Look To The Stars News: Dolly Parton

See The Children Through The Trees At Charity Auction

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:30:00 -0000

The Durst Organization presents an auction and awards gala to benefit and recognize Health People’s Kids-Helping-Kids Mentoring Program, which trains older teens with sick or missing parents to be mentors to younger children in the same difficult situations. The works of art for auction are curated with the theme of “See the Children Through the Trees”, reflecting how parentless children in NYC are invisible and have no state, city or federally funded support programs.

Being auctioned are works that range from internationally acclaimed artist April Gornik’s “The Woods” to Ross Bleckner’s abstracted leaves in “Early Every Morning”; from Milton Glaser’s blazing “Red Tree” to an original signed panel from Garry Trudeau’s Doonesbury to Walter Channing’s 8 foot sculpture in which a natural tree trunk seems to “whirl” to the sky. And for the ‘leaf peepers’, unique celebrity “Leaf Autographs” donated by Dolly Parton, John Updike, Michael Bloomberg, Lauren Bacall, and others will be auctioned.

The hosts of the “See the Children Through the Trees” auction and awards night gala include; Larry B. Wright, Carl Berstein, Bill Boggs, Milton Glaser, Edwina Sandys, Richard Kaplan, Barbara Roberts, Stephanie Stokes, Stanley Cohen, Edward Enck, Dr. Hal Strelnick and Chris Norwood.

The honorees and awards include: Renowned artist April Gornik will receive the inaugural Health People’s Leadership in Art and Civic Society Award; Tomas Rivera a graduate of Health People’s Kids-Helping-Kids Mentoring Program will receive the Youth Leadership Award. Tomas recently returned from being stationed with the US Army in Iraq and is now a pre-med student planning to help his community; Julia Gruen, Executive Director, of the Keith Haring Foundation; Ed Martin, the Director of International Insights at the Hershey Company and Director of Pause to Support a Cause, an innovative new business philanthropy initiative, involving major corporations around the world, which links charities and nonprofits to the $18.9 billion market research industry.

To view the artworks, you can visit the gallery of the Conde Nast Building, 4 Times Square ( 42nd st. & Bwy), New York City. The “See the Children Through the Trees” exhibit may be seen daily from 9am to 6 pm. You can also bid in the silent auction at www.charitybuzz.com until Thursday, October 15th 2009.

The Auction and Awards Gala takes place on Thursday October 15th, 2009, from 6:00pm-9:00pm at the gallery of the Conde Nast Building., 4 Times Square, New York City.

Celebrities And TV News Heavyweights Donate To Diversity In Journalism

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Melissa Charbonneau

A teen pop rock idol, country superstars, and internationally renowned television journalists are contributing to an online auction for the NPC Scholarship Fund to promote diversity in newsrooms. Sponsored by The National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the charity auction offers opportunities to bid on celebrity memorabilia and win “experience” visits with America’s most-influential news personalities from nationally-recognized news shows.

A winning bidder could win a personalized Gibson Flying V Faded guitar signed by Nick Jonas, the youngest of the Jonas Brothers or an autographed guitar from Grammy Award-winning country music star Toby Keith. Lucky news junkies could win visits with their favorite news correspondents by bidding on:

A visit to a production of “Amanpour” and coffee with its host Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s International Correspondent, during Thanksgiving week New York City.

A meeting with FOX News’ Greta van Susteren, ranked by Forbes Magazine among the world’s 100 most powerful women, at a live taping of “On the Record – and an appearance on her internet news show “Greta Live Wire.”

Tickets to the Sept. 28 National Press Club Luncheon with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, and a chance to have your photo taken with Burns at a VIP reception at the Press Club in in Washington, D.C.

Attending a live broadcast of the second oldest show on television, "Face the Nation,” followed by a VIP tour of the studio given by CBS News host Bob Schieffer.

Other items include a Mary Tyler Moore script of “Chuckles Bites the Dust,” the 1975 sitcom Emmy-winning script ranked by TV Guide as the #3 TV episode of all times; books and dvd collections signed by Grammy-Award winners Dolly Parton and Billy Joel; and weekend visits in top Washington, D.C.’s luxury hotels.

