Look To The Stars News: Hugh Hefner

Stars Sign Books For Charity Auction

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Eyebrows of rare book and signature collectors will rise this fall when an extraordinary collection with a tender mission will be available for an online auction beginning November 9-24, 2009.

Dubbed The Little Auction That Could, the 70+ collection includes signatures from some of the most iconic figures of our time, including President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, JK Rowling and Tiger Woods.

Passionate about education and literacy, volunteer mom Karla Preissman wanted to foster a love of reading among children living at Jensen Beach, Florida-based Hibiscus Children’s Center who have suffered from abuse and neglect. First, she helped create the Reef Library within the shelter and filled it with hundreds of books and resources. But that wasn’t enough…she wanted to make sure that these resources would be replenished and the library maintained and supported by staff that would help make literacy a key component to the healing received at the foster care center.

She came up with an idea. Why not ask famous people what books inspired them as a child and ask them to simply sign their names in a copy that would be auctioned for the benefit of Hibiscus Children’s Center? What started off as a simple request has mushroomed into a wildly varied and fascinating glimpse of what some of the most famous people on the planet believed to be a motivating book from childhood. Other iconic figures, such as President Barack Obama, signed a book symbolic of his time in office—a first edition pop-up White House children’s book.

Author and poet Maya Angelou submitted three signed books, one coming from her personal library called Story of Phillis Wheatley detailing the life of a slave turned poet during the American Revolution. How do you place a value on a collectible item like that?

Other stars who have taken part include Hugh Hefner, Sean Connery, Arnold Palmer, Andy Roddick, Chris Evert, Katie Couric, Jay Leno, Jeff Probst, Bill Cosby, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lee Ann Womack, Tori Amos, Carrie Underwood, Donald Trump and many more.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based antiquarian book dealer and appraiser Robert Hittel believes, “Owning one or more books from this eclectic collection would be the cornerstone of anyone’s collection.”

For the complete listing of signed books and information about bidding, click here. To see the collection firsthand, visit the exhibition at the Elliott Museum in Stuart, Florida beginning November 6 through November 29, 2009.

Founded in 1985, Hibiscus Children’s Center is a non profit organization that addresses abuse and neglect issues throughout the Florida Treasure Coast. Programs include Foster Care, parental support, counseling for families in crisis and services to reunite children with their families, when appropriate. Click here for more info on this charity.

Playboy Mansion To Host Charity Party

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Hugh Hefner will present the Summer Fling Party at the Playboy Mansion on Saturday, July 18, 2009.

The Summer Fling Party at the Playboy Mansion, hosted by Playboy Radio’s Jessica Hall and Brandie Moses, is a weekend escape unparalleled in its decadence and grandeur.

Partygoers from around the globe will converge on the Playboy Mansion to experience it as only an elite few ever have – with an all-day-into-the-evening Pool Party with beautiful Playmates, models, some of the best-known Hollywood entertainment industry personalities, and unlimited food and open bar. All-in-all, 8 hours of breath-taking and star-studded revelry unparalleled in its grandeur at the Mansion. And just when the daytime fun starts to simmer down, the sexiest after-party in LA begins at 10 p.m. at a to-be-announced premier venue.

The All Day General Admission Ticket will let you enjoy the Summer Fling Party with amazing perks, such as shuttle service to and from the Mansion from the off-site parking facility, full tours of Mansion grounds by Playmates, full access to pool and grotto, gourmet BBQ buffet, a full open bar, admission to the after-party, and more.

In addition, participate in the live and silent charity auctions that run all day and night. Not only will ellemés internationale deliver an unforgettable Playboy Mansion party, but they’ve also partnered with the TJ Martell Foundation, so you can also do a good turn while having a great time. Items to be auctioned off during the Summer Fling include one-of-a-kind music and sports memorabilia, trips, electronics, and other desirable products, and experiences. A large portion of the auction proceeds will go to the TJ MartellFoundation to support their efforts in Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research.

More info can be found here.

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.

