Look To The Stars News: Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks Donates Money To Fire Relief

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Over $6 million raised by Garth Brooks is being given to charities in Los Angeles and San Diego this month to help people affected by last year’s devestating Californian wildfires.

The money was raised when Brooks played five shows in two days at the Staples Center in L.A. last January.

The money is being distributed to the charities by the McCormick Tribune Foundation, and will be granted to charities that provide aid to victims and their families, as well as to first responders of the Los Angeles and San Diego wildfires – including California firefighting departments and organizations in need of additional or replacement firefighting equipment.

“All of the credit for the millions of dollars raised for our heroic firefighters goes to Garth Brooks and his unselfish fans who donated to this incredible cause,” said Timothy J. Leiweke, President and CEO of AEG – sponsor of the initiative. “We also owe a great deal of gratitude to our partners at American Express, The Los Angeles Times and Ticketmaster for stepping up when their assistance was truly needed, and to the McCormick Foundation whose efforts were invaluable in collecting and distributing the millions of dollars of donations to the appropriate recipients.”

$1.8 million is being given out in the L.A. area, while $4.2 million in grants is being awarded in San Diego.

“Because of the generosity of citizens across the country and the active engagement of our partners in the community, the Foundation is helping to solve critical challenges facing the victims of the California fires,” said David Grange, President and CEO of the McCormick Foundation. “We believe that these grants will enable agencies to provide recovery services to at-risk families and better prepare for future crises.”

The McCormick Foundation’s communities program is a unique grantmaking effort that stimulates local philanthropy and improves community life across the country.

Garth Brooks To Hold Fire Relief Concerts

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:15:44 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Country music singer Garth Brooks will perform five concerts over two days, a rare endeavor in the music industry, to raise $3 million for the McCormick Tribune Foundation’s Southern California 2008 Fire Relief Campaign.

The proceeds will benefit victims of the wildfires that devastated parts of Los Angeles and San Diego last October and November, as well as provide equipment and financial support for Southern California fire departments.

This Friday, January 25, Brooks will perform the first concert at 6pm and follow with the second at 10pm. Then on Saturday he will play at 1pm, 5pm, and 9pm, all at STAPLES Center (owned by AEG) in Los Angeles.

Impressed with Brook’s determination to contribute in a big way, AEC president and CEO Timothy J. Leiweke, said, “I am proud to call [Brooks] our partner, but even more proud to call him my friend.”

Tickets to all five concerts sold out in just under an hour.

“It’s a beautiful thing when everyone pulls together,” Brooks told reporters. “California just raised a ton of money for their own.”

Stars Record Public Service Announcement

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:44:27 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Ben Affleck, Dakota Fanning, Eva Mendes, Garth Brooks, Jeremy Piven, Joaquin Phoenix, Morgan Freeman, and Reese Witherspoon have filmed a Public Service Announcement for all Americans, stating that the country’s health care and financial security crisis is about to explode. But if people on both sides of the issue would start a dialogue, the problems are not insurmountable.

The video is part of the American Association of Retired Persons’ (AARP) “Divided We Fail” project, an initiative that has just garnered support from the Entertainment Industry Foundation and the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF).

“We need to build a national conversation around these issues,” said AARP CEO Bill Novelli, who is more than happy with the union. “The entertainment industry is uniquely suited to help us do that.”

It is a view shared by MPTF Chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg. “Hollywood can call attention to these problems and help galvanize the public into taking action,” said the producer of Shrek and head of the organization of entertainment industry leaders dedicated to supporting health and human service needs. “[This] is a key first step in solving them.”

The director of the video, Tony Goldwyn, had a very specific message to get across: “People wind up feeling that the two sides are just too far apart; that these problems are so big and complex that we can’t fix them. What we’re saying is, if we all get together and start talking, we can.”

Americans struggling with financial and health care problems are invited to share their stories at www.aarp.org, and their experiences may be used for the Divided We Fail project. The PSA video can also be viewed on the site. The AARP organization is dedicated to enhancing the experience of aging through advocacy, information, and service, with a focus on the needs for health, financial security, giving back to society, family and social connectedness, and joy in life.

Brooks Goes Pink For Breast Cancer

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:29:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The fastest selling solo artist in music history, Garth Brooks, is to release two versions of his latest album, one dedicated exclusively to charity.

The Pink Edition of “Garth Brooks – The Ultimate Hits” will be released on November 6, and will only be available through Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s online Promise Shop. The CD packages will be priced at $15, with $10 going to Komen, whose mission is to find a cure for breast cancer.

The three-disc set includes 30 classics, plus 3 new songs, as well as a bonus track. It also features a DVD that contains 33 videos, including new and never-before-seen footage. The Pink Edition packages will also contain information on breast health and breast cancer, and an instructional card on breast self-examination.

“Through the release of this very special, and very pink, edition of The Ultimate Hits, Garth Brooks is actively joining Susan G. Komen for the Cure in our promise to end breast cancer forever,” said Hala Moddelmog, cancer survivor and President and Chief Executive of the non-profit organization. “We’re excited about the potential of this relationship, and we’re grateful that Garth is featuring important breast health and breast cancer information from Komen with the album. Through this example of his artistry and generosity, Garth is giving Komen a unique opportunity to raise significant dollars and reach millions of people, ultimately helping us to save lives.”

Brooks said he was inspired to donate the proceeds to charity after watching his wife train for and take part in Breast Cancer 3-Day, an event that challenged people to walk 60 miles over three days, with pledges and donations going to Komen and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.

“It was a heck of a lot easier than me trying to walk 60 miles,” joked Brooks.

A host of other celebrities have also been raising money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure in October.

Kelly Clarkson, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and Toby Keith have joined with the casts of Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers And Sisters, and The Young And The Restless to sign and decorate limited edition, 1/18th scale models of Ford’s newest car, the 2008 Mustang.

The models were auctioned off on eBay, with Clarkson’s selling for over $2,660, as part of Ford’s Warriors in Pink campaign. Since it was launched in 2006, Ford’s Warriors In Pink has raised more than $90 million for breast cancer causes, recognizing the strength and courage it takes to deal with the challenges of the disease.

Warriors In Pink also has a range of apparel for men and women available that feature important symbols of hope, strength, and unity. The designs are added to every year, and $1.1 million was raised in 2006 for the cause from the sale of the clothing.

To celebrate Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s 25th Anniversary, Ford has also announced they will be giving $250 from the public sale of each new 2008 Ford Mustang to the charity.

More information about the auction, which also features models signed and decorated by Rachael Ray and Richard Simmons, can be found at www.fordcares.com. The new Garth Brooks – The Ultimate Hits Pink Edition CD is available exclusively through www.komen.org/garth, and other items for sale to benefit the breast cancer cause can be viewed at www.ebay.com/breastcancer.

Look To The Stars News: Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks Donates Money To Fire Relief

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