Look To The Stars News: Wayne Rooney

Cystic Fibrosis Sufferer Meets Football Heroes

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0000

A young cystic fibrosis sufferer from the UK named Becks had one wish – to meet the England football team. His dream recently came true at a England training session that was held at the Arsenal training ground – thanks to the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

After watching the manager put the team through their paces, Becks had the chance to meet the players – all of whom signed his shirt – including footballing legends David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Jon Terry.

Becks suffers from cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that lines the lungs and digestive system with a sticky mucus. Becks has to undergo twice-daily physiotherapy and nebulisers as well as taking a cocktail of pills with each meal. He also has to put up with long stints in hospital. Becks never complains and dreams of one day being a famous footballer.

Beck’s Mum Bonnie said, “We would like to thank Starlight so much! I have never seen him so excited.”

Starlight and the FA joined together to grant his special wish.

Beatles Day 2009 To Benefit Charity Appeals

Wed, 13 May 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of the Fab Four around the world will have the chance to celebrate their favorite band during Beatles Day 09 and raise money for the Imagine Appeal for the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the Marina Dalglish Appeal for a radiotherapy centre in Liverpool.

Officially launched by Julia Baird – John Lennon’s sister – and Ricky Tomlinson, the event will take place on July 10 in places as diverse as China, Russia, New Zealand and of course Liverpool.

This year will mark the second time the event will be held, with last year’s homage to John, Paul, George and Ringo – which gained support from Pink, Russell Brand and the Sugababes – raising over £45,000. Liverpool will once again host a concert as part of the event, and there will be loads of merchandise and happenings available.

July 10 was chosen as the date as it is the anniversary of the Beatles triumphant return to Liverpool from the States and the premiere of the film ‘Hard Day’s Night’ in 1964. The streets were lined with thousands of adoring fans, and organizers hope to re-create the same sort of Beatlemania this year.

“It’s 24 hours when people can show their love for the Beatles and celebrate the legacy of their music,” said Chas Cole, Summer Pops promoter. "The concert at the Echo Arena will be a great way to finish, but BEATLES DAY is really a chance for the ordinary people of Liverpool and other towns and cities all over the world to take part in Beatles related fundraising activities and events. The most important thing is to have fun whilst raising money.

“Liverpool will be the centre of events on 10th July. It would be a great time to visit and let the people show you what makes this city truly great; its heritage, humor, boundless enthusiasm under pressure and above all, its ability to not take itself too seriously. BEATLES DAY here we come!”

The Imagine Appeal is a fundraising campaign launched in 2005 with the help of Yoko Ono to raise money for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital – the largest children’s hospital in Europe. Since 1914, the hospital has led the way in the care of sick children and now treats more than 200,000 young patients every year. And with patrons such as Wayne Rooney, the Imagine Appeal aims to make the work of the hospital easier.

To find out more about this event, visit the official website.

Jarvis Cocker To Play For Children's Hospital

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British musician Jarvis Cocker is to play a special charity gig in Manchester next month.

The former Pulp singer will perform at the Royal Northern College Of Music on April 16 as part of the second John Lennon ‘Imagine’ Charity Fundraiser.

Imagine Appeal is a fundraising campaign launched in 2005 with the help of Yoko Ono to raise money for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital – the largest children’s hospital in Europe. Since 1914, the hospital has led the way in the care of sick children and now treats more than 200,000 young patients every year. And with patrons such as Wayne Rooney, the Imagine Appeal aims to make the work of the hospital easier.

Also due to play at the gig are Badly Drawn Boy, I Am Kloot, Stephen Fretwell and Cherry Ghost. James Harrington is supporting Alder Hey Imagine Appeal with this event

For information about tickets or to find out more about the Imagine Appeal, visit their website.

Footballer's Wife Steps Up For Variety Club

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

The Variety Club’s Have A Heart program has received a little help from Coleen Rooney – wife of England football star Wayne Rooney – who’s urging the public to buy a Gold Heart pin badge for Valentine’s Day to help raise money for sick and disadvantaged youth.

Rooney, whose younger sister suffers from Rett Syndrome, purchased a badge she designed herself.

“The Variety Club is now in its 60th year, and amazingly in that time, the charity has helped almost a million children and young people who are sick, disabled or disadvantaged – and the work goes on!” she said. “That’s why I’m really happy to support the Variety Club and be a part of Gold Hearts this year…Every penny raised from Gold Hearts gives vital help and support to so many children and their families.”

The £1 badge is on sale from Thursday at retailers WH Smith, Wallis, H Samuel, Ernest Jones, Village Hotels, and Odeon Cinemas or directly from the Variety Club.

