Look To The Stars News: Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt Makes It Right With Celebrity Charity Auction

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:05:00 +0000

eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, is teaming up with Brad Pitt’s Make It Right to take charitable fundraising to a whole new level with a physical space and interactive bidding.

Fans are invited to walk through a gallery featuring one-of-a-kind celebrity experiences and mementos to be auctioned off for charity on eBay Celebrity. Smartphones add a hands-on element to visually innovative displays, enabling attendees to participate in an interactive bidding process via dimensional QR codes by utilizing the eBay mobile app to bid in real time as well as track auction progress.

The elite exhibition brings celebrity charity auction items to life in New York’s famed Chelsea Market, with 100% of proceeds going to Make It Right, a non-profit foundation building sustainable, affordable homes in disadvantaged communities. Launched in November, eBay Celebrity is a unique shopping destination that combines celebrity experiences, memorabilia and merchandise with philanthropic causes.

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?

SAG Awards Auction Features Items From George Clooney And Leonardo DiCaprio

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:45:00 +0000

The SAG Awards Ceremony Online Auction benefiting the SAG Foundation’s Literacy and Emergency Assistance programs is currently live until February 2.

The auction offers collectibles from many of the nominees including George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt, Betty White, and the casts of “30 Rock,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Descendants,” “Dexter,” “Game of Thrones,” “Glee,” “Modern Family” and more. Also going under the hammer are amazing vacations, one-of-a-kind experiences, set-visits, celebrity meet-and–greets, and premium items from the networks, the studios, and the show’s sponsors.

The SAG Awards has had a long history of championing the SAG Foundation’s philanthropic, humanitarian, and educational programs. Bidding commences at 6pm PT. The auction will run for seven days, and it will conclude at 6pm PT on February 2, 2012 at www.sagawards.org/auction.

Ellen DeGeneres And Brad Pitt To Make It Right In New Orleans

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Make It Right has announced that Ellen DeGeneres will join Brad Pitt as host of “A Night to Make It Right”, a charity gala to raise vital funds to complete Make It Right’s goal to build 150 environmentally friendly homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward.

The gala will be held at Hyatt Regency New Orleans on Saturday, March 10, 2012 and also celebrates the hotel’s grand re-opening. Performers will include Rihanna, Sheryl Crow, Seal and The Neville Brothers, and the host committee includes Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Spike Lee, Blake Lively, Djimon Hounsou, Josh Brolin, Bennett Miller and Chris Paul.

“I’m so happy I can be a part of this incredible foundation,” said Ellen DeGeneres, a long-time supporter of Make It Right. “I’m from New Orleans, I love New Orleans and I love that Make It Right continues to help the people there rebuild their beautiful city. Brad Pitt is amazing – not only for what he started, but also because, who else can make a hard hat look like a jaunty fall fashion accessory?”

Vanessa Hudgens Stands Up To Cancer With Charity Auction

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:45:00 +0000

Actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens has donated the Candie’s Couture dress she wore at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards for a public charity auction on eBay to benefit Stand Up To Cancer.

The silk georgette size-two gown, frosted with silver baby sequins, designed exclusively for Hudgens, will go live Monday, January 23rd at 4PM PT/7PM ET through Thursday, February 2 at 4PM PT/7PM ET at ebay.com/vanessahudgens.

DoSomething.org Announces Top 20 Celebs Gone Good 2011

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:45:00 +0000

DoSomething.org, one of the largest U.S. organizations that helps teens take action on causes they care about, released today its fourth annual ‘Top 20 Celebs Gone Good’ list.

Lady Gaga continues her reign as the star who uses her celebrity to do the most good. Known for her support of gay rights, AIDS, and poverty, she focused primarily this year on bullying, even taking her thoughts to the White House in December. She also announced the creation of her own charity, the Born This Way Foundation, which aims to empower youth and lead them to a brave new society where each individual is accepted and loved as the person they were born to be.

Making a meteoric rise to number two this year is Justin Bieber, up from number 10 last year. His fast rise is due to his prolific work with Pencils of Promise, an organization that builds schools in Laos and Guatemala. Justin is also a consistent supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, raised funds for charity with his fragrance and holiday album, and recently distributed $100,000 to Whitney Elementary School in Las Vegas.

eBay Launches Celebrity Charity Auction Site

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:15:00 +0000

Just in time for the holiday giving season, eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, today announced the launch of eBay.com/celebrity, a unique shopping destination that combines celebrity experiences, memorabilia and merchandise with philanthropic causes.

