Look To The Stars News: Rosie O'Donnell

Elizabeth Taylor And Bill Clinton Honored For Charity Work

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Elizabeth Taylor, Bill Clinton and Diane von Furstenberg were honored by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) last Wednesday.

The black-tie benefit marked amfAR’s 25th year, and featured a special reunion performance of “That’s What Friends Are For” by all of the original artists: Sir Elton John, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Stevie Wonder. Also in recognition of amfAR’s 25 years, special tributes were made to the Foundation’s co-founders, Mathilde Krim, Ph.D and Dame Elizabeth Taylor. The evening was presented by Hublot, and co-sponsored by M*A*C Viva Glam. More than $1.5 million was raised for AIDS research.

President Bill Clinton, Diane von Furstenberg, and Dame Elizabeth Taylor were each presented with the amfAR Award of Courage for outstanding leadership and distinguished service in furthering amfAR’s mission, and for playing a vital role in increasing AIDS awareness and accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research. Ms. von Furstenberg was presented with her award by her husband, Barry Diller. Chelsea Clinton presented the award to her father. Sir Elton John delivered a personal message from Dame Elizabeth Taylor, who could not be in attendance, stating “I am there in spirit and I join you in saluting my fellow honorees and all these extraordinary leaders. I am inspired by their example, exhilarated by their vision, and encouraged by their compassion and love. And I love them in return.” Sir Elton accepted the award on her behalf.

Cyndi Lauper Launches Celebrity Charity Auction

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Between a whirlwind tour, launching a new campaign for MAC cosmetics, and filming a reality show, Cyndi Lauper has had a busy past year.

That hasn’t stopped the talented artist and gay-rights activist from rallying an impressive list of stars from music and entertainment to help kick off the True Colors Winter Charity Auction on charitybuzz.com to benefit the True Colors Fund in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality.

Incredible experiences and memorabilia from Ricky Martin, Jason Mraz, Rosie O’Donnell, Dolly Parton, Sarah Silverman, David Gray, U2, Lady Gaga and many more celebrities and artists are up for auction now through February 10th at www.charitybuzz.com/TrueColorsWinter10.

Trey Morgan Completes Charity Journey With Celebrity Help

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:00:00 +0000

New York City based radio personality Trey Morgan has completed a journey designed to shock him into a more philanthropic way of life – with the help of his celebrity friends on the way.

Over the course of 30 days, Morgan attempted to commit his time to 30 different charitable organizations, one for each day of September, all while holding down his ‘day job’ and making it home for dinner with his wife.

Each day, Morgan arrived at a new charity, worked with them in whatever capacity is asked of him, and attempted to prove that the average person can do this too. Along the way he met with Selena Gomez and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Joel and Benji Madden from Good Charlotte, Rosie O’Donnell and many others who helped him make the journey a success.

Stars Remember Natasha Richardson At Charity Gala

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

The stars were out and about on Wednesday, February 10, to remember actress Natasha Richardson – who died in a skiing accident last year – and honor Elton John at the annual New York Fundraiser for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

The event, held at Cipriani 42nd Street, featured performances by Rufus Wainwright and Lady Gaga, and featured a guest list that included Cyndi Lauper, Vanessa Redgrave, Meryl Streep, Sharon Stone, Stanley Tucci and many more.

Sir Elton received amfAR’s Award of Courage for outstanding leadership and distinguished service in furthering amfAR’s mission, and for playing a vital role in increasing AIDS awareness and accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research.

Cyndie Lauper Launches Charity Auction

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Cyndi Lauper has launched the True Colors Fund online auction which aims to raise money to strengthen the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) and allied community by growing the number of volunteers and donors to the non-profit organizations working on their behalf.

Items up for grabs include lunch and Tarot card reading with Lauper, tickets to the Entourage season premiere in LA, a meet-and-greet with Bette Midler in Las Vegas, a set visit to 30 Rock, meet-and-greets with Lady Gaga and Rosie O’Donnell, autographed items from Dolly Parton, one-of-a-kind handwritten lyrics from Jason Mraz, Peter Gabriel, Michael Stipe and many more, and items from Mark Wahlberg, Yoko Ono and others.

