Look To The Stars News: Ron Howard

Glenn Close Is Removing The Shame That Shadows Mental Illness

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

In an effort to bring mental illness into everyday dialogue, Glenn Close co-created the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign and, with the help of director Ron Howard, created a public service announcement pointing out how common such illnesses really are.

The first problem about awareness, even though one in six adults suffer from one form or another, is that mental illness is invisible. The other problem is the stigma attached to it.

“I think a lot of people will find that it’s kind of a relief to simply acknowledge that mental health issues are something every family deals with,” says Howard, “and yet it clearly does still remain stigmatized.”

The stigma is so powerful that it causes many sufferers of illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and post traumatic stress disorder to go undiagnosed, and therefore remain without the help that is available to them. Close’s sister, Jessie, whose bipolar disorder was not diagnosed until she was 47, sees it as very damaging: “We face a stigma that can be as painful as the disease itself.”

Often the result of ignorance, stigma can simply come from not knowing what to say, not knowing what to do, or not even knowing if someone is afflicted, and that’s what Close is addressing through the Bring Change 2 Mind campaign. She wants people to get past the fear and get on with the treatment.

“Change a mind about mental illness and you can change a life,” says Close. “It’s just the beginning. Words are very powerful.”

Celebrities To Attend Chrysalis Charity Ball

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The 8th annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball will take place this Saturday, June 6.

Hosted by Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, the event will feature appearances by Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon and Annette Bening. Also expected to attend are Amanda Bynes, AnnaLynne McCord, Courtney Love, Kevin Connolly, Nick Lachey, Ron Howard, Warren Beatty and many more.

Chrysalis is a charity dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals become self-sufficient through employment opportunities. It currently helps more than 2,000 individuals a year change their lives through jobs.

More info can be found here.

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.

Oceana Awards To Honor Clinton And Sting

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Bill Clinton, Sting, and Trudie Styler will be honored at the annual Oceana Partners Awards this weekend.

Chaired by Sam Waterston and Ted Danson and hosted by Pierce Brosnan, Ron Howard, and Robert Redford, the event honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions through their personal commitment to the cause of protecting and conserving the environment. Past honorees include Ted Turner, Don Henley, James Cameron, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, and Christopher Reeve. Past hosts have included Salma Hayek, Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ron Meyer and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Bill Clinton has been selected as this year’s recipient because his Clinton Climate Initiative – launched in 2006 – works with over 40 of the world’s largest cities to reduce greenhouse emissions. Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, were chosen due to their efforts to raise more than $25 million dollars through 15 benefit concerts for The Rainforest Foundation, which has now expanded to a network of interconnected organizations working in 23 countries around the globe.

The event will take place at the Pacific Palisades home of Jena and Michael King on Saturday, October 18, and will begin with a VIP reception at 5:30PM, followed by a cocktail party at 6:00PM and the awards presentation at 7:00PM.

Ticket information can be found at the Oceana Partners Awards website.

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).

Look To The Stars News: Ron Howard

Glenn Close Is Removing The Shame That Shadows Mental Illness

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