Look To The Stars News: Mario Batali

Brooke Shields To Attend Family Charity Carnival

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Brooke Shields is confirmed to attend the annual Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Kids For Kids Family Carnival on October 24.

This annual event is a major fundraiser for the charity, and has for 16 years brought families together to rally in support of the Foundation’s fight against pediatric AIDS. Last year’s event raised $3.6 million. The event will feature samplings from New York’s greatest restaurants, world-class artists and photographers, celebrities, and both old-fashioned and cutting-edge games and activities – all-in-all a great day out for the whole family.

Joining Brooke at this year’s event will be Nigel Barker, Mario Batali, Diane Sawyer and many more. Past years have seen appearances by Whoopi Goldberg, Marcia Cross, Mariska Hargitay, Heidi Klum, TR Knight, Vanessa Williams and others.

The event will take place at the Industria Superstudio, New York City. More info can be found here.

REM To Be Honored With Charity Tribute Show

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Rocker Patti Smith is to headline a tribute concert for REM next week.

The concert – which features 20 artists and bands performing the songs of the biggest band to ever come out of Athens, Georgia – will take place at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday, March 11, and will include Throwing Muses, Darius Rucker from Hootie and the Blowfish and many others.

Proceeds from the show will go to three organizations that provide music education for youth:

The American Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director Leon Botstein are committed to keeping great music alive and pertinent as a vital cultural force. ASO’s ambitious music educational program, Music Notes, serves tens of thousands of middle and high-school students in the NY Metro area, particularly those from low and moderate-income households. Through teacher training programs, Music Notes integrate the study of music and concerts into existing broader curriculums.

Church Street School for Music & Art is the only not-for-profit school for the arts in Lower Manhattan serving as a community center supporting a diverse audience with affordable arts programming. The process oriented approach facilitates music education through skill building and development of technique in performance.

The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation donates new and refurbished musical instruments to underserved schools, community music programs and individual students nationwide, in an effort to give youngsters the many benefits of music education, help them to be better students and inspire creativity and expression through playing music.

VIP ticket holders will be treated to the private artist reception taking place at City Winery featuring cuisine designed by Mario Batali after the show.

Tickets and more info are available here.

Jon Bon Jovi To Be Honored At Food Bank Event

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Mark down April 21 on your calendars for the annual Food Bank For New York City Can-Do Dinner, this year honoring Jon Bon Jovi.

The Food Bank For New York City coordinates the distribution of food donations from manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and government agencies to organizations providing free food to the city’s hungry. They work tirelessly towards their goal of feeding the hungry, and have chosen Jon Bon Jovi as this year’s honoree because of his efforts in making the world a better place.

The event will be held at Abigail Kirsch’s Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, on the corner of 23 Street and the Hudson River, and will kick off at 6pm with cocktails, followed by a dinner, live auction, and musical performance.

MC for the event is Stanley Tucci, who is a member of the Board of Directors for the Food Bank, and co-chairs include Michael Stipe and Mario Batali.

For tickets and more information about the event, click here

Join Celebrity Chefs At Food Festival Charity Event

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

One of the largest and most popular festivals of its kind, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival is set to take place February 19-22 in Miami.

Now in its eighth year, the event combines the international appeal of top-quality food and wine from around the world with the international appeal of the worlds most celebrated chefs to benefit multiple South Florida charities.

The four-day event showcases the talents of the world’s most renowned winemakers, chefs and culinary personalities. Those taking part this year include: Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Rick Bayless, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Tom Colicchio, Martha Stewart and many, many more.

Hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and Florida International University (FIU), the festival is against the backdrop of America’s Riviera, South Beach. Tickets are still available for some of the many exciting family friendly events, including: South Beach Diet’s Fun and Fit as a Family Featuring Kellogg’s Kidz Kitchen; Beyond Chicken Nuggets: How to Raise a Healthy Eater; and the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village.

They are also running an auction where you can bid on amazing travel packages, rare wine lots, fabulous dining experiences, jewelry, home goods and much more. It can be accessed here.

More info about the Festival can be found at the event website.

Tom Arnold Joins Love Our Children USA

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Tom Arnold is certainly no stranger to charity work, and he now adds another organization to the many non-profits he supports.

Arnold recently joined the Board of Governors for Love Our Children USA, the leading national charity that honors and respects children.

Established over 10 years ago, the goals of the organization are prevention, keeping children safe and strengthening families. Its message is positive and filled with hope. Love Our Children USA has become the go-to prevention organization for all forms of violence and neglect against children in the U.S.

Among the other charities Arnold supports are the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, Operation Homefront, After School All Stars, and Comic Relief. He also provides two full scholarships every year to students attending Indian Hills Community College and established the First Chance Scholarship Program with the University of Phoenix.

Arnold joins Love Our Children USA’s other celebrity board members Mario Batali, Tom Bergeron, Melissa Etheridge, Mandy Moore, Alan Thicke, and Blair Underwood.

Have Lunch In Style With New Celebrity Auction

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

It’s that time of year again – time for the Annual Celebrity Lunchbox Auction to benefit the Food Bank For New York City.

The Lunchbox Auction is a non-profit organization that runs a yearly auction of celebrity designed lunchboxes and splits the proceeds between the Food Bank For New York City and The Lunchbox Fund, a foundation that provides lunch to pre and high school children in South Africa.

