Look To The Stars News: Esai Morales

Stars To Celebrate World Peace Day At Bullets4Peace Event

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:30:00 +0000

A number of celebrities will come together on Wednesday for a very special World Peace Day celebration in Hollywood with Bullets4Peace.

The third annual Reloading Life event will feature a very special live performance by peace activist and international vocal sensation Liel Kolet, with a guest list that includes host Chris Noth, Bullets 4 Peace founder Rafi Anteby, LOVA Tea co-founders Stephanie Cence and Tara Wilson, Akon, America Ferrera, Bill Maher, Bobby Brown, Boris Kodjoe, Brandon T. Jackson, Brandy, Brian McKnight, Cedric the Entertainer, Chris Pine, Cynthia Nixon, Dennis Haysbert, Donald Faison, Eric Dane, Esai Morales, Eva Marcille, Forest Whitaker, George Lopez, Hill Harper, Idris Elba, Jill Hennessy, John Corbett, John Slattery, Jordin Sparks, Julie Benz, Kathy Griffin, Kiefer Sutherland, Keke Palmer, Kristin Davis, Kyle Maclachlan, Lance Gross, Lenny Kravitz, Paul Johansson, Regina King, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sean Penn, Shannon Elizabeth, Taraji P. Henson, Tatyana Ali, Travis Barker, Vivica Fox, Zoe Kravitz, Wayne Brady and many others.

Bullets4Peace is a jewelry line made of recycled bullet casings taken from reload centers, streets, and war zones. When a bullet is fired the tip flies towards the target and the casing falls to the ground. Manufacturers reload these casings with live ammunition. Bullets4Peace intercepts this vicious cycle by transforming the casings into unique and stylish pendants insuring that these bullets will never find their way back to war zones, thus promoting harmony and peace. Bullets4Peace transforms war bullets into beautiful and unique jewelry as a way of spreading consciousness of peace.

Antonio Villaraigosa To Host Celebrity Charity Event Tonight

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa – in conjunction with AEG and L.A. Live – hosts the 5th Annual Fundraiser for Boyle Heights Tech Youth Center in Los Angeles tonight (September 8).

Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and the friends of Boyle Heights cordially invite you to honor and celebrate the artistic creativity and shining stars of the Boyle Heights Technology Youth Center music and arts program!

Among the stars expected to attend are honorees Esai Morales, Tatyana Ali, LAPD Captain Anita Ortega, Mikhil Gipson and Tanari Echeverria; plus MC Felipe Esparaza – winner of 2010 “Last Comic Standing”; plus Hill Harper, Lou Diamond Phillips, KABC’s Alysha Del Valle, Quinton Aaron (“Blindside”), Sofia Milos (“CSI: Miami”), Bai Ling, Damian Chapa ("Brando Unauthorized), George Brown (Kool and the Gang), Bishop Lamont (recording artist), Glynn Turman (Emmy winner-HBO’s “In Treatment”), Glynn Plummer (“Sons of Anarchy”), Lou Lombardi (“Entourage”), Katie Blair (Miss California USA-2011, Miss Teen USA 2006), Kid Chocolate (prize fighter), Hector Bustamante (“Southland”), Q’orianka Kilcher (“The New World”, “Princess Kaiulani”), Sharif Atkins (“ER”, “White Collar”), Preity Uupala (Miss India Int’l 2011), The Miz (WWE Wrestler), Maryse (WWE Wrestler), Charlene Amoia (“How I Met Your Mother”), Julianna Rose-Khumba (“Glee 3D Movie”), Isabella Rae Thomas (“Brothers and Sisters”), Jennessa Rose (“Glee 3D Movie”), Zach Callison (“Hannah Montana”), and many others.

Aimee Garcia And Esai Morales To Play Celebrity Charity Golf

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Positive Lives Achieved Through Education and Sports (P.L.A.T.E.S.) is hosting its 1st annual celebrity charity golf classic to raise funds for the revitalization and building of parks, sports complexes and community centers for the betterment of our youth.