To compile the most accurate rankings, The Giving Back Fund culled media reports of charitable giving by sports and entertainment professionals; reviewed PF-990 tax-forms; contacted more than 250 publicists, attorneys, agents, agencies, and managers for information about their clients; sent inquiries to more than 150 charities known for their celebrity associations; and contacted the major sports leagues.

“Our hope is that celebrities will begin to become more comfortable sharing information about their charitable giving - perhaps not disclosing everything they give, but sharing enough that they will serve as role-models to their peers and fans,” said Marc Pollick, President and Founder of The Giving Back Fund. “We know that many celebrities re-direct income from sponsorship and merchandising deals to charity, or help to raise funds in other ways. We are researching reliable means to report this information in a separate list.”

The Giving Back Fund did not include grants made by foundations in the list so as to avoid counting the same funds twice - once when the donor gave money to a foundation and again when the donor decided on a beneficiary for that money. The Giving Back did not calculate giving as a percentage of the celebrities income because there is no consistent way to calculate income when taking into account income from sponsorship and merchandise sales.

Donations to private foundations are disclosed in public documents. However, donations to public charities are not publicly disclosed and therefore may not be reported in the Giving Back 30.

The rest of the list included Paul Newman, who gave away over $10 million; Mel Gibson, who gave $9.9 million to the AP Reilly Foundation, the tax-exempt entity named for his late mother, which supports Holy Family Catholic Church in Malibu, California; Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who collectively donated over $8 million to good causes; and Lance Armstrong, who pledged $5 million to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Other celebrities listed included Michael Jordan, Rosie O’Donnell, Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Hefner, and Tiger Woods.

To see the full list of celebrities and their donations, see the Giving Back Fund website.

Celebrities Cast Aside Their Clothing For Charity

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:35:59 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

It is not a case of what to wear for celebrities this month, but rather of what to give away, as eBay and other auction websites are inundated with the closet cast-outs of a variety of actors and singers.

Film company New Line Cinema is leading the charge by auctioning off original costumes from their current hit movie, Hairspray. Among the costumes are two dresses worn by John Travolta in the film, as well as the silk top and capri pants belonging to Queen Latifah. The proceeds will benefit Citymeals On Wheels, a charity that looks after those in need in New York City, as well as The Harry Holmberg Memorial Foundation, which is dedicated to sick children in the city.

Bidding on each costume is expected to reach $500, and the auction ends on August 4. It can be viewed at www.hairspray.ebay.com.

Several celebrities are emptying out their closets for an auction on the website www.clothesoffourback.org this month. Actress Eva Mendes is offering one of her personal handbags ($250), and Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich has donated a dress from her own fashion label ($175). Joss Stone and Serena Williams will also be donating items to the auction. Proceeds will go to America’s Second Harvest (the nation’s largest charitable hunger relief organization), The Art of Elysium (which enriches the lives of critically ill children through art), and World Education (which focuses on girls scholarship programs in Africa), as well as research into autism.
The auction ends on August 6.

Also shedding her unwanted clothes this month is Faith Hill, who is auctioning a lilac cotton cardigan at www.myqlu.com. Proceeds from the auction (bidding has already reached $250) will go to the Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation, the non-profit organization she set up in 2005 with her husband, Tim McGraw, to help those in need of proper health care and educational services.

Also on www.myqlu.com, hip hop star Nelly is offering a pair of his NBA Basketball Logo jeans. Bidding for these started at $250, and proceeds will go to 4sho4kids, an organization that aims to improve the quality of life for children born with developmental disabilities, with an emphasis on Down Syndrome and those addicted to drugs.

And finally this month, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is offering a special one-off jacket on www.myqlu.com. The man usually associated with the shedding of other people’s clothes has donated a custom-made jacket created for him in honour of the Playboy Jazz Festival held at the Hollywood Bowl in 1990. Super slick, super bold, and super collectible, the jacket is set to sell for over $500, with proceeds going to the Hugh M Hefner Foundation, which supports issues relating to freedom of speech and civil liberties, as well as health.

Look To The Stars News: Hugh Hefner

Stars Sign Books For Charity Auction

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