Look To The Stars News: Dwayne Johnson

Star-Studded Event Honors CNN Everyday Heroes

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0000

This year’s CNN Heroes event featured a host of famous presenters including Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson, Greg Kinnear, George Lopez and Julia Louis Dreyfus.

Presented by Anderson Cooper, the third annual event honored the top 10 CNN Everyday Heroes of 2009, and was taped in front of an audience of 2,500 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Performances by Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood and R&B singer Maxwell enhanced the evening, which took place on November 21 and will be broadcast on CNN on November 26.

The winners of the awards were selected by a panel that included Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, Malaak Compton-Rock, Kirk Cameron, Masi Oka, Shakira, Ted Turner and Colin Powell.

The honorees – as listed by CNN – were:

Brad Blauser is providing hope and mobility to disabled children and their families in Iraq. Since 2005, his Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids program has distributed nearly 650 free pediatric wheelchairs to children in need.  
Roy Foster started Stand Down House to help veterans struggling with addiction and homelessness in Florida. Since 2000, his program has provided life-changing services to nearly 900 veterans. 
Doc Hendley is providing clean water to communities worldwide. Through creative fundraising, his nonprofit Wine to Water has brought sustainable water systems to 25,000 people in five countries. 
Breast cancer survivor Andrea Ivory is bringing early detection to the doorsteps of uninsured women. With mobile mammography vans, her group has provided more than 500 free screenings in Miami, Florida. 
Zimbabwe native Betty Makoni founded the Girl Child Network to provide a haven for young victims of sexual abuse. The organization has rescued more than 35,000 girls since 2001.  
 School bus driver Jorge Munoz is helping hungry New Yorkers make it through tough times. Since 2004, he has handed out more than 70,000 meals from his mobile soup kitchen in Queens — for free.  
Efren Peñaflorida gives Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership through education. His Dynamic Teen Company’s 10,000 members have taught basic reading and writing to 1,500 kids living in the slums. 
 Budi Soehardi founded a children’s home in one of the poorest areas of Indonesia. Today, Roslin Orphanage in West Timor provides food, shelter and education to more than 45 children.  
 Derrick Tabb started The Roots of Music to give young people an alternative to New Orleans’ streets. His music education program provides free tutoring, instruments and music instruction to more than 100 students. 
Jordan Thomas, 20, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, lost both of his legs in a boating accident in 2005. Since then, his Jordan Thomas Foundation has raised more than $400,000 to provide prosthetics for children in need.

Each of the top 10 Heroes receives $25,000, with the top Hero – Efren Peñaflorida – winning $100,000.

“With the recognition they receive on our stage,” said Anderson Cooper, “they’ll be able to help thousands and thousands of people. Through their efforts, lives will be changed and lives will be saved.”

To find out more about the winners, visit the CNN Heroes website.

American Red Cross Announces Celebrity Cabinet

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:00:00 -0000

The American Red Cross is pleased to announce five new additions to its National Celebrity Cabinet, a group of celebrity supporters who promote Red Cross services by donating their time, helping neighbors prepare for emergencies, responding to disasters and lending a helping hand to those in need.

New members to the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet include country singer and professional ballroom dancer Julianne Hough, Tony Award-winner and actress Anika Noni Rose, who lends her voice to the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures animated comedy adventure “The Princess and the Frog” and appears in the HBO/Anthony Minghella television drama series,“#1 Ladies’ Detective Agency”, Hollywood Records artist and Disney Channel star Demi Lovato, who is supporting disaster relief via a Text 2 Help campaign throughout her summer tour, actress Sally Pressman from Lifetime’s “Army Wives” who will be supporting Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces, and actress Amanda Peet.

Peet has already made a personal commitment to support the Red Cross Measles Initiative. “As a mom, I feel privileged to support the American Red Cross in their efforts to vaccinate millions of children around the world through the Measles Initiative, a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally. I commend the American Red Cross for tackling this global health problem in developing countries, where measles remains a leading cause of death, despite the availability of a safe, effective and inexpensive vaccine. I am passionate about this cause and look forward partnering with the American Red Cross to ensure children worldwide have this life-saving opportunity.”

