Look To The Stars News: Kerry Washington

Usher Urges Youth To Be Great

Mon, 11 May 2009 12:00:00 -0000

As part of Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America’s (BGCA) new advocacy campaign — BE GREAT — five-time Grammy award winner, philanthropist and Boys & Girls Club alumnus Usher has unveiled a new billboard featuring his childhood picture and a call-to-action — BE ICONIC. Usher joins 25 prominent alumni in the new advocacy campaign to help increase public awareness and understanding about the positive impact of Clubs.

From academic failure and gang violence to poverty, drugs and obesity, America’s youth face a daunting array of problems — with serious consequences and fewer safety nets at home and in the community. According to a 2007 BGCA alumni survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 57 percent of alumni reported, “The Club saved my life,” while another 28 percent credited Boys & Girls Clubs with keeping them in school.

“Growing up in the Club, I had the chance to experience a lot of positive things; it helped reinforce the values I learned at home including good character, leadership and giving back to my community, my country and my world,” said Usher. “It’s where I developed my love of singing and performing, received help with my homework, and it’s where I found a safe place to go after school.”

In addition to unveiling the billboard, Usher recently visited the Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta where he was greeted by screams from more than 200 young members. He addressed the crowd with a simple message: “work hard to achieve your goals and you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.” During his visit he taped a short film about the positive impact the Club played in his life, which will be the first of several films of prominent alumni for BGCA. The film will debut on BGCA’s Web site www.BeGreatAmerica.org in May, and will also appear on BGCA’s social networking pages including Facebook and YouTube.

Other Club alumni joining Usher in the BE GREAT advocacy campaign include: Academy award-winning actor and national spokesperson for BGCA – Denzel Washington, Muhammad Ali, Ashanti, Swin Cash, Gen. Wesley Clark, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Cuba Gooding Jr., Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Queen Latifah, Mario Lopez, John Mellencamp, Edward James Olmos, Shaquille O’Neal, Smokey Robinson, Martin Sheen, John Singleton, Ruben Studdard, Courtney B. Vance, Mark Wahlberg and Kerry Washington.

On May 14, Usher will be inducted into BGCA’s prestigious Alumni Hall of Fame (AHOF) at the organization’s 103rd National Conference in Atlanta.

“We are very excited about Usher joining our BE GREAT campaign and the awareness he will bring to the effectiveness of our generation-changing programs,” said BGCA President and CEO Roxanne Spillett. “He is a shining example of the impact of Clubs, and we are so proud of the great things he has gone on to accomplish.”

Usher will collaborate with BGCA and other alumni to urge the country’s political and business leaders to make the young people of America a priority and encourage every citizen to make a difference by supporting organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs — ensuring that every child has a safe, supervised and structured environment during the critical after-school hours.

LTTS Exclusive: Calista Flockhart Joins The Stars For V-Day

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Michelle Vink

Look To The Stars’ Lead Host Michelle Vink attended the annual V-Day event – a global movement to stop violence against women and girls – in Santa Monica last week and filed this report.

Imagine having your life or the life of a family member threatened simply for crying for help against unspeakable violent sexual crimes violated against you. This is what so many of the women in the Democratic Republic of Congo are going though today. This year for V-Day, the monumental performance of The Vagina Monologues had a new monologue written by the original playwright, Eve Ensler, that was inspired by her personal awareness of the situation of the women in the Congo.

For those of you that don’t know, this V-Day is a different kind of Valentine’s Day. Every year between Feb 1st and March 31st, thousands of performances across the world are set in motion to raise funds and awareness as part of “A Global Movement to End Violence Against Women & Girls.” Rosario Dawson, Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek and Kerry Washington are just a few of the powerful Hollywood forces that are all members of the V-Board.

The Vagina Monologues – originally performed by Ensler (also adoptive mother of Dylan McDermott) – now has had celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon, Oprah Winfrey and more all star in the Obie Award winning play. It has also been translated into 45 different languages, performed in over 119 countries, become a television production, book and is now the benefit performance for this global non-profit that has raised over $50 million dollars for women’s anti-violence groups, shelters and crisis centers.