“I am excited to launch the True Colors Fund’s Summer Online Auction,” said Cyndi Lauper, who created the True Colors Tour, an annual music tour that tour benefits the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations that provide support to the LGBT community and to the straight friends and family who love them, including PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and the Matthew Shepard Foundation, as well as local organizations in cities where the concerts were held. “There is literally something for everyone. All of the proceeds will go directly to support the True Color Fund’s work to get everyone – especially my fellow straight allies – to do what they can to help make equality a reality for the GLBT community.”

Online Auction For True Colors Fund

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Cyndi Lauper and the True Colors Fund will be holding a special online auction on chartitybuzz.com this summer in which 100% of the net proceeds will directly go to underwrite their work on behalf of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.

Last year, they held their first online auction raising over $53,000, and they hope to double that result this summer with such items as:

HANDWRITTEN & AUTOGRAPHED LYRICS BY MUSICIANS

Anne Hathaway Gets Ready For A Cracked Xmas

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:00:00 +0000

The Trevor Project – the nonprofit endeavor established to promote acceptance of gay and questioning teenagers and aid in suicide prevention – is to hold an evening of irreverent comedy, performances, and awards next month.

The 11th annual Cracked Xmas – A Not So Silent Night will be presented by Anne Hathaway and will honor Sigourney Weaver with a Life Award for her support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Previous recipients include Ellen DeGeneres, Debra Messing, and Rosie O’Donnell.

“I feel grateful and humbled to be honored with the Trevor Life Award, and to be recognized as an ally to the LGBTQ community,” said Weaver. “I hope that films such as ‘Prayers for Bobby’ will send messages of compassion and acceptance to all people, and compel them to create safer, all-encompassing environments for our young people.”

Giving Back Fund Announces Top 30 Celebrity Givers

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:30:00 +0000

The Giving Back Fund has released its second annual Giving Back 30 survey, a ranking of the celebrities who have made the largest donations to charity in 2007 according to public records.

Heading the list was Oprah Winfrey, who donated $50.2 million to the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and Oprah’s Angel Network to “support the
inspiration, empowerment and education of women, children, and families around the world and to encourage people around the world to make a difference in the lives of others”. Coming in second was Herb Alpert, who donated a total of $13 million to the Herb Alpert Foundation, followed by Barbra Streisand, who gave over $11 million to the Streisand Foundation.

Stewart to Host Night Of Too Many Stars

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:53:19 +0000

The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart is set to host the Night Of Too Many Stars, an “Overbooked Concert For Autism Education”, on April 13th. The music-and-laughter-packed event will be televised live from The Beacon Theatre in New York City.

Some of the guests joining the comic news anchor in the fundraising efforts are Matthew Broderick, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Conan O’Brien, Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Proceeds of the evening will be split among autism education programs, including new schools which provide vocational and life skills for teenagers and adults with autism, and outreach programs which provide training and consultation to families of young autistic children. A portion of the proceeds will go to Autism Speaks, an organization which funds research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, while raising public awareness about the disorder.

Rosie O'Donnell Holds Benefit Show For Broadway Kids

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:41:19 +0000

Rosie O’Donnell has done it again, raising over $1 million for her “kids” in one evening of music and dance entertainment late last year.

Joan Rivers, Caroline Rhea, Jo Anne Worley, and Linda Dano were among the guests who enjoyed Rosie’s Broadway Kids benefit show, in which students from her theatre schools performed Broadway classics, and Paul Simon sang “Diamonds On The Soles of Her Shoes”, with students joining in song and dance. The evening also included a boisterous live auction that raised over $110,000.

O’Donnell’s dedication to helping kids born into poverty through the support and development of programs and activities that would otherwise be inaccessible to them is persistent. Her Rosie’s For All Kids Foundation has awarded over $30 million in grants to child-related organizations since its inception in 1997. She also created Rosie’s Broadway Kids, which provides free music and dance instruction to over 5100 students, family members, and teachers through 22 New York public schools, and last year the institution built the Maravel Center, a state-of-the-art school for performing arts.

Bid Now For Christmas Gifts

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:21:00 +0000

The countdown to Christmas has begun, and celebrities are doing their best to make holiday shopping easy this year. Several charity auctions have already kicked off to raise money for good causes, including one that may be eBay’s largest sale of celebrity items… ever!