“The American Red Cross runs on the valuable service of volunteers to fulfill our mission, and we are grateful that these celebrities are setting an example by volunteering their time and talents to help raise awareness of our work in responding to disasters, providing blood, helping military members and their families and promoting preparedness through first aid or CPR classes,” states Gail McGovern, President and CEO of American Red Cross.

The announcement of these celebrity supporters closely follows First Lady Michelle Obama’s official launch of the United We Serve initiative, a call for nationwide service to begin a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to meet community needs. The initiative spans throughout the summer and will culminate with a National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11. During this time, the Red Cross will promote volunteer opportunities throughout its network of more than 700 chapters to help encourage community service.

“I am honored to be a part of the American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet and help support an organization that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war and aid to victims of devastating natural disasters. Being part of this amazing organization will provide me with an opportunity to join its efforts to help others and encourage the American public to become involved with their local Red Cross and make a difference,” said Julianne Hough.

The Red Cross benefits from the involvement of public figures and celebrities dating back to World War I. Over the years, actors, artists, and sports figures committing their time and talents to the organization have played an important role in raising public awareness of Red Cross services nationwide.

This group of newcomers joins the National Celebrity Cabinet that also includes Greg Biffle, Pierce Brosnan, Jackie Chan, Chayanne, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Ray Cyrus, Sara Evans, George Foreman, Leeza Gibbons, Amy Grant, Pat Green, Marcia Gay Harden, Dwayne Johnson, Heidi Klum, Patti LaBelle, Peyton and Eli Manning, Marlee Matlin, Dr. Phil McGraw, “Access Hollywood’s” Nancy O’Dell, Masi Oka, Rascal Flatts, Raven Symone, Elisabeth Rohm, Jane Seymour, Jimmy Smits, and Daddy Yankee.

The Red Cross is honored to have Sherry Lansing, former chairman and CEO, Motion Picture Group, Paramount Pictures and former member of the Red Cross Board of Governors, to serve as National Celebrity Cabinet Chair.

Please visit www.redcross.org/celebritycabinet/ to learn more about the Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Leads Diabetes Campaign

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Dwayne Johnson has joined with Novo Nordisk, a world-leader in diabetes care, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, to encourage families to get active together as a means to help prevent diabetes.

As an ambassador for the Diabetes Aware campaign, Johnson will appear in a public service announcement (PSA) to educate families about the prevalence of diabetes and the importance of an active, healthy lifestyle.

The PSA is part of the ongoing Diabetes Aware educational campaign sponsored by Novo Nordisk and the EIF. The campaign aims to reach the 24 million Americans who are living with diabetes, as well as the estimated 6.2 million Americans who are unaware that they have the disease, to underline the importance of detection, monitoring and proper management of diabetes.

A lifelong athlete and known for starring in family-friendly movies, Johnson recognizes the value of a healthy lifestyle in helping to prevent and manage diabetes for both children and adults.

“I’m honored to serve as an ambassador to the Diabetes Aware campaign, and I want to encourage families to be active and eat right,” said Johnson. “Small steps can go a long way in managing diabetes, its complications, and raising healthy, active children.”

With the launch of this new PSA, Johnson becomes the latest celebrity ambassador to join the Diabetes Aware program since its inception in 2004. Past ambassadors include Halle Berry, Cuba Gooding Jr., Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Kline and Jon Lovitz among others.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation and believe Dwayne Johnson is a great ambassador for the Diabetes Aware program based on his dedication to reaching families, both on-screen and off-screen,” said Andrew Purcell, Vice-President of Strategic Business Development at Novo Nordisk. “This partnership truly exemplifies Novo Nordisk’s dedication to prevention and ultimately changing diabetes.”

For additional free patient education resources, visit www.ChangingDiabetes-us.com.

Leonardo DiCaprio: A Big Green Help

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:30:00 -0000

In recognition for his significant and visible contribution toward helping the environment, and for inspiring kids to do the same, Nickelodeon will honor multi-Academy Award-nominated actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio with the first-ever “Big Green Help Award” at this year’s Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday, March 28, at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, Calif.

