Look To The Stars News: Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas Will Feed The Hungry On Thanksgiving

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Veteran actor Kirk Douglas – along with his wife Anne – will once again host his annual Thanksgiving meal for the homeless on Los Angeles’ Skid Row on November 25.

For the past five years Kirk Douglas and his wife have hosted the street dinner at the Los Angeles Mission. Volunteers from TV, radio and movies, political leaders and others will bring Thanksgiving a day early to thousands of homeless men, women and children. The day will feature the traditional Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, served hot and fresh in a friendly family atmosphere. Los Angeles Christian Health Centers will provide foot care and exams at the event.

Already scheduled to help out this year are Corbin Bleu (High School Musical), Booboo Stewart (The Twilight Saga – Eclipse), Carolyn Hennessy (Cougartown), Naya Rivera (Glee), Aldis Hodge (Leverage), Congress Members Maxine Waters and David Dreier, Sheriff Lee Baca, and others.

For over 50 years, the Los Angeles Mission has served the people of Hope Central (known as Skid Row), providing emergency services such as shelter, food, clothing, as well as professional medical and dental services. In addition, the Los Angeles Mission also offers long-term residential rehabilitation programs including education, job training/placement, transitional housing and counseling.

Celebrity guests in the past have included Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Melissa Gilbert, Michael Douglas, Minnie Driver, Leeza Gibbons, Sally Kirkland and Kevin Nealon, all of whom have helped prepare, serve and clear plates. Last year, more than 3,000 people were fed a full course Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings.

Celebrity-Signed Books Up For Grabs For Charity

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Whether you are looking for a good book to read while stretched out on the beach, or – for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere – searching for something to curl up with in bed on a frosty winter’s night, there will be something for you in the SAG Foundation’s Celebrity Autographed Book Auction.

The Screen Actor’s Guild Foundation is raising money for it’s literacy programs by auctioning off books signed by your favorite stars. Going under the hammer are titles such as The Olsen Twins’ Influence, Michael J. Fox’s Always Looking Up, Heidi Klum’s Body of Knowledge, Julianne Moore’s Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully, Tom Colicchio’s Craft of Cooking, William Shatner’s Quest For Tomorrow, Alison Sweeney’s All The Days Of My Life, Kirk Douglas’ Let’s Face It, Jenny McCarthy’s Healing and Preventing Autism, Larry King’s My Remarkable Journey, Tori Spelling’s Mommywood, Sean Astin’s There and Back Again, John Lithgow’s The Poet’s Corner and many more.

Proceeds from the auction benefit the Screen Actors Guild Foundation’s literacy effort, which began in 1992 and now includes such programs as:

BookPALS, a volunteer program comprised of performing artists who read aloud to students in schools, hospitals and libraries.
We The Children, which teaches children the value of books and the importance of their lives by giving them the opportunity to write and illustrate their family history.
Storyline Online, an online interactive website which brings the excitement of books into the classroom and home.

The auction runs until July 28 and can be accessed here.

Kirk Douglas Celebrates Over Slavery Apology

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Veteran actor Kirk Douglas is celebrating after the US Senate issued a formal apology for America’s history of slavery.

The 92-year-old has been behind a long-running campaign for the apology, and earlier wrote on his MySpace page: “As I told you quite some time ago, in my last book Let’s Face It, I wrote about the importance of our country showing the world that we are capable of humility by making an apology for our behavior towards African-Americans before and after the Civil War. I think this action is more important right now.”

The apology received from the Senate reads that it: “acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws,” and “apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws. [The US] expresses its recommitment to the principle that all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and calls on all people of the United States to work toward eliminating racial prejudices, injustices, and discrimination from our society.”

Kirk Douglas Encourages School Children

Tue, 12 May 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Veteran actor Kirk Douglas has blogged about his support of the young people who attend the high school named after him in California.

“A few weeks ago, I made a visit to the Kirk Douglas High School,” he wrote on his MySpace page. "I am proud that they asked to name their school after me. One of my pet projects is to try to inspire young people to at least have a high school education. Then, I try to encourage them to go to college. As a small inducement I give every graduate a $500 check.