The NPC auction will run through September 24 on CharityFolks.com. For details on auction items and to bid, click here.

The auction benefits the National Press Club Scholarship Fund for Diversity in Journalism/ Persina Scholarship and raises funds for four-year college scholarships for minority students who plan to pursue a career in print, broadcast or online journalism. The NPC Scholarship Fund works to promote the cause of diversity in newsrooms and has helped launch the careers of talented minority journalists. The NPC’s Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library has distributed nearly $600 ,000 in scholarships to bright young people who needed financial assistance to attend journalism schools around the country.

The National Press Club, founded in 1908 in Washington, D.C., has more than 3,500 members worldwide. The NPC is widely known for its Speaker Luncheon Series televised by C-SPAN and carried by XM Satellite Radio, and American Public Media, and its public forums for visiting heads of state. The NPC conducts an aggressive program of professional education for journalists, funds scholarships for journalism students, and operates the nation’s only non-academic research library for journalists. www.press.org

Cyndie Lauper Launches Charity Auction

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

Written by Tim Saunders

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.“

The True Colors Fund is currently developing an in-depth public awareness and education campaign to inspire, engage and challenge every GLBT and allied person to do what they can to personally effect change within and for the GLBT community by volunteering and supporting the organizations working on their behalf each and every day.

Planned to launch in late 2009, the campaign will include public service announcements (PSAs) that tell the personal stories of people who have been benefited from the work of GLBT organizations. The PSAs will also direct viewers to an extensive online volunteer village where they will find all the tools and information they will need to become and stay personally involved.

Also the True Colors Fund continues to work with the True Colors Tour to raise money and awareness for GLBT issues. Over the past 2 years, True Colors is proud to have raised over $200,000 for GLBT organizations like HRC, CenterLink & PFLAG.

The auction runs until June 25 and can be accessed here.

Country Stars Decorate Guitars For Charity Auction

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Guitars decorated by some of country music’s biggest stars will be auctioned for charity next month.

Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Craig Morgan, Dolly Parton, Kellie Pickler, Sugarland, Pam Tillis, Steve Wariner, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban have contributed guitars to the auction, which will raise money for the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund, an organization that aids people in the country music community with financial and health related issues.

The Guitars of the Stars Benefit Auction will take place on Friday, June 12, at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. More info can be found here.

Dolly Parton Launches New Charity Partnership

Fri, 22 May 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Country legend Dolly Parton announced this week that her literacy charity will team up with the United Way of America to double the amount of books the program currently provides.

Parton established the Imagination Library in 1996 as part of her Dollywood Foundation, and it now operates in 566 counties across thirty-six U.S. states, as well as in Canada and England. Her idea was simple: to build an organization that sends one book per month to children from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten.

“This program is one of the most important ways I know to improve the educational opportunities for children,” said Parton. “When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books, and the seeds you plant in your community can grow across the world.”

The new partnership has set a goal of providing free books to one million children each month by 2014.

More information about the program can be found here.

Bette Midler And 50 Cent Together For Charity

Fri, 15 May 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The devine Bette Midler is joining with 50 Cent and Dolly Parton to host her annual Spring Picnic to benefit the New York Restoration Project.

The event will take place at Fort Tryon Park, New York City, on May 19, and will include a BBQ and entertainment.

Midler founded the New York Restoration Project in 1995 to improve the natural balance of life in the city. The organization is based on the belief that clean, green neighborhoods are fundamental to the quality of life, and that every community in New York City deserves an oasis of natural beauty. Seeing many parks and open spaces in dire need of clean-up and restoration, Midler created NYRP to be the “conservancy of forgotten places,” particularly in New York City’s underserved communities.

To raise awareness of the event, Midler has launched an online auction to benefit the NYRP. Items going under the hammer include the chance to meet Hugh Jackman on the set of his next movie, front row tickets to see Elton John and Billy Joel, backstage passes to meet Cher, tickets to see Michael Jackson in London, meet-and-greets with John Stamos, LeAnn Rimes, Stevie Nicks, Kristin Chenoweth, Keith Urban, and Bernadette Peters, items from Scarlett Johansson and Mick Jagger, and much more.