The BID 2 BEAT AIDS online auction will open on December 1, World AIDS Day, and will feature over 1000 specially signed items, ranging from posters to iPods. The annual auction will raise money for LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS fundraising and service charity, and in the past has raised up to $175,000.

The array of memorabilia up for sale this year is simply colossal, with perhaps the most interesting items being a series of “Lend a Hand to LIFEbeat” cards that feature the handprints of over 100 celebrities. Stars such as Britney Spears, Jack Black, and Kathy Griffin traced around the outlines of their hands and decorated their artworks for the auction, and the finished products will make a unique addition to any Christmas stocking.

Jerry Lewis Tops Charity Survey

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:48:18 +0000

A survey has named comedy actor Jerry Lewis as the most effective celebrity for charity causes, with 43% of those surveyed saying he is the best at raising funds and driving change for the issues he supports.

The survey, carried out by the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, put the 81 year old veteran of movies including “The Nutty Professor” at the top of a list of ten philanthropic celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey, Michael J. Fox, Jimmy Carter, Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie, Bono, Lance Armstrong, Katie Couric, and Rosie O’Donnell.
Jerry Lewis helped establish the Muscular Dystrophy Association in 1952, and has organized and hosted a Labor Day Telethon every year since 1966. His fundraising efforts have raised over $2 billion for neuromuscular care and research, with last year’s telethon raising $61 million alone. He has also been involved with fundraising for The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. He is the only media celebrity to have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Big Shoes To Fill For Blue Planet Run

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 08:30:32 +0000

An unusual new exhibition is raising eyebrows in downtown New York. A series of giant running shoes, designed by 20 well-known celebrities, has been placed around the city to raise awareness of an enduro-sport charity event taking place during July and August.

Courteney Cox, Rosie O’Donnell, Ben Harper, and Rachael Ray are just some of the actors, actresses, and musicians to have contributed the oversized footwear to Manhattan’s landscape. Each giant sneaker measures 3 feet by 5 feet, and draws attention to the Blue Planet Run, the first ever round-the-world running relay, which started in New York on July 1.

This special sporting event will see an international team of 20 athletes attempt to cover more than 15,000 miles in 100 days to promote the need for safe drinking water. The relay passes through 16 countries, including England, France, Germany, Belarus, and Japan, before finishing in New York on September 4.

Oprah Tops Celebrity Philanthropy A-List

Sat, 12 May 2007 08:24:00 +0000

A list of the 30 largest public donations made by celebrities in the past year puts Oprah in the top spot.

The Giving Back Fund, which encourages and advises on celebrity philanthropy, compiles its list each year. President Marc Pollick said, “Encouragement-by-example is the main reason for the Giving Back 30 list.”

Oprah gave $58.3 million to Oprah’s Angel Network and her recently-opened Leadership Academy.

Gloria Estefan Gala Attracts Stars, Money For Charity

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 16:11:51 +0000

Friday Feb 9 saw the first ever Gloria Estefan Foundation Gala at the Miami Sound Machine singer’s mansion.

The charitable Foundation was started ten years ago by Gloria Estefan and husband Emilio, funded exclusively by the couple’s recording industry proceeds and other personal income. It has since given out over $3m to people and charities in need.

Wanting to extend the charity’s base of support to other wealthy individuals, the couple announced last month their plans to open their luxury home for the first time ever to host a gala and benefit concert called “En Casa con Gloria.”

Kevin Bacon Launches “SixDegrees.org”

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 10:02:12 +0000

Kevin Bacon has launched SixDegrees.org, a new web site that builds on the popularity of the “small world phenomenon” to create a charitable social network and inspire giving to charities online.

Bacon started the network with celebrities who are highlighting their favorite charities – including Kyra Sedgwick (Natural Resources Defense Council), Nicole Kidman (UNIFEM), Ashley Judd (YouthAIDS), Bradley Whitford and Jane Kaczmarek (Clothes Off Our Back), Dana Delany (Scleroderma Research Foundation), Robert Duvall (Pro Mujer), Rosie O’Donnell (Rosie’s For All Kids Foundation), and Jessica Simpson (Operation Smile) – and he encouraged everyone to be celebrities for their own causes by joining the Six Degrees movement.