Nickelodeon’s 22nd Annual Kids’ Choice Awards — featuring host Dwayne Johnson — will honor kids’ favorites from the worlds of film, music, sports and television in a star-studded live event.

The award — which will be presented to DiCaprio by longtime friend and fellow friend of the planet Cameron Diaz — is part of Nickelodeon’s Big Green Help campaign — a multiplatform, global pro-social campaign designed to empower kids to take action on the environment and connect them to energy saving and earth-friendly activities in their everyday lives. Created for the more than half of U.S. kids who say they are concerned about the environment, The Big Green Help aims to fashion a new generation of environmentalists for whom green will become not only a cause, but a way of life.

Leonardo DiCaprio has been a tireless promoter of green causes and events, and an avid environmentalist. He established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 to foster increased awareness of environmental issues, and served as global chairman of Earth Day 2000.

DiCaprio recently co-wrote, co-produced and narrated the documentary The 11th Hour, which touches on the world economy, politics, personal transformation and environmental consciousness. DiCaprio is on the board of trustees of the Natural Resources Defense Council (a Big Green Help partner) and Global Green USA.

Kids can join DiCaprio to help better the environment by pledging on www.nick.com/biggreenhelp. On Earth Day (April 22, 9 p.m. ET/PT), Nickelodeon will “Power Down” for 60-seconds, celebrating the nearly two million kid-pledges to-date, and symbolizing kids’ commitments to be more environmentally conscious. On-screen messaging will ask kids to simultaneously turn off their lights and unplug their gadgets and devices signaling their year-long promise to engage in real-world environmental action. When they power back up, kids can go online and find real-world tactics they can take to help the environment.

Stars Heal Patients With A Kiss

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Marie Gorrettie

Medicinema is a registered charity that has partnered with the Health Sector and the Film Industry, installing state-of-the-art cinemas on site in hospitals around the United Kingdom.

By creating purpose built cinemas in hospitals, Medicinema provides a much needed escape for the patients – it’s a welcome break from the hospital ward. Each cinema is specially designed to cater for beds and wheel chairs and nursing staff on duty throughout every Medicinema screening.

With nurses instead of usherettes, Medicinema harnesses the magic of the Silver Screen to help enrich the quality of life for patients. By screening the latest releases for patients young and old – including those in beds and on wheelchairs – patients and their families are able to escape the reality of hospital life.

As the lights dim and the film starts, with the big screen filled and Dolby Surround sound bursting into life, patients can be forgiven for thinking they are spending a night in the West End – apart from the occasional bleep of a patient’s monitor, you could be in a cinema!

Everyone needs a little escapism in their lives, especially if they’re in hospital. There is often not very much to look forward to so a visit to the cinema can give a much-needed boost to the spirits, providing the sort of family outing that is otherwise difficult in hospital. With the help and active support of the leading film distributors, Medicinema screens a wide variety of feature films from action and adventure to romantic comedies. Some films are even screened to Medicinema audiences before they go on general release.

As part of a new initiative, stars of the Silver Screen have donated kisses to celebrate ten years of Medicinema to help enhance therapeutic care for patients in hospitals around UK. To mark their 10th Anniversary, MediCinema is auctioning the HEALED WITH A KISS COLLECTION. The collection contains over 50 original signed lip prints from some of the biggest names in the Film Industry. The following are the stars who have donated Healed With A Kiss Lip Prints to help bring magic of the Silver Screen to hospital patients across UK: Madonna, Catherine Zeta Jones, Dame Helen Mirren, Sigourney Weaver, Ewan McGregor, Kate Winslet, John Hurt, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Helena Bonham Carter, Dame Judi Dench, Joan Collins, Glenn Close, Shirley MacLaine, Dame Diana Rigg, Kate Beckinsale, Thandie Newton, Nickolas Grace, Tim Roth, Jeremy Irons, Ben Stiller, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Broadbent, Honor Blackman, John Travolta, Claire Bloom, Martine McCutcheon, Greta Scacchi, Saffron Burrows, Geraldine Chaplin, Mariella Frostrup, Juliet Stevenson, Robbie Coltrane, Zoë Wanamaker, Cathy Tyson, Jason Isaacs, Anthony Andrews, Tommy Steele, Mark Addy, Kenneth Branagh, Alice Eve, and Dwayne Johnson.