To make a bid, visit Charity Buzz.

To order tickets to the Spring Picnic – which start at $250 – click here.

Get Ready For The Carousel Of Hope This Weekend

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The annual Carousel of Hope Gala will take place this weekend to raise money for the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes.

Presented by Jay Leno, the gala will take place at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, October 25, and will honor Denzel Washington for his charity work.

This year celebrates 30 years of helping children with diabetes through the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes. Held every two years, this is the 18th Carousel of Hope. From its inception in 1978, the Ball has raised over $70 million.

The gala will feature performances from Josh Groban, the Jonas Brothers, Katharine McPhee and many more under the music direction of David Foster. The guest list is expected to be huge, with stars such as Tom Arnold, Melanie Griffith & Antonio Banderas, Halle Berry, Valerie Bertinelli, Lara Flynn Boyle, Bo Derek, Geena Davis, Daisy Fuentes, Selena Gomez, Kelsey Grammar, Tom Hanks, Taraji P. Henson, Anjelica Huston, Magic Johnson, Dr. Phil McGraw, Holly Robinson-Peete & Rodney Peete, Nicole Richie, Jane Seymour, Nicollette Sheridan, Forest Whitaker and James Woods all expected to attend. Clive Davis, Quincy Jones and Sidney Poitier will take part in Denzel Washington’s presentation.

The evening will feature a silent auction that includes an array of eco-friendly shirts donated by Guess and signed by Jason Bateman, Halle Berry, Robert DeNiro, Clint Eastwood, Will Ferrell, Harrison Ford, Cuba Gooding Jr., Whitney Houston, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Lee, Jared Leto, Bill Maher, Steve Martin, Jack Nicholson, Ray Romano, Maria Shriver & Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rod Stewart, Usher and many more. There will also be handbags signed by Joan Collins, Courteney Cox, Cindy Crawford, Dakota Fanning, Mariska Hargitay, Fergie, Susan Sarandon, Britney Spears and Racquel Welch, as well as items from Trace Adkins, P. Diddy, Marcia Cross, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Andie MacDowell, Alyssa Milano, Eva Longoria, Dolly Parton, Priscilla Presley, Denise Richards, Joel Madden, Sharon Stone, John Travolta, Carrie Underwood and many more.

Proceeds from the gala will benefit clinical care and research at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes (BDC) where over 5,000 children and young adults receive specialized care.

Handbag.com Launches Handbag Amnesty

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:30:00 -0000

www.handbag.com and Cancer Research UK have announced a new partnership with the launch of the first ever Handbag Amnesty.

Taking place throughout the month of September – www.handbag.com’s dedicated handbag month – and climaxing in October, the Handbag Amnesty will give women across the country the opportunity to bid for the designer handbag of their favourite celebrity including, just to name a few, Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller and Dame Shirley Bassey, to raise money to help beat cancer.

www.handbag.com and Cancer Research UK are asking celebrities to make space in their wardrobes by donating one of their designer handbags to the Amnesty. The bags will then be auctioned on eBay from Friday 3rd – Sunday 14th October to tie in with Breast Cancer Awareness month. Open to everyone, all proceeds will go to Cancer Research UK, the largest single funder of research into breast cancer, one of the most common cancers in the UK.

Some of the other celebrities who have donated handbags are America Ferrera, Annie Lennox, Ashlee Simpson, Geri Halliwell, Dame Judi Dench, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Scarlett Johansson.

The Handbag Amnesty, however, is not just about celebrities. www.handbag.com and Cancer Research UK are also asking members of the public to donate a handbag that is still in good condition to their local Cancer Research UK shop. Good handbags always sell like hot cakes in Cancer Research UK’s nationwide chain of charity shops.

Claire Higgins, Head of Marketing at www.handbag.com, says: “As the leading lifestyle website for women in the UK, we are in the unique position of being able to reach more than 1.5 million women across the country. 44,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year in the UK so we are very proud to be working with Cancer Research UK to help make a difference – not only by raising a lot of money to fund research into preventing breast cancer, but also by helping to raise much needed awareness of the illness.”