This year’s auction includes lunchboxes designed and signed by celebrities such as Mario Batali, Beastie Boys, Gwyneth Paltrow, David Chang, Tom Colicchio, Salman Rushdie, Cameron Diaz, the cast of Gossip Girls, Rachael Ray, Eva Mendes, Mike Myers, Ellen Page, Michael Stipe, Liv Tyler, Diane Von Furstenberg, and many others.

The auction starts on December 12 at www.thelunchboxauction.org. For a special sneak peak of some of the items, click here.

Join David Arquette To Help The Hungry

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Fancy getting to know actor David Arquette over a cup of coffee in Los Angeles, before helping those less fortunate at a local food bank or hunger relief agency? A new charity auction will give you the chance to do just that.

The auction runs from November 13-23, and is part of the Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Give Hope Campaign to help raise funds for and awareness of hunger. Also up for grabs is the chance to help Queer Eye’s Ted Allen to give back to the community by feeding the hungry at the Food Bank For New York City for an afternoon of philanthropy before joining him at Del Posto, the celebrated restaurant of his Iron Chef America colleague and Food Bank for New York City supporter, Mario Batali.

This is the second consecutive year Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi has joined forces with Feeding America during the holiday season to help raise funds for and awareness of hunger in America through the Give Hope Campaign. Feeding America is the largest charitable hunger-relief organization in the U.S. with over 200 member food banks nationwide.

In addition to the charity auction, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi will match every dollar consumers donate up to $50,000 through its website until December 31, 2008. All proceeds generated will benefit Feeding America and its member food banks.

More information about the campaign and auction can be found at the Woodbridge Wines website.

Bono Wants You To Clean Up For Charity

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

It may seem weird – maybe even unbelievable – but Bono has designed a trash can and wants YOU to buy it for charity.

The unique bin is part of a new auction featuring a range of bins designed by celebrities and raising money for the Food Bank For New York City and the Chernobyl Children’s Project International. Joining Bono in designing the receptacles are a range of stars, including REM’s Michael Stipe, celebrity chef Mario Batali, models Helena Christensen and Christy Turlington, actress Mena Suvari, and many more.

The auction is part of a partnership between The Conran Store – an international chain of homeware and furniture stores – and Danish design company VIPP, who were the original designers of the classic pedal trash bin in 1939. The unique celebrity designs will be on display for public viewing and pre-bidding at The Conran Shop in New York (407 East 59th Street) from September 4, culminating in a live auction event on Thursday, September 18, at the Winston Wächter Fine Art Gallery.

For more information, or to see the creations online, visit the Conran Store website.

For Mother's Day, Celebrities Cook For the Cure

Tue, 13 May 2008 09:26:22 -0000

Written by Crystal A. Johnson

There was a bevy of good will Mother’s days weekend in support of research for the cure of breast cancer, including not only the highly publicized Revlon Run/Walk but top celebrity chefs were involved with “Cook for the Cure.” Presented by KitchenAid, it is an effort by the culinary community and cooking enthusiasts to support and raise funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure .

Lidia Bastianich, Mario Batali and Sara Moulton (Gourmet magazine executive chef and Good Morning America, food editor) appear in the May issue of Gourmet to raise awareness and give credit to the women who inspired them: their mothers. All three chefs signed the popular pink KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer, which is being auctioned on Charity Folks through May 15th.

In order to create breast cancer awareness, celebrity chefs and waitstaff wore pink aprons over the holiday weekend which read “I cook for mom.”

Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and launched the global breast cancer movement.

Stars Dish Up Italian For Homeless Charities

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:19:53 -0000

Written by Crystal A. Johnson

Top chef Mario Batali has teamed up with Oscar winner Marisa Tomei, Golden Globe winner Natalie Portman and former American Idol rocker Chris Daughtry to cook up a few Italian treats for a new online recipe book. Fans can download the recipies from the website www.CelebrityItalianTable.com. A dollar from every purchase will go to homeless charities.

This is not Batali’s first celebrity cookbook collaboration for charity. In November of 2006 he offered recipes to The Hollywood Cookbook.

Celebrities Fuel Robin Hood Charity Excess

Mon, 07 May 2007 20:19:47 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

This year’s Robin Hood fundraiser saw top-tier investors driven by good-natured rivalry and celebrity encouragement to give a massive $71 million to charity.

Individual pledges of up to $10 million were made, totalling around $40 million, and guests participated enthusiastically in an auction of unique and decadent lots.

Winning bids included $400,000 to sing a song with Aerosmith (whose singer Steven Tyler performed for two hours of the evening), $1.3 million for a 10-person dinner with celebrity chef Mario Batali, and $2.2 million for an insider trip to the Beijing Olympics.

The annual event is expertly marketed to its guest list of hedge fund managers and private equity high-fliers. Presiding auctioneer Jamie Niven, of Sotheby’s, said, “They put these things together that in your lifetime you couldn’t do. It’s the secret for that audience. You can’t give them a week in Rome. They can do that.”

Tom Brokaw began the evening, and comedian
Jon Stewart played host. Mingling with the super-rich was a liberal sprinkling of further celebrities including Michael Douglas, Ben Affleck, Jimmy Fallon, Zach Braff and Martha Stewart.

This year’s donations exceeded those of last year by 32 percent, and the Robin Hood event has given more than $900 million in cash and donated services since it began in 1990, when it raised $700,000.

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: Mario Batali

Brooke Shields To Attend Family Charity Carnival

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