedars Sinai Sports Spectacular at the Century Plaza Hotel, California (June); Byron Scott Foundation Gala Dinner in Century City CA (August); The K.I.S. Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament (Oct).

For more info and a list of all events, please visit:
HOLLYWOOD KNIGHTS INTERNATIONAL

Will Ferrell Launches Human Rights Awareness Month

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Funnyman Will Ferrell launched Human Rights Awareness Month earlier this week with a passionate plea to help Burma.

“You know when you hear about something happening in the world that is so awful, so violent and terrible and evil and wrong and you think wait – I have to do something about this,” he said in a PSA. “But it just seems too big… this month, all that is going to change for you. A human rights crisis is happening right now in the South East Asian country of Burma… Today we’re launching a 30 day campaign for human rights and democracy in Burma.”

Ferrell announced that over the next month, special videos featuring stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Woody Harrelson, and Jackson Browne will be featured on the US Campaign for Burma YouTube page, to talk about the Burmese fight for freedom from an unjust and violent military regime.

“You’ll also get to know one of my heroes, an extraordinary woman called Aung San Suu Kyi, ” said Ferrell. “She sacrificed her freedom to lead a non-violent protest movement against oppression in Burma. Stay with us for 30 straight days, alert all of your friends, speak at school, speak at your churches, talk to strangers in the street… invite them to join with us, the US Campaign for Burma, as we build a coalition of millions of people who care about human rights. People power counts. Let this month be the month you join an effort to change the world.”

The full PSA can be viewed here.

Harrelson, Hayek Play For Charity In Cannes

Fri, 23 May 2008 10:52:23 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Competitors Alice Taglioni and Woody Harrelson came out on top at the Partouche Charity Poker Festival on May 17th in Cannes. The two fought it out at the tables until 1 AM before conceding that they were both winners, and agreeing to split the $1 million pot between their chosen charities.

Taglioni’s $500,000 will go to the French association Enfants et santé, which helps children affected by leukemia and other diseases, while Harrelson’s winnings are going to Oasis Preserve International, an ecological charity acting for the worldwide ecosystem preservation.

Eliminated players will also receive checks for their charities of choice. Goldie Hawn was playing for the The Hawn Foundation, Salma Hayek played for her Salma Hayek Foundation, Edward Norton was hoping to win for the National Landscape Conservation Foundation, Tim Robbins was in for The Actors Gang, Dennis Hopper attended for the Center For American Progress and Adrien Brody did not disclose his charity.

After the game, all players were interviewed by Sogimage camera teams and invited to comment on their experience. The resulting show will be broadcast all around the world, presenting the highlights of the tournament, as well as their glamorous arrivals at the Palm Beach Casino and interviews.

Celebrities Raising Voices For Burma

Wed, 07 May 2008 10:46:12 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Will Ferrell and Jennifer Aniston have joined the US Campaign for Burma, and are asking others to do the same for the Burma: It Can’t Wait Campaign. Stars are on a mission to raise one million voices in 30 days against the human rights atrocities occurring in the Southeast Asian country.

The people of Burma are being attacked by their own government, and, just as the world stood together to demand the freedom of Nelson Mandela, the campaign is asking people to speak up for the leader of Burma’s democratic party, Aung San Suu Kyi. The world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Suu Kyi has been deprived of her freedom for 12 of the last 18 years. She has appealed to people around the world, saying, “Please, use your liberty to promote ours.”

To make matters even worse, southwestern Burma was hit by a cyclone on Friday, May 2, leaving up to 60,000 dead, with tens of thousands missing and hundreds of thousands displaced or homeless. It is being called the worst natural disaster in Asia since the 2004 tsunami. Despite knowing about the approaching cyclone days in advance, the government did not warn its citizens. The U.S. Campaign For Burma is accepting donations to help with relief efforts in the medium-term, as the Burmese government is currently blocking international aid agencies from offering their support.

Join Woody Harrelson, Sarah Silverman, Julie Benz, Eddie Izzard and the others who are speaking out for the brave young people fighting for democracy and struggling through the wake of Cyclone Nargis. For more information visit the U.S. Campaign For Burma, and to view the celebrity videos, go to BurmaItCantWait.org.

Flea's Musical Dream

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:55:10 -0000

Written by Natalia Łajdych

When costs are cut in the educational system, the arty subjects always suffer the most – and so do the pupils. Literature is an important foundation to creating dreams, mathematics allows people to put all the dreams together in logical and strikingly illogical forms, and music creates the melody and spin for the dreams.

To help make the dreams come true, Red Hot Chili Peppers bass player Flea joined Keith “Tree” Barry to establish the Silverlake Conservatory of Music in 2001. Situated on Sunset Boulevard, the non-profit institution offers private lessons in most instruments to children and adults at reasonable prices, and also provides funding for those who cannot afford it.

There is a “20-Peace Orchestra”, where Duke Ellingtons-in-training can get a taste of classical, pops, big band, and Brazilian sounds. The Funk All-Stars Workshop lets students channel their inner James Browns with grooving jam sessions, and the Youth Chorale gives pint-sized singers the chance to learn harmonization and different styles of singing. The conservatory boasts eight air-conditioned studios so students can work up a cramp-free sweat while they jam, and there is also a recital area for clinics and performances – just in case that inner performance diva needs to break free.

Flea hasn’t thought about a nationwide program yet, but believes all children deserve the chance to study music as he did.

“Even a moderately simple understanding of music leads to a much richer life,” he said.

The breaking-the-barriers bassist is too humble to declare that the Silverlake Conservatory will be his legacy, but he is sure of one thing: “It’s the best idea I ever had.”

The crucial part of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music funding is the annual Hullabaloo concert, which provides money for scholarships to more than 100 low-income students whose families would not be able to afford instruments and lessons and also helps to expand the school’s summer camp program. The event’s name, “Hullabaloo,” was chosen to signify the youthful enthusiasm heard emanating from the SCM’s storefront location in Sunset Junction, Silverlake.

Attendees at last year’s event, which took place on
May 5, 2007, were treated to a night of entertainment from actor Woody Harrelson and magician/musician Rob Zabrecky, as well as very special performances by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Charlie Haden, the Ditty Bops, students and faculty of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, and other special guests. The evening also featured a silent auction to raise funds for the school’s programs.

Keep an eye on Look To The Stars for more information about this year’s Hullabaloo event.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Join Hullabaloo

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 11:58:09 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Eddie Vedder are to perform at the third annual Hullabaloo concert on May 5th in Los Angeles.

Woody Harrelson will be the Master of Ceremonies for the fundraising evening, which will include a silent auction featuring rock photographs, fine art and event packages and trips, as well as a live auction with rare collectibles and a selection of art by Damien Hirst.

The event benefits the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, which will use the funds raised to provide instruments and music lessons for low-income students.

Look To The Stars News: Woody Harrelson

Stars Want Bluefin Tuna Off The Menu

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