Look To The Stars News: Kevin Nealon

Stars Flock To Farm Sanctuary Gala

Wed, 21 May 2008 10:32:57 -0000

Written by Parrish

What could be better than a fancy evening in downtown Manhattan celebrating a brilliant foundation with some of today’s hottest celebrities? The answer: absolutely nothing!

This past Saturday I had the honor of attending Farm Sanctuary’s annual gala. Farm Sanctuary was started in 1986 and is now considered to be the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. Each year the gala helps raise funds for their noble work and honor those who make a difference.

The evening was pure elegance with beautifully decorated tables, a classy silent auction area and, of course, the second floor VIP loft where all the famous faces mingled. Within minutes upstairs I was surrounded by a goggle of celebrities all sharing one thing – a love for Farm Sanctuary. Swoosie Kurtz told me: “I’m just so blown away by what they do. They are so specific in what they do and their goals and they really get thing done.”

Emily Deschanel, a vegan of 16 years, said that she “loves that Farm Sanctuary works from so many different angles” and “that they do so much like passing laws for the farm animals and educating the public.”

As the evening progressed I hobnobbed with stars like Rory Freedman, Dennis Kucinich, Kevin Nealon, Victoria Moran, Ally Sheedy, Loretta Swit, Russell Simmons and Farm Sanctuary president and co-founder Gene Baur.

The ceremony itself was hosted by Heather Mills, emceed by Melissa Rivers and Susie Essman led the live auction. As the evening closed we were treated to a twilight reception with desserts by Vegan Treats and a musical performance by Grammy Award winner Shawn Colvin.

All and all it was a glorious example of what people can do with a compassionate heart, a willing spirit and a generous pocket. To learn more about how you can get involved, visit www.FarmSanctuary.org.

Parrish is a regular contributor to Ecorazzi, the web’s leading green-gossip site.

(Photo copyright Andrew Ford)

Heather Mills Hosts 2008 Farm Sanctuary Gala

Mon, 05 May 2008 12:51:18 -0000

Written by Dawn Fantasia

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.

Guests set to attend this black tie event include Rachel Leigh Cook, Jennifer Coolidge, Emily Deschanel, Christine Ebersole, Lisa Edelstein, Susie Essman, Corey Feldman, Richard Kind, Swoosie Kurtz, Vanessa Marcil, Peter Max, Esai Morales, Eric Roberts, Ally Sheedy, Hal Sparks, Loretta Swit, True Whitaker, Persia White, Debra Wilson Skelton and more.

While volunteer opportunities to help at the event are no longer available, tickets for the Gala are still on sale at $400 each. For more information about purchasing a ticket or making a donation please visit the Farm Sanctuary Gala ‘08 website.

(Photo courtesy of Farm Sanctuary)

Geena Davis, Role Model and Advocate for Our Children

Thu, 03 May 2007 20:19:29 -0000

Written by B. Todi

Geena Davis was celebrated for her work off screen – founding and promoting the See Jane program of Dads & Daughters – in Beverly Hills, California on May 1, 2007 at the USA TODAY Hollywood Hero Awards.

The evening, hosted by Kevin Nealon and Natasha Henstridge, began with a silent auction to benefit the See Jane program. It then moved onto a dinner and numerous speakers praising Ms. Davis for her genius starting the program (after the birth of her first child, a girl), her ability to inspire others, and for her passion advocating for all our children. Craig Moon, President and Publisher of USA TODAY, and father of one boy and four girls, spoke generously of Ms. Davis at the ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel, saying she was rewriting the very definition of the word “hero”.

Peter Coyote, actor, activist and single father of a grown daughter, wished the See Jane program had existed sooner. Though he joked, he hadn’t done too badly since his daughter is now a PhD and has a daughter of her own.

Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment and long-time friend, stressed the importance of the See Jane program because “the media is where young girls get their first role models”. She also said of Ms. Davis “you are my blessing”.

And Kathy Najimy, mother of a ten-year old girl, thanked “Auntie Geena” because “girl-power stories are not easy to find”. In closing, Ms. Najimy was greeted with applause of agreement when in reference to Ms. Davis as a role model in her show Commander in Chief said, “let’s write her name in for ‘08”.

Finally, Geena Davis took the stage, thanking everyone for his or her kind words and restating the program’s mission statement “By making it common for our youngest children to see everywhere a balance of active and complex male and female characters, girls and boys will grow up to empathize with and care more about each others’ stories”. Ms. Davis recognized Ms. Najimy as one of the early supporters of See Jane and joked that she couldn’t be the “auntie” since they were the same age.

Ms. Davis also thanked the See Jane program director, Crystal Allene Cooke and Dr. Stacy Smith of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication for the ongoing in-depth research—to paraphrase—proving her instincts were right.

To learn more about the See Jane program and see what you can do to make a difference, visit the See Jane website.

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.

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.

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