The Auction party will be held in April 2009 and the complete Healed With A Kiss collection will be auctioned at the Medicinema Private Auction Party at The Movieunm, London’s biggest Film Memorabilia Museum.

The Healed With A Kiss Auction party will offer you the opportunity to own these highly collectable pieces of film memorabilia and the chance to rub shoulders with Movers and Shakers of the film industry. Hugh Edmeades, Christie’s International Auctioneer, will chair the auction in support of MediCinema. An exclusive drinks reception, live entertainment and a private tour will be followed by the auction of the healed with a kiss collection in support of MediCinema.

Here are some of the quotes from patients and their families whom MediCinema has touched:

“Really happy at the thought that I was not going to have to spend an evening on the ward, staring at a blank wall with no neighbours and chewing my lips to avoid being in pain”. Niamh.

“I completely forgot that I was in hospital, and that I had loads of needles in my arm, and when the film ended I thought “right, time to go home; and it was only when the lights came back on and I saw all the other beds and steelchairs that I remembered that I was in hospital”. Jesica, St Thomas patient.

If you would like to Bid for Original Signed Lip prints from the Stars of the Silver Screen and attend the Auction Party and bid in person please contact MediCinema: Tel:+44(0) 20 7188 3697 or email medicinema@gstt.nhs.uk.

If a celebrity lip print has caught your eye, you can make an advance bid before attending the Auction event in writing, on line or by telephone.

If you are unable to attend the Auction Party in person, you can secure an original signed lip print by placing “ABSENTEE” Bid, in writing, on line or by telephone. Please register your bid/s in the Healed with a Kiss Auction by contacting medicinema@gsst.nhs.uk or telephoning +44 (0) 20 7188 3697.

Once you have registered interest in placing an “Absentee” or advance bid, you will be contacted to confirm your bid and contact details.

For more information about the Auction Party please contact MediCinema on +44 (0) 20 7188 3697 or email medicinema@gstt.nhs.uk.

Eat From Your Favorite Celebrity's Plate!

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:35:18 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

“Let them eat cake,” said Marie-Antoinette, the Queen consort of Louis XVI, and now you have the chance to do just that – eat cake from a plate designed and signed by one of Tinsletown’s finest.

The auction, currently underway at the Auction Wire website, features one-of-a-kind plates from stars such as Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, and Carmen Electra, and is raising money for the Parkinson Society Maritime Region – an organization in Canada that aims to be the voice of Maritimers living with Parkinson’s disease. Funds will be used to supply services such as exercise programs, speech therapy, massage therapy, conferences, and workshops, and will also be used towards the National Research Program of the Parkinson Society Canada.

“The Parkinson Society is thrilled that so many celebrities from a variety of backgrounds – movies, television, politics, the arts – have come together to raise awareness of Parkinson’s and raise funds through this auction of celebrity designed plates,” said Paul McNair, executive director of the Parkinson Society Maritime Region.

The auction – which also includes plates from Johnny Depp, Dwayne Johnson, William Shatner, Dakota Fanning, Martha Stewart, Henry Winkler, Jordin Sparks, Stephen Colbert, Sarah McLachlan, Muhammad Ali, Phil Collins, Chris Daughtry, and Rob Lowe – runs until May 11.

John Legend Buys Himself At Charity Auction

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:30:11 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation held its first Miami Gala on Saturday night, with a huge celebrity turnout to celebrate the occasion.

The Art For Life event was held at Miami Beach and honored John Legend, Wyclef Jean, and Suze Orman for their efforts to help improve the lives of others. Chaired by Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combs and hosted by actress Nia Long, the event was co-organized by a legion of well-known names, including Dwayne Johnson, Petra Nemcova, and Rush founder Russell Simmons.

The main attraction of the evening was a massive celebrity auction, which featured a large selection of once-in-a-lifetime experiences and items. However, the auction took on a slightly skewed course when John Legend spent $19,000 on the very item he donated – a Happy Birthday serenade over the phone from… well, from John Legend! Quite how he is going to ring himself up and sing is anyone’s guess.