Proceeds from this particular Santa Monica event benefit Peace Over Violence (for which Calista Flockhart is the national spokesperson) as well as the V-Day Global Fund. Calista was not only representing her cause this night but also actively involved as one of the actresses in this sensational celebrity reading. Among the star-studded cast were Oscar-winner Christine Lahti, Emmy-winner Doris Roberts, Penny Johnson Jerald from 24, Fairuza Balk, comedian Debra Skelton (formerly known as Debra Wilson), Tricia Leigh Fischer of 7th Heaven, and author/actress Elaine Kagan. The cast also features Zoi Katas, theater artist D’Lo, and V-Day Santa Monica producers Wendy Hammers and Deborah Kagan. Veteran actress Iona Morris directed The Broad Stage production.

“I believe all women should enjoy their lives as their full, authentic selves,” states V-Day Santa Monica producer and Sacred Interiors owner Deborah Kagan. "This means celebrating your body, your sexuality, and your prowess. For many victimized women, the by-product of sexual abuse and domestic violence is a disassociation from their own bodies. They don’t feel safe in their own skin.

“I’ve been a fan of Eve Ensler since 1998 when I saw The Vagina Monologues at the Wiltern and I followed her career. When I heard about V to the 10th last year, I had to go. I found myself standing in the New Orleans Superdome with 30,000 people completely inspired and I knew it was time to do something. It was time for a VDAY Santa Monica.”

For more information about V-Day and how to donate or get involved, visit here. V-Day is a process: We will work as long as it takes. We will not stop until the violence stops…. 94 cents of every dollar you give goes straight to ending violence against women and girls.

For more information on Peace over Violence, click here. Formerly known as the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women, Peace Over Violence is a social service agency dedicated to building healthy relationships, families and communities free from sexual, domestic and interpersonal violence. Now expanding into the prevention of youth violence and child abuse among other programs.

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.

Buy Halle Berry's Favorite Bag For Charity

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

Halle Berry is donating some love this holiday season after teaming up with Coach Leatherware for a special promotion: Coach Cares.

Coach developed Coach Cares as a way to support the philanthropic causes of various celebrity fans by donating a percentage of the sales from handbags and accessories to charity.

Now through December 31, you can help Berry’s charity of choice, the Jenesse Center – which aids victims of domestic violence – by purchasing the suede ‘Halle Berry Style Coach Bag’ where 20% of the proceeds will benefit Jenesse Center.

This unique viral campaign allows celebrities to highlight their charitable interests and raise awareness and funds for their favorite causes. Participants include Jessica Alba, Evangeline Lily, Eva Longoria, Mandy Moore, Ryan Reynolds, Rosario Dawson, Rebecca Romijn, Ali Larter, Kerry Washington and many others, and charities include Peace Games, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Eva’s Heroes, the SPCA, The Art of Elysium, V-Day and more.

Coach Cares will be featured on www.coach.com and www.facebook.com, the popular social networking Web site, and will run now through Dec. 31st. The products can be purchased here.

Denzel Washington Urges Kids To Be Great

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Denzel Washington, Martin Sheen, and Shaquille O’Neal have lent their childhood photos to the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America for a new advertising campaign.

The “BE GREAT” campaign launched last week, and aims to encourage volunteers to work at the clubs.

“What’s going on with children doesn’t worry me,” said the Oscar-winning actor. “What’s going on with adults worries me. If we are not more committed to these young people … they will go as far as we take them, so the onus is on us, not on the children. We’ve created this world for them, we are the ones that fall and we are the ones that can rectify it.”

All of the stars involved in the new campaign attended Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs as children, and include Bill Cosby, Muhammad Ali, Swin Cash, Bill Clinton, Cuba Gooding Jr., Michael Jordan, Queen Latifah, Mario Lopez, John Mellencamp, Edward James Olmos, Smokey Robinson, John Singleton, Ruben Studdard, Usher, Courtney Vance, Mark Wahlberg, and Kerry Washington.