“When I spoke to the students I was surprised that they each gave me their personal pledge of what they wanted to do in life to improve our world: from volunteering in hospitals and local schools, to supporting our troops by sending letters and care packages. One student has agreed to help the elderly by volunteering at a convalescent center (I wonder if I inspired him).

“I am proud of the students of Kirk Douglas High School.”

Kirk Douglas is well known for his community work. The 92-year-old holds an annual star-studded event at the Los Angeles Mission every Thanksgiving in which celebrities help volunteers feed the homeless.

He also has a keen interest in improving LA’s playgrounds. Along with his wife, Anne, he established the Anne & Kirk Douglas Playground Award to provide assistance to the Los Angeles Unified School District to enhance their schools’ outdoor and recreational spaces. The award supports and encourages Los Angeles public school communities in creating playgrounds that will be the keystones of campus revitalization and give the city’s children the fulfilling experiences and opportunities they deserve.

To watch a video of Douglas addressing the school, click here.

Stars Sign Posters For Charity Foundation

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Now is the time to deck your walls with a selection of movie posters signed by your favorite stars in a new charity auction being run by ClothesOffOurBack.org.

Going under the hammer are a Brokeback Mountain poster signed by the late Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, a Big Love poster and DVD set signed by Bill Paxton, a Philadelphia poster signed by Denzel Washington, and SAG Conversation Series posters signed by stars such as Kirk Douglas, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Greg Grunberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Holly Hunter, Rob Schneider, Kyra Sedgwick, Tom Selleck, Forest Whitaker, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Ben Affleck, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Tim Robbins, Ali Larter, Jesse Spencer and many more.

Proceeds from the auction will go to the Screen Actor’s Guild Foundation, an organization that offers substantive services to Guild members in its mission to assist, educate and inspire actors in their professional endeavors and to give back to the communities in which they live. Founded in 1985, the non-profit SAG Foundation is governed independently of the Guild and funded through the generosity of grants, donations, volunteering and fundraising efforts.

The auction runs until March 23 and can be accessed here.

Philanthropy Spotlight: Harrison Ford

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Look To The Stars’ Features Editor Tim Saunders takes an in-depth look at the career and philanthropy of Harrison Ford.

Unlike Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford actually likes snakes. In fact he likes a lot of the creatures that most people fear. He even has a Californian spider, Calponia harrisonfordi, named after him, its eight hairy legs enough to give almost anyone nightmares, and a South American ant also bears his name. Snakes of all sorts make their home around the white-painted ranch house he built himself in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and they slither and slide their way in and out of the shrubs and pockets of grass that dot the barren landscape.

The mountains that surround Ford’s house are among the most rugged in the state. Their jagged peaks create a feeling that the whole world exists within their confines, and the arid plains that run between them consistently record some of the most extreme temperatures in the United States. It is an area that conjures up images of America’s pioneers, of Lois and Clarke, of place names such as Owl Creek, Dead Indian Pass, and the Big Horn Mountains, romantic visions of a past long gone.

“My interests in the environment came from being in Jackson,” Ford once said to the Sunday Times. “I’d purchased land and I had a sense of stewardship about the place, because the majesty of nature is so apparent there. I have a sense of awe, a sense that nature is so complex and fascinating that it’s as close as I’ve come to understanding the notion of divinity.”

Almost half of Ford’s 800-acre ranch is now a nature reserve. It was a decision the actor found easy.

“It sort of fit this picture I had in my head that I’d carried around for a long time,” he said. “A picture of what the American paradise would look like. Woods and streams and stuff like that. Clear, mountain air…”

Ford has always had a high regard for the environment. As a child he wanted to be either a forest ranger or a farmer. Adventure was his calling, but little was to be found around his home. He grew up in a liberal, middle-class family in suburban Illinois. His father, Christopher, was a successful advertising executive and part-time actor who did commercial voice-overs. His mother, Dorothy, was a former radio actress.

In 1960, at the age of 18, Ford entered Ripon College, a well-known arts school in Wisconsin. But he lacked both the drive and enthusiasm to graduate, and preferred to spend time in theatre groups.