Entertainers from sports, music, film and television have answered the call and are ready to hit a hole in one to solve the problem. Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms will provide a pristine backdrop for the golf classic taking place August 12, 2011. In addition to 18 lavish holes of golf, the all-day event will have multiple contests including a hole in one contest, a putting contest, and more. The day will also include a cocktail networking hour and VIP awards dinner honoring event participants and honorary recipients.

With problems like obesity besieging the youth at an alarming rate, it’s important to have safe environments for young people to be active and participate in sports, while learning the discipline and confidence gained by being athletic. The P.L.A.T.E.S. Foundation is dedicated to that sole purpose. They promote healthy, athletic activities and help to provide positive learning environments that will enhance the intellectual, cultural and educational needs of our youth and communities.

Esai Morales Honored At 3rd Annual Dream Awards For Hollywood Arts

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Last weekend at Hollywood’s Raleigh Studios, almost 300 actors, musicians, artists, producers, directors and philanthropists came together for the 3rd Annual Dream Awards, hosted by non-profit organization Hollywood Arts.

Honoring Caprica star Esai Morales, Marilyn producer Anthony Rhulen of FilmEngine and Dr. Howard Samuels of the Hills Treatment Center, the Hollywood community came out to celebrate and support the organization and three individuals who have spent their time and effort supporting Hollywood Art’s Mission to help at-risk youth. E!’s charismatic host Michael Yo hosted the evening and kept things going with a smile, enthusiasm and a good sense of humor.

Academy Award winning actress Tatum O’Neal spoke from the heart about the “Secret Society” some Hollywood stars join before presenting Dr. Samuels with the Inspiration Award. NYPD Blue star Jimmy Smits proudly and playfully presented the Paragon Award to Caprica star and good friend Esai Morales. Per Smits, Hollywood Arts couldn’t have chosen a better man to receive the Award, stating that the definition of ‘Paragon’, a model of excellence, was a great description of Morales, who gives back and is humble about it. Behind Enemy Lines director John Moore introduced honoree Anthony Rhulen who shared that it took him a while until he realized how much what his father did meant to the communities.

Stars Come Out On Earth Day

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Stars and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles came out to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day with James Cameron at JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles as part of the Avatar Home Tree Event.

Many celebrities shared their various media platform programs at the event. While on the green carpet sporting green attire, former NBA Star, talk show host and vegan John Salley announced he is the new executive producer of the documentary film Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days. The documentary centers around a raw food challenge to reverse cases of diabetes.

Humane Society To Hold Star-Studded Genesis Awards This Weekend

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Animal welfare warriors shouldn’t forget The Humane Society’s 24th annual Genesis Awards this Saturday, March 20.

This year will see Melanie Griffith present a lifetime achievement award to her mother, 80-year-old Tippi Hedren, for dedicating the last 40 years to the protection of animals and raising awareness of the exotic pet trade.

“Tippi is an extraordinary woman – both a hands-on caregiver to 63 discarded big cats at the Shambala Preserve, as well as a tireless activist who continues to work in support of federal legislation that would ban the breeding of and the trade in exotic animals in the U.S.,” said Beverly Kaskey, senior director of the Hollywood office of The Humane Society of the United States and executive producer of the annual Genesis Awards.

Stars To Attend Bilingual Learning Center Charity Gala

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Stars such as Wilmer Valderrama and Esai Morales will attend a special event this weekend to raise funds to promote bilingual education.

The 2nd annual Multicultural Harmony Gala will be held at Pickwick Gardens in Burbank on March 13, and will honor Debbie Allen, as well as Peter Murrieta and his cast from the Wizards of Waverly Place, including Selena Gomez.

The event will raise funds for the Multicultural Learning Center, a bilingual (Spanish/English) charter school in the San Fernando Valley.

Celebrities Sign Letter To Stop Tail Docking

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:30:00 +0000

An animal rights charity has gathered support from a number of celebrities for its urgent call to end a cruel practice commonplace in the dairy industry.