Euro Soccer Stars To Come Stateside For Charity Match

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Isra Shah

Arsenal F.C Defender Mikael Silvestre is gathering Soccer’s all-stars in New York for a weekend full of fundraising events from June 11th-14th to benefit his charity, the Schools for Hope Foundation. The culminating event is to be a match versus the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, June 14 at Giant Stadium.

Scoring points for their respective teams won’t be the only goal for these players, however. An ambitious $1,000,000 is the target amount to be raised for new school construction and educational centers around the world.

Soccer (Football) enthusiasts will be pleased to recognize many of the sport’s elite included on the roster. Joining Silvestre on the field will be Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Nikolas Anelka, Manuel Alumnia, Emmanuel Addebayor, Frank Lampard, and Ryan Giggs to form what is being billed as “the most unique team ever assembled.”

Silvestre, who also represents France during international play, founded the Schools for Hope Foundation with a mission to build, maintain, and staff schools in impoverished areas of the world, where there is little or no access to educational instruction on the most basic skills: reading, writing, and basic arithmetic. So far, the organization has built two new schools in Africa, and is hoping to obtain financing for additional sites in Laos, South America, and the United States.

In an interview with the New York Times, Silvestre explained why he chose education as his platform for building a better world.

“When my children first started to go to school I realized that education is the basis for a better life for poor children everywhere in the world.”

“I said to myself that I want to act, I want to be involved, with my own money. The focus is not on football at these schools, it is getting…basic skills and professional skills, so the students are able to go out and get a good job.”

Regarding the inaugural event’s location (“It’s magic when you say ‘New York’”), Silvestre adds, “I want to make sure this is an entertaining game, a good show. We want the fans to come back, maybe in two years’ time again.”

Other events planned for the weekend include an auction featuring signed memorabilia and a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden.

To view more on the global crisis of education and what the All Stars are saying about the cause, click here.

To learn more about the All Stars for Hope Weekend and to purchase tickets, visit Allstarsforhope.org.

Rowling, Branson, Cowell Boost Reward Fund For Missing Girl

Tue, 15 May 2007 09:58:40 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Some of Britain’s biggest names have pledged money to a record £2.5 million ($5 million) reward for the safe return of 4-year-old Madeleine McCann, who disappeared in Portugal while on holiday with her family.

The girl from Leicestershire, England, vanished from a holiday apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz on 3 May.

Celebrity contributions to the reward fund have included £50,000 ($100,000) from Simon Cowell, £100,000 ($200,000) from Richard Branson, an unspecified amount from footballer Wayne Rooney, and a “staggering” contribution from billionaire “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling.

Madeleine’s parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, are still in Portugal helping with the search. Mr McCann said, “Until there is concrete evidence to the contrary, we believe Madeleine is safe and is being looked after.”

A website has been set up to provide information about Madeleine and to help speed her return: www.bringmadeleinehome.com

Beckham backs Blue Peter Appeal

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 20:50:00 -0000

Written by Chris Tarttelin

On November 8, superstar footballer David Beckham appeared on the UK children’s TV programme Blue
Peter to back its latest charity campaign ‘Shoebiz’. The appeal’s goal is to gather and recycle 500,000 pairs of shoes to raise £500,000 — enough to set up 22 Children’s Corners across Malawi.

Children’s Corners provide food, support and schooling for some of the world’s poorest children, and a chance for them to simply play. With the explosion of AIDS across Africa, many of the children are orphans with the job of caring for their younger siblings.

During Beckham’s time as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, he supported several campaigns, including ‘Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS’ and saw the problems that African AIDS orphans face.

Giving a pair of his own shoes to the appeal, Beckham said, "So many people look up to me and to other footballers around the world. To help out by creating awareness is the best thing I can do.

“My kids love football and they are lucky – there are many children out there who don’t have the privilege of running around on grass or having shoes to run in.

“Just a simple thing like giving a pair of shoes or trainers to this
appeal is going to make a big difference.

“There are many children out there who have lost their mums and dads to HIV/AIDS and something like this will make a huge difference.”

Beckham said of his own donation: “I rarely give football boots away and these are very special to me.”

Fellow footballer Wayne Rooney and Tony Blair have also given some of their old footwear for the Shoebiz Appeal. Rooney gave a pair of football boots, while the Prime Minister handed over a smart pair of shoes.

Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones visited Malawi to witness first-hand the plight of the 600,000 orphans who have so far lost their parents to AIDS, which kills one person in the country every eight minutes. Jones said, “The children I met in Malawi just wanted to kick a ball around and have fun together; but the sadness of their loss and the appalling difficulties of living without a mum or dad simply can’t be faced alone.”

Residents of the UK, where 2 million shoes are thrown away each week, can get involved via the Blue Peter appeal website.

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