“I found a purpose in becoming an actor that I hadn’t found in any other ways,” he said. “In college, I found a group of people with whom I could work on a common idea. I learnt to act… I had always loved stories – emotionally I’m drawn to them – and acting is storytelling. So acting is what I chose to do.”

After registering as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam war, Ford moved his young family – which included a wife and two young sons – to California, where he started attracting bit parts in B-grade westerns and TV shows. But the work simply did not put food on the table for the Ford family, and the struggling actor turned his back on his fledging career to concentrate on another vocation – carpentry.

After buying a cheap house in the Hollywood Hills, Ford began remodelling and quickly became adept with the hammer and saw. The venture soon turned lucrative when a friend recommended Ford to Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes, who needed a new recording studio. The job led to others, and eventually Ford became a “carpenter for the stars.”

A chance encounter with George Lucas led Ford to return to acting with a role in American Graffiti. A few words from Steven Spielberg then prompted Lucas to hire Ford for the role of Han Solo, the wise cracking space smuggler in his next feature, Star Wars.

The rest, as they say, is history. In the wake of Star Wars’ success, Ford appeared in a number of films, but it was Spielberg’s decision to cast him in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark – a role originally written for Tom Selleck – that shot Ford into orbit. Of the 20+ films he has had a leading role in since Star Wars, 9 of them have grossed over $100 million each. Frantic, Blade Runner, The Fugitive, and Air Force One have all led to his reputation as one of cinema’s greatest action heroes.

Ford has been married twice, and is currently in a relationship with actress Calista Flockhart. The former Ally McBeal star is an avid and enthusiastic supporter of causes such as breast cancer research and domestic violence, and Ford often accompanies her to events to raise money and awareness of social issues. In November 2007, the pair joined Kirk Douglas in Los Angeles to provide Thanksgiving meals for the homeless.

But Ford’s overwhelming passion is the environment. In 1991, he was introduced to Conservation International, one of the world’s leading environmental research groups, and was deeply impressed with the intellectual capacity of its directors. Founded in 1987, Conservation International provides a fund for scientists in 30 countries to identify and overcome biodiversity threats. It focuses its efforts on tropical wilderness areas, marine areas, and major wetlands, and since its inception has donated over $100 million to conservation partners around the world.

Ford joined the ranks of Conservation International as a board member, and soon became vice chairman. He became actively involved in the organization’s design and growth, and now sits on the Executive Committee.

“I was looking for a way to give back,” he explained to the Epoch Times. “What kept my support is their success and the inventiveness of their strategies.”

He calls the battle for conservation ‘a war without an evil enemy’ and believes that it can be won. ‘What we do today will set the course and the example for generations to come.’
Besides his work with Conservation International, Ford also serves as the first ‘airborne watchdog’ for the environmental group Riverkeeper, which identifies and prosecutes polluters of the Hudson River. He patrols the waterway in his helicopter and in 2002 received a Lindbergh Award for his efforts.

Flying is another passion for the actor. In 2004, Ford became the Honorary Chairman of Young Eagles, a program designed to give children a chance to fly in an aircraft for free. The initiative was launched in 1992, and has since flown over 1.3 million children, with volunteer pilots covering all of the costs. Ford has flown over 280 children in his own time, showing them the wide-open plains and rugged mountain areas of America. He says it is the best way to educate young people about nature, and about themselves.

“One of the wonderful things about aviation is that freedom and responsibility are great things for kids to be exposed to,” he told Airport Journals. “To be able to see the world in a three-dimensional way, and to give them a sense of the possibility that they might enjoy that freedom themselves, if they work for it.”

Since joining Conservation International over 16 years ago, Harrison Ford has donated large amounts of time, money, and land to conservation issues. He is also the honorary chairman for the Indianapolis Prize, one of the world’s leading awards for animal conservation. In return, he has received a whole swag of honours himself, including the Jules Verne Spirit of Nature Award, the KT Hurley Award for his work helping young people with their conservation projects, the World Ecology Award from the International Center for Tropical Ecology, the Global Environmental Citizen Award from the Harvard Medical School, and the Good Steward Award from the US House of Representatives. He claims these honours more than make up for the fact he has never won an Oscar.