On behalf of Kim Basinger, Alicia Silverstone, Bill Maher, Bob Barker and a host of other California celebrities – as well as their more than 200,000 members and supporters – Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, sent a letter today to Governor Schwarzenegger urging him to do the right thing and sign a bill sitting on his desk that would end the cruel and outdated practice of amputating dairy cows’ tails.

Both chambers of the California legislature recently passed a bill that would ban tail docking in the dairy industry, but the bill will not become law unless the governor signs it.

Stars Gather For Brent Shapiro Foundation Event

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:00:00 +0000

The Brent Shapiro Foundation for Drug and Alcohol Awareness will hold a star-studded benefit in Hollywood tomorrow night, September 12.

The private party at an undisclosed residence will be attended by many of the celebrity supporters of the charity, including Larry King, Jessica Alba, Sean Combs, Denzel Washington, Barry Bonds, Rod Stewart, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Joel Madden, Lindsay Lohan, Brody Jenner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Karina Smirnoff, Lionel Richie, Sylvester Stallone, Brent Bolthouse, Danny Masterson, Adrian Grenier, Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian, Bruce and Kris Jenner, Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, Cheryl Tiegs, Jayde Nicole, Jacquelyn Smith, Nicky Hilton, Carolina Bacardi, Esai Morales, Ashley Hamilton and many others.

Brent Shapiro was the son of Robert Shapiro, who was an attorney on OJ Simpson’s defense team in 1995. Brent – who had battled with addictions most of his life – died in 2005 at the age of 25. It is the vision of the Brent Shapiro Foundation to fight the stigma of addictions through education, and help parents communicate with their children on addiction issues.

Stars To Host Eco-Film Screening

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Last month, Look To The Stars brought you news about a new eco-film featuring Trudie Styler that chronicles the effects that Chevron’s oil production facilities are having on locals in Ecuador. Now Amazon Watch – which works to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin – invites you to a special benefit party and premiere screening of “Crude” in Los Angeles.

The special screening of Crude will be co-hosted by Benjamin Bratt, Daryl Hannah, Esai Morales, Martin Sheen and many other big names, and will take place on September 17 at Harmony Gold Theater on Sunset Blvd.

Crude is a high-stakes David vs. Goliath legal drama with 30,000 Ecuadorian rainforest dwellers facing down Chevron – the fifth largest corporation on the planet. This special event will benefit Amazon Watch’s Clean Up Ecuador campaign to hold Chevron accountable and bring justice to affected communities, and is being held in association with the Rainforest Action Network.

Mayor Villaraigosa To Host Fundraising Gala

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:30:00 +0000

On Friday, May 29th, the Honorable Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa and council member José Huizar will co-host the 3rd Annual Fundraising Gala to benefit the Boyle Heights Music and Arts Program at the Boyle Heights Technology Youth Center.

The Center, which first opened in September of 2006, is a 20,000 square foot state of the art full-time learning center, located on a corner that was once plagued by violence and drug trafficking. The center boasts a music recording studio, an accredited alternative high school, recreation areas and plans for a television studio.

The Youth Opportunity Movement of Los Angeles has partnered with the Los Angeles County of Education to operate the center and help at-risk-youth achieve their educational, employment, and personal goals by providing them with opportunities to develop skills that will help them build a viable future.

Children Uniting Nations To Hold Charity Oscar Party

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Charity organization Children Uniting Nations will present its 10th annual Oscar Viewing Party and Awards Night this Sunday, February 22.

Children Uniting Nations is a proactive organization created to bring attention to the plight of at-risk and foster youth. The goal is to reach as many children in out-of-home care by offering role-model support, guidance, a sense of community and promote the importance of an education. Inspired by the Day of the Child, CUN wanted mentoring to be more accessible to children living in foster care and therefore created a mentoring program to be administered in every city nationwide.

The Oscar Party is one of the organization’s main fundraising events, and is expected to attract appearances by the Black Eyed Peas, Pierce Brosnan, Esai Morales and many more.

Stars Set To Shine At Global Green Pre-Oscar Party

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Environmental organization Global Green USA will hold their annual pre-Oscar party this week and have invited some stellar performers and hosts.