As part of eBay’s charitable platform eBay Giving Works, eBay Celebrity establishes a differentiated experience for the shopping enthusiast and cause-oriented consumer by aggregating relevant celebrity content, charity auctions, and the breadth and selection of related products that are unique to eBay.

eBay has consistently been the platform of choice for celebrities looking to raise funds for charity, and this year was a landmark year for the company’s philanthropic efforts: an auction featuring limited edition Nike Mag sneakers raised millions of dollars for The Michael J. Fox Foundation and an annual lunch with Warren Buffett auction sold for a record $2.63 million. In 2011, eBay Giving Works has raised $51 million and over $278 million to date for various charitable organizations. eBay Celebrity takes charitable fundraising to the next level, connecting consumers with their favorite celebrities through charity and commerce.

Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt Make Donation To Help Somalia

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have donated over $340,000 to an aid initiative in Somalia through their Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

Mohamed Dahir, a spokesperson from Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid – the beneficiary of the donation – says the money will allow the charity increase services that serve 300 women and children every day in Mogadishu’s Badbaado camp.

The organization envisions the end of human suffering in The Horn of Africa through the creation of an environment where people are self-reliant, living in a sustainable and prosperous community with the assurance of a victimless future. They are committed to providing the most vulnerable in the community with the tools to access safe and clean water, to develop and maintain healthy living conditions, to initiate and create income generating opportunities, and develop skills through the dissemination of information, education and training to ensure their future self-reliance.

Angelina Jolie Visits Charity HQ In Scotland

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie and her family visited HALO’s global headquarters in Scotland this weekend.

She and Brad Pitt have been long-term supporters of HALO, and visited their projects in a number of mine-impacted countries. Their financial support to HALO has run to many hundreds of thousands of pounds, funding humanitarian mine clearance teams in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Kosovo and Afghanistan. This was her first visit to the HQ, and was a chance for a global briefing by senior HALO staff on the current landmine problem.

Brad Pitt Supports Same-Sex Marriage

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Brad Pitt has given his support to New York’s legalization of same-sex marriage, saying that marriage is a right that every American deserves.

“It is encouraging that New York has joined the movement to grant equal marriage rights to its citizens,” he said. "But it is each American’s Constitutional right to marry the person they love, no matter what state they inhabit.

“No state should decide who can marry and who cannot. Thanks to the tireless work of so many, someday soon this discrimination will end and every American will be able to enjoy their equal right to marriage.

Stars Donate Items To Celebrity Charity Auction To Help Joplin

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0000

A number of stars – including Johnny Depp, Yoko Ono, Patricia Arquette, Bono, Jeff Probst, Justin Timberlake, Eminem and Jack Johnson – have donated items to a great auction raising money for the people of Joplin, the Missouri town where an estimated 30% of the buildings were destroyed and over 150 people were killed by a tornado on May 22.

Items going under the hammer include an book about U2 signed by Bono, a script signed by the cast of General Hospital, a rare Lady Gaga Born This Way picture disc, posters signed by Ry Cooder and Martina McBride, a basket ball signed by the Lakers, a guitar signed by Foreigner, the chance to meet Coldplay, Maroon 5 and Uncle Cracker, the chance to Skype with OneRepublic and much more. Sean Lennon has donated a signed guitar, while Yoko Ono has signed a photo of her with John Lennon.

Proceeds from the auction will go to United Way of Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas. Last week, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt donated $500,000 to the people of Joplin in the wake of the tornado.

Angelina Jolie To Visit Syrian Refugees In Turkey

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:35:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie has been granted permission to visit Syrian refugees in Turkey this weekend.

The UNHCR ambassador will land in Istanbul on Friday, then make her way to Hatay to visit some of the 8000 Syrians who have flooded into the country to escape violence in their homeland. Many of the refugees are currently staying in tent cities set up by the Turkish Red Crescent Society.

Jolie is currently in Malta with Brad Pitt and their children.

Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie Make Charity Donation To Tornado Victims

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 19:20:00 +0000

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have given $500,000 to help a Missouri town where Pitt’s mother went to school recover from a huge tornado that struck on May 22.

The couple made the donation through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation on Thursday to help rebuild the town of Joplin after an estimated 30% of the buildings were destroyed by the tornado. Over 150 people were killed.

“The Joplin community faces great challenges ahead,” said Brad. "Having spent most of my childhood there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient.

Brad Pitt And Flea Join Style Wars Celebrity Auction

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers listen up! Here is the chance to get your hands on a bass guitar tagged by Flea and attend a private bass lesson with the legendary musician for a good cause.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit The Style Wars Restoration Fund through Public Art Films Inc., an organization dedicated to producing films and videos about grassroots cultural expressions.

Big Kenny Joins African Children's Choir At Hospital Gig

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Country music star Big Kenny joined the African Children’s Choir onstage during its uplifting performance recently at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

The choir is traveling the world to raise money and awareness for the educational needs of children in developing African countries.

Brad and Angelina Donate $2m to Conservation Centre

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:49:00 +0000

Hollywood philanthropists Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have pledged $2 million to support the work of an animal sanctuary in Namibia.

The couple spent Christmas at the N/a’an ku se Sanctuary’s wildlife lodge in their daughter Shiloh’s birth country. The lodge is run by Rudie and Malice van Vuuren.