But then, Harrison Ford isn’t really the sort of man who likes being in the limelight, and prefers to let his movies and actions speak for him.

If there is one thing the Indiana Jones star does want, it is for people to have a long hard look at themselves.

“We’re losing species at a rate that’s not been seen before; and it’s a result of human interference,” he said to Sunday Times Magazine. “I have four children and two grandsons. I feel responsible for tending to things I can affect as a private person, not as a celebrity. I can’t fix the world, but it’s our duty to help how we can. We have a moral responsibility for what we do as individuals. We have to accept it.”

Gwyneth Paltrow And Courteney Cox Honored For Charity Work

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Gwyneth Paltrow and Courteney Cox were honored at the 14th Annual Saks Fifth Avenue’s Unforgettable Evening benefiting the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund in Beverly Hills last night, February 10.

The annual event raises much needed funds each year for innovative cancer research, and recognizes one remarkable individual for his or her unwavering commitment to the cause.

Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow received the 2009 Courage Award. She, along with her mother, Blythe Danner, and brother, Jake Paltrow, established the Bruce Paltrow Fund in memory of her father who lived with oral cancer for several years. The Bruce Paltrow Fund, set up through The Oral Cancer Foundation and with support from the EIF, works to prevent oral cancer through public education, early detection and patient support. In 2008, Paltrow served as ambassador for EIF and Saks Fifth Avenue’s KEY TO THE CURE Initiative, appearing in a nationwide public service announcement to raise funds and awareness for women’s cancers.

Courteney Cox was presented with the 2009 Nat King Cole Award for her dedication to helping people, especially those near to her, who have battled cancer.

The evening included a special performance by Beyoncé Knowles and featured guests such as Jennifer Aniston, David Arquette, Sheryl Crow, Lisa Kudrow, Laura Dern, Jennifer Meyer and Tobey Maguire, Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn, Josh Groban, Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin, Kirk Douglas, Jessica Capshaw, along with EIF’s WCRF honorary chairs Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks, Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg, EIF’s WCRF co-founders Kelly Chapman Meyer, Jamie Tisch, Anne Douglas, Quinn Ezralow, Marion Laurie, and Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills’ Vice President & General Manager Larry Bruce.

Cindy Crawford Feeds The Homeless

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Cindy Crawford and Jennifer Love Hewitt were among the stars who helped out at Kirk Douglas’ annual Thanksgiving Meal for the Homeless on Wednesday.

“It’s a great cause,” said actor Ross McCall. “What a wonderful thing that you get to deliver a hot meal to someone who needs it.”

Between 2,500 and 3,000 people benefited from the celebrity meal, which also featured free health checks.

“It’s just about recognizing how fortunate we all are,” said Crawford. “It’s a way for us to just put our heads in the right state of mind for being truly thankful and it’s great to interact with the guests of the Los Angeles Mission and just be able to serve them a warm meal.”

Hewitt – who is a regular at the annual event – was also full of praise for the work of the Los Angeles Mission, where the event was staged: “What they do all year round, besides just what they do on the holidays, is really inspiring.”

Celebrities Expected For Kirk Douglas Thanksgiving Meal

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Yesterday, Look To The Stars brought you news about Kirk Douglas’ annual Thanksgiving Meal for the Homeless. We can now announce the lineup of stars expected to join the 91-year-old at the Los Angeles Mission.

Making a difference for Thanksgiving this year are Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer), Cindy Crawford, Corbin Bleu (High School Musical III), Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty), Neil McDonough (Desperate Housewives), Rebecca Mader (Lost), James Black (Starter Wife), Wilmer Valderrama (Fast Food Nation), Christopher Knight (Brady Bunch), Adrianne Curry (America’s Next Top Model), Doug Rinehardt (The Hills), Deniece Williams (Singer-Songwriter), Katherine Kelly Lang (the Bold and the Beautiful), Daren Kagasoff (Secret Life of the American Teenager), Nora Zehetner (Heroes), Natasha Alam (the Women), Alaina Huffman (Smallville), Christa Campbell (Day of the Dead), Shirly Brener (Righteous Kill), Kate Linder (the Young and the Restless), Ross McCall (Band of Brothers), Brandon Barash (General Hospital), C. S. Lee (Dexter), Jorge-Luis Pallo (Secret Life of the American Teenager), and Casey Reinhardt (Laguna Beach). And, as in past years, there will be a few more surprises on the day.