“As someone whose life was changed dramatically by the Boys & Girls Club, I can think of no better organization to lead the country in addressing the pressing needs of today’s young people,” said Washington. “I also believe that as adults, we must assume responsibility for many of the conditions that are preventing our young people from achieving their full potential.”

The full advertising campaign can be seen at the BE GREAT website.

Affleck Tops Charity Stars in Denver

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Denver saw an outpouring of celebrity love during last week’s DNC, with Ben Affleck leading the philanthropic pack.

On the Tuesday night, Affleck took part in a poker tournament, along with Richard Dreyfuss and Montel Williams, which ultimately raised over $60,000 for the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

“A lot of important organizations use this environment and the people who are here, celebrities, members of Congress, to try and raise money. This is not a Democratic or Republican group, this is a group serving our veterans,” Affleck said of the charity.

Wednesday morning, the Pearl Harbor star was down at a local food bank, the Food Bank of the Rockies, to participate in a repack event for America’s Second Harvest. Also on hand for the event were members of the Senate Hunger Caucus and members of the House – all there to see who could pack the most boxes of food in five minutes. Affleck, incidentally, won both the poker and the packing events.

He was joined by wife Jennifer Garner for a book reading at the Starz Green Room. Also set to attend were Charlize Theron, Daryl Hannah, Rosario Dawson, Kerry Washington, Josh Brolin, Kal Penn, Stuart Townsend and Hill Harper.

Jennifer Lopez spoke at a reception sponsored by the Jennifer Lopez Foundation in honor of Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund. Fran Drescher, Ashley Judd and Joy Bryant joined Lopez in honoring Edelman.

The Black Eyed Peas performed at the Fillmore Auditorium for the Creative Coalition, and Kanye West performed at a party benefitting the ONE Campaign. Forest Whitaker, Kal Penn and Jamie Foxx were in attendance at the latter.

Moby performed at a private party for DoSomething.org, and Willie Nelson sang out for the people of Darfur at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Celebrity Fashion Up For Grabs

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Anybody interested in celebrity fashion should head over to www.clothesoffourback.org in the next few days to bid on some of the fabulous items up for grabs in the name of charity.

The Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance has an exciting range of clothes and memorabilia up for auction on the site, including the Badgley Mischka dress that Comedy For A Cure honoree Teri Hatcher wore to the “American Idol” Season 7 Grand Finale, a green Max Mara wrap dress, smoky quartz & sterling silver earrings, and autographed photo from “Dexter” star Julie Benz, a “Chuck” t-shirt autographed by the show’s star Zachary Levi, a “CSI:NY” white lab coat autographed by Melina Kanakaredes, and the Theory dress that “Access Hollywood” correspondent Shaun Robinson wore to last year’s Comedy for a Cure event when she was the show’s emcee.

Bidders should be quick, as the auction ends on July 8.

And for anybody who wants to step out on the town in some special shoes, Clothes Off Our Back is also auctioning off a range off footwear designed specially by stars such as Sheryl Crow, Hilary Swank, Zooey Deschanel, Rose McGowan, Kate Winslet, Maggie Grace, Cate Blanchett, Kirsten Dunst, Kristin Davis, Natasha Henstridge, Lisa Edelstein, Pink, Becki Newton, Melissa George, Kerry Washington, America Ferrera, Ana Ortiz, and Kate Walsh.

Proceeds from the auction will go Second Harvest (the nation’s largest charitable hunger-relief organization), The Art of Elysium (which enriches the lives of artist and critically ill children), World Education (focusing on girls’ scholarship programs in Africa), and autism research. The auction ends on July 11.

Over 500 celebrities have participated in Clothes Off Our Back auctions since it was established by Jane Kaczmarek and Bradley Whitford in 2002, helping raise over $2 million for various children’s charities.