“We have known Rudie and Marlice for many years and continue to be impressed by their hard work and dedication to the people and conservation of the land and wildlife of Namibia,” said Jolie.

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.

Brad And Angelina Celebrate New Year With Charity Donation

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:00:00 +0000

The world’s most beautiful celebrity couple – Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – are at it again, this time donating $2 million to the Namibian sanctuary where they spent Christmas with their kids.

The donation to the Naankuse Lodge and Wildlife Sanctuary was made through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation in the name of their daughter Shiloh, who was born in Namibia.

In a statement released late Sunday, Angelina said, “We want her to be very involved and grow up with the understanding of her country of birth.”

George Clooney's Message To Stop The War

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Earlier today, LookToTheStars.org brought you a story about George Clooney’s new initiative to bring peace to Sudan through www.satsentinel.org. He has released this personal message – with John Prendergast – on what he hopes to achieve.

“A new state is being born in Southern Sudan against a backdrop of decades of war between the South and North of Sudan. A peace deal in 2005 ended the latest round of open conflict, but the possibility of a return to war remains high as Southern Sudan prepares for independence.

“One of the biggest risks in this dangerous moment is that an incident on the highly armed border could lead to wider conflict. The government in Khartoum has armed militias in contested bordering regions, the government air force has bombed border areas, and both sides have massed military units and equipment along the hottest border spots.

George Clooney Teams With Google To Stop War In Sudan

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

A new human rights project — initiated by George Clooney — will combine satellite imagery analysis and field reports with Google’s Map Maker technology to deter the resumption of war between North and South Sudan.

Launched this week, the Satellite Sentinel Project will use satellite imagery analysis and crowd-sourced mapping to monitor the tense border between North and South Sudan.

Oil-rich southern Sudan will vote next month in a referendum on independence from the rest of Sudan. Analysts say that this could plunge the country back into civil war and may spark the world’s next genocide.

Brad And Angelina Make Further Donation To SOS Children's Villages

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:10:00 +0000

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Jolie-Pitt Foundation has donated $150,000 to SOS Children’s Villages.

SOS Children’s Villages take action for children as an independent, non-governmental and non-denominational social development organization by providing family-based care for children who have lost their parents or can no longer live with them.

“I am truly thankful that Angelina and Brad understand the power of family – the kind of stable family that SOS holds as an essential part of healthy child development,” said Dr. Heath Paul, CEO of SOS Children’s Villages, USA. “Together, Angelina and Brad have been eye-witnesses to the great work of SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia, Jordan, a Darfur refugee camp in Chad and Haiti. Angelina and Brad know that children’s need for a family is universal.”

Climb Kili, Save Lives With Doug Pitt

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:18:00 +0000

Coming January 3-14, 2011, WorldServe International will embark on an amazing journey, and they’re inviting you to come along for the climb of a lifetime.

It’s Kili Climb 2011, led by photojournalist and Goodwill Ambassador Doug Pitt. Doug, younger brother of Brad Pitt, will be leading a group of 50 climbers to the peak of Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, as part of a million dollar fundraiser that will put fresh clean water in several villages throughout Tanzania and Kenya, Africa.

Nearly 1 billion people lack access to clean, safe water. In fact every 15 seconds an African child dies from a water-related disease simply because they don’t have clean water to drink and bathe in.

Don Cheadle To Be Named United Nations Ambassador In Rwanda

Mon, 10 May 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Don Cheadle is set to become a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Environment next month.

“I will be named officially in Rwanda on June 5th, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environmental Programme,” he said. “I’ll be in Rwanda on June 5th.”

The UNEP provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Daniel Radcliffe Weaves A Charity Spell For Injured Stuntman

Mon, 03 May 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe hosted a charity dinner in London last week to raise money for his stunt double’s medical bills.

David Holmes – who doubles for Radcliffe in the Harry Potter films – received serious spinal injuries on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last year and is now confined to a wheelchair.

Radcliffe organized the dinner and auction – which included items such as a pair of signed boxing gloves signed by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

George Clooney And Celebrity Friends Make Charity Donation To UNICEF

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Not On Our Watch, the international advocacy and grant making organization founded by actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, producer Jerry Weintraub, and human rights lawyer David Pressman, has awarded the U.S. Fund for UNICEF a grant of $250,000 to support an innovative program to reduce maternal mortality in Southern Sudan.

The grant will provide motorcycle ambulances and improved maternal health care in five states of the Southern Sudan region, including Western Equatoria, Lakes, Jonglei, Western Bahr El Ghazal, and Central Equatoria.

“As the situation in Sudan grows increasingly unstable, it is imperative that the international community take action to help those most vulnerable,” said Not On Our Watch co-founder Matt Damon. “The maternal mortality rate in South Sudan is one of the highest in the world. We are proud to help UNICEF as they work to save lives, especially during this critical period.”