The celebrities are expected to gather at the Los Angeles Mission – on the corner of E. Fifth Street and Wall Street – at 10:45am tomorrow, November 26, and start dishing out meals to the city’s homeless at 11am. The event will run until 3pm.

Kirk Douglas To Feed The Homeless For Thanksgiving

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Kirk Douglas will host his annual Thanksgiving Meal for the Homeless on Wednesday, November 26.

Along with his wife, Anne Douglas, and a host of celebrities that will be announced just before the event, the 91-year-old actor will be dishing out meals at the Los Angeles Mission on the corner of Wall Street at 11am.

Celebrity guests in the past have included Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Melissa Gilbert, Michael Douglas Minnie Driver, Leeza Gibbons, Sally Kirkland, and Kevin Nealon, all of whom have helped prepare, serve and clear plates. Last year, more than 3,000 people were fed a full course Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings.

Mandy Moore To Attend Friendly House Awards

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Mandy Moore is just one of the celebrities expected to attend Friendly House’s 19th Annual Awards Luncheon this Saturday, October 18.

Hosted by 8 Simple Rules’ Katey Sagal, the event will honor Candy Spelling – mother of Tori Spelling – as Woman of the Year. Spelling is a well-known civic leader in Los Angeles, as well as a Commissioner for the Department of Recreation and Parks, and a member of the board of L.A.‘s Best, the Mayor’s group that provides reading programs to schools in L.A.

Friendly House is an organization that provides a safe place for women to overcome addictions and be reintegrated into the community. Founded in 1951, the facility was the first treatment center in the US devoted to women recovering from substance and alcohol abuse, and became a model for similar facilities around the world. Over 6,500 women have been treated at Friendly House, with a success rate of 72%. The current location of the facility was donated by William Shatner in 2001, in honor of his late wife.

The Woman of the Year Award will be presented by last year’s recipient, Anne Douglas – the wife of Kirk Douglas.

Information on attending the ceremony can be found at the Friendly House website.

Kirk Douglas Receives Honor For Playground Work

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Kirk Douglas has been honored for his work improving children’s playgrounds across Los Angeles.

The 91-year-old received the Good News Makers of the Year Award with his wife, Anne, at the annual High Flying Fundraiser luncheon held by the Good News Foundation last week.

The Douglases’ interest in improving LA’s playgrounds started in 1997, when Anne Douglas learnt of the deplorable condition of Los Angeles’ public school playgrounds. Along with her husband, Anne established the Anne & Kirk Douglas Playground Award to provide assistance to the Los Angeles Unified School District to enhance their schools’ outdoor and recreational spaces. The award supports and encourages Los Angeles public school communities in creating playgrounds that will be the keystones of campus revitalization and give the city’s children the fulfilling experiences and opportunities they deserve.

Kirk Douglas – who suffered a stroke in 1996 that has affected his ability to speak – volunteers at the Los Angeles Mission every Thanksgiving, and earlier this month spoke to communicative disorder students in Cal State Long Beach about speech therapy, life, show biz and surviving a stroke.

“When you have a stroke, you must speak slowly to be understood,” he said. “And I discovered that, when I speak slowly, people listen. They think I’m going to say something important.”

Douglas will also receive an honor at the Ambassadors for Humanity Gala Dinner on October 22.

Celebrities, Volunteers Step Up To The Plate

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 09:28:02 -0000

Written by Jill Marie Elliott

On the eve of Thanksgiving Day, the homeless men, women and children along Los Angeles’ Skid Row were served a holiday dinner in what has become an annual event. The Los Angeles Mission provides the meals while close to 400 volunteers, including Kirk Douglas and wife Anne, Minnie Driver, Leeza Gibbons, Sally Kirkland, and Kevin Nealon help prepare, serve and clear plates. Last year, more than 3,000 people were fed a full course Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings.

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