Diane Keaton and Andie MacDowell Fight Cancer Together

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:28:32 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

On November 7th, Diane Keaton and Andie MacDowell co-hosted L’Oréal’s “A Night Of Hope” event at Murano in Los Angeles. A silent auction of exceptional photography, fabulous fashion, and accessories from big names including Chanel, Vuitton and De Beers raised money for the benefit of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF), a charity that L’Oréal has supported for a decade.

OCRF is dedicated to research and awareness for ovarian cancer, which claims over 15,000 lives in the US alone each year. The problem with this type of cancer is that there is no effective method of early detection, resulting in late diagnosis in 75 percent of cases, too often too late.

Says L’Oréal Paris president Carol J. Hamilton, “Since 1997, we have helped to raise over $13 million to fund life-saving research and to promote awareness building programs to help empower women to make educated choices about their health and well-being.”

Besides L’Oréal’s search for cure donations and awareness programs, the company also contributes through the sales of signature cosmetics and jewelry collections that are available for purchase online. These include “Color of Hope” cosmetics and jewelry to which a sterling silver pendant and earrings were added this year, as well as a special diamond necklace to commemorate the A Night Of Hope event.

Other L’Oréal spokespeople in attendance included Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington, and Dayle Haddon.

The Hollywood Cookbook Launch Party

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 20:32:59 -0000

Written by Charles Harder

Stars and food converged at Kitchen Academy in Hollywood last night for a party launching The Hollywood Cookbook — a beautiful 271-page hardcover collection of sumptuous recipes, each accompanied by a large photo, from the personal kitchens of 20 celebrities and 6 world-class chefs. Five dollars from each purchase benefits 20 important charities dear to the hearts of the celebrity contributors.

The cookbook covers the spectrum of food and beverage, from appetizers, soups and salads, to main courses, desserts, and even cocktails. Michael J. Fox’s Barn Dance Chicken, and Jane Kaczmarek and Bradley Whitford’s Savory Fall Stew are just two of the 107 creative and simple dishes that can be duplicated in any kitchen regardless of culinary skill level. Chefs Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali, Joachim Splichal, Nick Stellino, Michael Cimarusti and Rocco DiSpirito also contributed recipes to the book.

At the event, the students of Kitchen Academy prepared and served 20 recipes featured in the cookbook, each one tastier than the last. This reporter’s favorite: Door Knob Sweet Potato Balls (an appetizer) from designer Paige Hemmis of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Yum!

Chef Jamie Gwen’s movie-star looks and talk-show host’s presence kept attendees laughing and entertained as the event’s emcee. The evening included a cooking demonstration by actor Greg Grunberg, and an informal awards ceremony. Eric Close of TV’s Without a Trace gave a heartfelt tribute to his charity, Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, which pairs abused children with rescued horses and adult leaders at 24 wilderness ranches around the U.S. and Canada, to help restore the heart, soul, mind and strength of the kids.

Written by screenwriter Jackie Zabel and actress Morgan Most, and published by Silverback Books, The Hollywood Cookbook is a perfect holiday gift (retails for $35, but presently is featured at Amazon.com for only $23). The event was co-sponsored by Maurice Le Croix Swiss Watches and The Kitchen Academy.

Celebrities & Charities: Thora Birch (Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation), Michael Chiklis (The Children’s Lifesaving Foundation), Eric Close (Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch), Mark Dacascos (Reel Angels), James Denton (Cure Autism Now), Michael J. Fox & Tracy Pollan (The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research), Afton Fraser & Brendan Fraser (P.S. ARTS), Greg Grunberg (Pediatric Epilepsy Project), Anne Hathaway (Lollipop Theater Network), Paige Hemmis (Habitat For Humanity), Ron Howard (Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America), Jane Kaczmarek and Bradley Whitford (Clothes Off Our Back), Esai Morales (TreePeople), Don Most (City of Hope), Bob Saget (Scleroderma Research Foundation), Marlo Thomas (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), Kerry Washington (Step Up), Treat Williams (Save the Children), Alicia Witt (The Art of Elysium), and Kelly Wolf & Scott Wolf (Camp Heartland).

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