Legend also pledged a further $10,000 to the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, which was followed by $10,000 from Sean Combs and another $10,000 from former NBA player Larry Johnson. And although they couldn’t attend, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie pledged $5,000 in honor of Wyclef Jean.

The Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation was established in 1995 by brothers Russell, Danny, and Joseph Simmons to provide funding for non-profit organizations that give disadvantaged urban youth exposure and access to the arts. Although based in New York, a large percentage of the proceeds from Saturday’s gala will go directly to programs in Miami, including One Art, the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet, and the Theatre Institute of South Florida.

This is the third year the event has been held in South Florida – in previous years it was held at Palm Beach – and last year’s event raised over $2 million.

Red Cross Announces The 2008 Celebrity Cabinet

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:36:18 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The American Red Cross unveiled their 7th annual National Celebrity Cabinet yesterday, February 28, with 15 new members from movies, sports, and television.

Skateboard legend Tony Hawk will join former Beverly Hills 90210 and Dancing With The Stars alum Jennie Garth, Heroes’ Masi Oka, Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley, House M.D.’s Lisa Edelstein and Kal Penn, Ugly Betty’s Ana Ortiz, Grey’s Anatomy’s Sara Ramirez, Scrubs’ Judy Reyes, Everyone Loves Raymond’s Patricia Heaton, Hairspray’s Brittany Snow, two-time NASCAR champion Greg Biffle, New York Yankee Robinson Cano, NFL star Matt Leinart, and Life Coach Iyanla Vazant in the 2008 Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet, part of a mobilizing force to urge people to perform extraordinary life-saving acts in dire circumstances through the assistance of the Red Cross.

“I am extremely honored to participate in the Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet, especially at a time when we have the ability to do so much for people around the world who have endured such tragedies,” said new member Jennie Garth. “The Red Cross brings help and hope to those in need and has done tremendous good for so many different people on a global level. I believe this is a time when we can educate others and the Red Cross allows for the opportunity for each individual to contribute to the effort. I am grateful that I am able be part of this amazing organization.”

The 47 members of the 2008 National Celebrity Cabinet will be “on-call” to donate their time, skills, passion, and energy to help the Red Cross highlight their important initiatives and response efforts. It will be chaired once again by Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount Pictures and member of the Red Cross Board of Govenors.

“This is my sixth year serving as chair for the Celebrity Cabinet,” she said. “It’s an honor to be a part of such a meaningful cause with such talented people.”

The Red Cross has benefited from the involvement of public figures and celebrities since World War I, and over the years actors and artists have played an important role in raising public awareness of Red Cross services nationwide. Cabinet members pledge their support for a one year term, although many members of the current National Celebrity Cabinet, including Heidi Klum and Leeza Gibbons, have been involved for over five years.

“The Red Cross is a volunteer driven organization that provides humanitarian help to those in need,” said Klum. “It is an honor for me to participate in their celebrity cabinet and encourage all individuals to become involved with their local Red Cross.”

Members of the 2008 National Celebrity Cabinet will be involved in one of the country’s largest volunteer networks and will promote awareness of Red Cross services by participating in public service advertisements, as well as donating their time, money and blood, aiding in disaster relief, and lending a helping hand to those in need. Returning members include Jackie Chan, Sara Evans (who recently organized an auction as part of her involvement), Jamie Lee Curtis, Patti LaBelle, Jimmy Smits, Marlee Matlin, Nancy O’Dell, Jane Seymour, Peyton Manning, Jimmie Johnson, Rascal Flatts, Julianne Moore, George Foreman, Marcia Gay Harden, Elisabeth Rohm, Eli Manning, Daddy Yankee, Chayanne, Aisha Tyler, Pierce Brosnan, Amy Grant, Miley Ray Cyrus, Kristen Bell, Pat Green, Dwayne Johnson (AKA The Rock), Dr. Phil McGraw, Raven Symone, Niki Taylor, Burney Lamar, and Bradley Whitford.

The American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet was developed in 2002 as part of the Entertainment Outreach Program.