Entertainment at this year’s party will include Sheryl Crow and Gavin Rossdale and co-hosting the event are stars such as Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, Penelope Cruz , Rosario Dawson, Marisa Tomei, Kate Bosworth, Sebastian Copeland, Lyn & Norman Lear, Damien Rice, Heather Graham, Roland Emmerich, Dominic Monaghan, Matt Petersen, Neil Patrick Harris, Sharon Lawrence and Esai Morales.

Proceeds from the evening – which includes drinks and a gift bag – will go to Global Green USA’s Green Schools Initiative. Green Schools are community facilities that are designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green schools protect occupant health, provide a productive learning environment, connect students to the natural world, increase average daily attendance, reduce operating costs, improve teacher satisfaction and retention, and reduce overall impact to the environment.

Celebrity Endorsement Pulls Young Voters

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:30:00 +0000

A new study has revealed how celebrity endorsement can encourage young people to vote.

“Celebrities have the power to motivate civic engagement regardless of their own grasp of the issues at hand,” reported a study by Washington State University published in the Mass Communication and Society journal. “Celebrity endorsed campaigns successfully lowered complacency and helped young people believe in their own impact on the political system. Young people got involved at higher levels and became increasingly aware of societal issues.”

According to the study, initiatives from stars such as Jessica Alba – who recently featured in several ad campaigns for Declare Yourself – as well as Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé Knowles have influenced the youth vote in America. 44% of newly registered voters in 2004 were between 18 and 25.

Hollywood Urges US To Vote

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:30:00 +0000

A host of the brightest stars in Hollywood have joined forces in a new video encouraging people to vote in the upcoming US elections.

The 5-minute film, which is called 5 Friends and can be viewed here, features appearances from Amy Adams, Tatyana Ali, will.i.am, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Maria Bello, Halle Berry, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Connolly, Courteney Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Jonah Hill, Djimon Hounsou, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Kiedis, Ashton Kutcher, Adam Levine, Laura Linney, Eva Longoria, Tobey Maguire, Demi Moore, Esai Morales, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Ethan Suplee, Kyra Sedgwick, Michelle Trachtenberg, Usher, and Forest Whitaker.

The video, which uses a little bit of reverse psychology to get people to the polls, was organized by Declare Yourself, a national nonprofit campaign initiated in 2004 to energize and empower a new movement of young voters.

Heather Mills Hosts 2008 Farm Sanctuary Gala

Mon, 05 May 2008 12:51:00 +0000

Heather Mills is giving hope to animal-lovers everywhere by returning to host this year’s Farm Sanctuary Gala on May 17th, with emcee Melissa Rivers.

Heather and Melissa will be joined by many caring people and well-known celebrities, such as Kristen Bell and Kevin Nealon, who share their dream of bringing public awareness and compassion to the safety of farm animals. This will be a night to remember, full of exquisite vegan cuisine and sensational entertainment provided by Shawn Colvin.

Gift bags featuring vegan foods, cruelty-free items and other unique farm animal-related gifts are to be given out at the event to educate Gala guests about compassionate living, and an auction featuring original paintings, photography, gift baskets, jewelry and more will help to raise funds for the charity.

Celebrities Gather For Global Green Pre-Oscar Party

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:23:00 +0000

Celebrities, artists, actors, industry executives, and environmentalists joined Global Green USA CEO Matt Petersen for the 5th Annual Global Green Pre-Oscar Party last Wednesday, February 20, at the Avalon Nightclub in Hollywood.

The theme of this year’s event was “Time To Act: Reduce your Carbon Footprint today: Drive Green, Live Green, Vote Green”. The evening, emceed by HBO’s ‘Real Time’ host Bill Maher, raised $420,000 to benefit Global Green’s climate change initiatives, which include the green rebuilding of New Orleans.

“There are a lot of people in this town who talk a lot about (the issue), but these guys (Global Green) are actually doing something,” said Maher, who arrived at the event in a hybrid SUV.

The Hollywood Cookbook Launch Party

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

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!