Paul Farthing, Director of High Value Relationships at Cancer Research UK, says: “We’re delighted to be working with www.handbag.com to launch Handbag Amnesty. The auction of celebrity handbags will be an exciting way to raise funds for our vital research into breast cancer. We also hope that by encouraging supporters to donate their own favourite handbag, and other unwanted quality items to our shops, we will be able to raise even more to help beat cancer.”

For more information and a full list of celebrities taking part, please visit www.handbag.com/amnesty

Dolly Parton Plays Benefit Concerts

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Country music legend Dolly Parton hosted three sold-out benefit concerts at her Dollywood theme park over the weekend.

The shows, held on August 16 and 17, raised money for Parton’s Imagination Library, a charity the 62-year-old established to encourage children to read. According to Country Music Television, the shows were part of Parton’s current tour, and the singer whipped the crowd into a frenzy with renditions of hits both old and new.

Parton established the charity in 1996 as part of her Dollywood Foundation, and the Imagination Library now operates in 566 counties across thirty-six U.S. states, as well as in Canada and England. Her idea was simple: to build an organization that sends one book per month to children from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten.

Due to the work Parton has done with her Imagination Library – which distributes more than 2.5 million free books to children every year – she has be awarded the Association of American Publishers’ AAP Honor in 2000, Good Housekeeping’s Seal of Approval in 2001, the American Association of School Administrators’ Galaxy Award in 2002, the Chasing Rainbows Award from the National State Teachers of the Year in 2002, and the Child and Family Advocacy Award from the Parents As Teachers National Center in 2003.

To find out more about the organization, visit their website at www.dollysimaginationlibrary.com.

Keith Urban Thinks You Would Look Good In His Old Shirt

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Kiwi-born country singer Keith Urban has launched a special new charity auction inspired by his latest hit, You Look Good in my Old T-Shirt.

The country star – who recently became a father for the first time with his wife, Nicole Kidman – has convinced a wide cross-section of his musical friends to join him in donating previously worn T-Shirts to the internet sale to raise money for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Stars to take up his cause include Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, LeAnn Rimes, Josh Turner, Keith Anderson, Ronnie Milsap, Luke Bryan, Sara Evans, Trace Adkins, Faith Hill, Darryl Worley and members of Little Big Town.

“St. Jude is a charity that is very near and dear to my heart,” said Urban. “Our fans have always graciously offered their support in past fund-raisers we have done for St. Jude, so I think this auction will be a great success.”

The auction, which runs for 2 weeks, can be accessed through www.keithurbanauction.com.

Celebrities Go To The Dogs Over Auction

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 10:41:16 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Looking for something a little different to give the special pet in your life? Elizabeth Taylor, Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron may be able to help, as they are some of the stars donating items for the upcoming “Celebrity Collars For Dollars” auction, starting June 23rd.

The event aims to raise funds for Dogs Deserve Better, a non-profit organization dedicated to freeing dogs that are permanently chained and mistreated.

Bidders will have the chance to buy pre-used dog collars belonging to the canine friends of celebrities such as Robin Williams, who has donated three collars from his pets Gabby and MabelMae, three autographed photos, three signed DVDs, and an autographed Dogs Deserve Better calendar.

Tammy Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, has been enjoying preparations for the auction over the last few months, and has been touched by the generosity shown by the stars involved.

“It’s been great fun opening the mail from celebrities to see what they’ve donated,” she said. “Candice Bergen, who did not have a collar to send, had her assistant call to say they were sending a specially signed photo to DDB… and gave a generous donation for chained and penned dogs.”

Other items up for sale include autographed photos of Dolly Parton, a signed copy of Bill Maher’s book Polite Musings From A Timid Observer, and Martha Stewart has autographed a copy of the Dogs Deserve Better Calendar for the event.

Online bidding will run for 10 days, finishing on July 3rd, and can be accessed through www.dogsdeservebetter.org.

Oprah Tops Celebrity Philanthropy A-List

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

Written by Steve Purcell

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.

Of the other celebrities high on the list, Barbra Streisand was in fourth spot, having given $11.75 million through her Streisand Foundation.