Celebrity Auctions For Christmas

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:34:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

As the clock counts down to Christmas, celebrities have been keeping busy and warm by signing as many different items as humanly possible and donating them to a plethora of auctions. The holiday season may be at fever pitch now, but there is certainly a wide range of gift ideas to ease the stress of last minute shopping.

The VH1 Holiday Auction is currently being held at www.vh1auctions.com, and includes a long list of memorabilia from the music industry. All proceeds from the auction will go to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, an initiative dedicated to restoring music programs in schools across the US.

Items up for grabs include a harmonica signed by Alice Cooper (which has already attracted bids of $250), signed photos of Aerosmith and Chris Cornell ($300), and a guitar personally autographed by Ryan Adams ($1500). Signed clothing is also big on the agenda, with a jacket from Snoop Dogg, a vest from Iggy Pop, and sneakers from Amy Winehouse.

Signed guitars are also available as part of the Private Sessions Charity Auction, with all proceeds to benefit the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Avril Lavigne, the Goo Goo Dolls, Meat Loaf, the Barenaked Ladies, and Toby Keith are among the stars to sign both an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar for the auction, which also includes movie clapper boards autographed by Queen Latifah, Michael Douglas, and Anthony Hopkins.

But if these items whet your appetite, you have to be quick. The auction ends on December 12.

For those people celebrating Christmas in Australia this year, the Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia is auctioning Christmas decorations signed by various celebrities. Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, The Rock, Delta Goodrem, Missy Higgins, and rugby league stars Matthew Johns and Benji Marshall have all put their names on baubles to raise money for sick children in the country.

An auction is also being held by Russell Simmons’ Diamond Empowerment Fund, to raise money for education programs in African countries where diamonds are a natural resource. A variety of fine diamond pieces are up for sale at www.ebay.com/diamondsgive, including an exquisite diamond-encrusted Ohm watch from the Simmons Jewelry Company. The opportunity to take part in exclusive photo shoots with celebrities such as Petra Nemcova, Naomi Campbell, LL Cool J, and Cedric the Entertainer are also up for grabs in the auction.

Actress and environmental activist Daryl Hannah is also doing her bit to ease the shopping blues this year, and has launched a brand new online store. www.dhlovelife.com offers goods picked with serious consideration of their environmental, social, and animal welfare impact. And if special holiday items such as an organic peace wreath and 100% recycled cards do not excite you, the store also offers compost buckets, surfboards and guitars made from hemp, bamboo snowboards, organic dog treats, and even a solar powered boat. The actress will also sell her personal bio diesel car and home fueling system on the site on December 20.

And finally a little news from the recent Lightspeed Fine Art Celebrity Charity Auction, held in Lake Forest, California, on the weekend of December 1 and 2. Lightspeed specializes in artworks relating to science fiction, and their eighth annual auction attracted guests from shows such as Stargate, Voyager, and Battlestar Galactica.

A surprise guest at the auction was Leonard Nimoy, better known as Mr Spock from Star Trek. Nimoy, who is reputed to have a huge personal collection of Star Trek memorabilia, donated several items to the auction signed by himself and William Shatner, including a plaque awarded from NASA for “inspiring a generation of scientists and explorers”.

Nimoy’s contributions made over $14,000 of the total $40,000 raised during the auction, with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society and the Nimoy Foundation, an initiative that gives grants to artists-in-residence programs in museums and galleries around the US.

In the words of Mr Spock – “live long and prosper”.

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

Look To The Stars News: Dwayne Johnson

Star-Studded Event Honors CNN Everyday Heroes

Related past articles

American Red Cross Announces Celebrity Cabinet

Related past articles

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Leads Diabetes Campaign

Related past articles

Leonardo DiCaprio: A Big Green Help

Related past articles

Stars Heal Patients With A Kiss

Related past articles

Eat From Your Favorite Celebrity's Plate!

Related past articles

John Legend Buys Himself At Charity Auction

Related past articles

Red Cross Announces The 2008 Celebrity Cabinet

Related past articles

Celebrity Auctions For Christmas

Related past articles

Oprah Tops Celebrity Philanthropy A-List

Related past articles