Tiger Woods took fifth place, giving $9.5 million to organisations including the Tiger Woods Learning Center funded by the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Giving Back’s Marc Pollick praised an increasing trend in celebrity donations, saying, “Ten years ago when Slate magazine first published the Slate 60 reporting on the most generous American philanthropists, the last donor on their list gave $5 million. This year the last donor donated $30 million to charity. This is the type of growth we are hoping to inspire within the sports and entertainment community. One cannot help but be influenced by the generosity of his or her peers.”

The full list and information about how it was compiled can be found at givingback.org. This site has previously reported on many of the list’s featured celebrities and their donations; a comprehensively linked version of the list appears below:

Position	Celebrity	Donation	Cause(s)
1	Oprah Winfrey	$58,300,000	Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, Oprah’s Angel Network, and other groups
2	Geoffrey Beene	$44,000,000 (bequest)	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
3	Jack and Marie Lord	$40,000,000 (bequest)	Hawaii Community Foundation
4	Barbra Streisand	$11,750,000	Streisand Foundation, numerous civil liberties, environmental, and civil rights organizations “dedicated to democratic values”
5	Tiger Woods	$9,500,000	Tiger Woods Learning Center, Earl D. Woods Sr. Scholarship Fund, and other Tiger Woods Foundation programs
6	Rosie O’Donnell	$5,700,000	Katrina Relief efforts including Renaissance Village (a temporary shelter for Katrina victims), day care centers, a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, and a Habitat For Humanity sub division in Baton Rouge
7	Martha Stewart	$5,000,000	New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital for a center on healthy aging
8	Carmelo Anthony	$4,282,000	CAF Youth Center in Baltimore, AAU Basketball, Syracuse University Recreational Center, and other charities
9	Pat Boone & Shirley Boone	$3,000,000	Pepperdine University for the Graduate School of Education and Psychology Center for the Family
9	LeRoy Neiman	$3,000,000	The School of the Art Institute of Chicago to support a Master’s class in figure drawing
11	Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt	$2,415,000	School and Community Center in Swakopmund in Namibia, Daniel Pearl Foundation, Namibian hospitals, Doctors Without Borders, Global Action for Children and others
12	Nicolas Cage	$2,000,000	Amnesty International for a fund to help child soldiers
12	Dwayne Johnson (“The Rock”) and Dany Garcia Johnson	$2,000,000	University of Miami to name new Alumni Center living room
12	Paul McCartney	$2,000,000	Adopt-A-Minefield
12	Arnold Palmer	$2,000,000	Pledged to the Arnold Palmer Foundation ultimately to benefit the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
16	David Geffen	$1,600,000	David Geffen Foundation
17	Susan Saint James and Dick Ebersol	$1,300,000	The Gunnery to help pay for a new dormitory in memory of their son Teddy killed in a plane crash
18	Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg	$1,250,000	Boston University to renovate facilities
19	Andre Agassi	$1,070,000	Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation
20	Tiki and Ronde Barber and family	$1,000,000	University of Virginia to support the McIntire School of Commerce, the Virginia Athletics Foundation, Childrens Hospital, a scholarship fund for African-American students, the Young Alumni Council, and to challenge young alumni to participate in the capital campaign
20	Bob Barker	$1,000,000	Georgetown University to endow a fund at its law school that will focus on the study of animal rights
20	Gloria Estefan	$1,000,000	The Miami Project
20	Dr. Phil McGraw & Robin McGraw	$1,000,000	Dr. Phil Foundation
20	George Steinbrenner & family	$1,000,000	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for Boshamer Stadium for baseball
20	Tony Stewart	$1,000,000	Victory Junction Gang Camp
20	Denzel Washington	$1,000,000	Save Africa’s Children
27	Mike Sexton	$560,000	Special Olympics, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, Children, Inc., Wounded Warrior Project, Ohio State University, and other charities
28	Lance Armstrong	$500,000	Lance Armstrong Foundation
28	Dolly Parton	$500,000	Fort Sanders Medical Center
28	Elizabeth Taylor	$500,000	New Orleans AIDS Task Force to purchase mobile medical unit for AIDS sufferers in New Orleans

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