Look To The Stars News: Hanson

Hanson Steps Out For Charity

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0000

The Hanson brothers – Zac, Taylor and Isaac – traveled to Africa before releasing their fourth album “The Walk” in the summer of 2007.

What they saw in Africa inspired them to take action against AIDS and poverty in the continent of Africa.

When they took the trip to Africa, they were blown away. There was so much that was needed, people in the region needed shoes or a 33-cent drug that a mother who is HIV and pregnant needs to protect her unborn baby from being infected with the virus.

They realized that something had to be done as more than 35 million people die from AIDS every year. There are also about 14 million children orphaned because of AIDS and the number is expected to increase to 25 million by 2010. The brothers knew they needed to do something to make a difference by fighting the disease.

The oldest of the brothers Isaac said that they wanted to be a generation of action and not of awareness.

Hanson began “The Walk around The World tour” in September 2008.

In every city that Hanson performs a concert, they also walk a mile barefoot. They encourage their fans to join them as they walk in each city. The walkers can choose to walk barefoot or with shoes on, but they encourage the walkers to connect with children in Africa who have no shoes.

For every person who joins the band on a walk, Hanson donates $1 to one of the five goals that the walker may choose. The brothers have five goals in mind to accomplish, two of which they’ve already achieved. One of the goals was to raise enough money to build a clean water well in Kenya. The second one was to provide cell phones to AIDS patients so that they can contact their doctors whenever necessary.

They have three goals pending. One is to provide medicine for people infected with AIDS. Number two is to build a new school in Kenya and number three is to provide shoes for people around the world.

Hanson’s 104th walk was held on Drakes’s campus. Though it was raining and windy, this did not hinder the students to join them around the campus.

The brothers told the students that they had walked before through rain, through snow and even blistering heat, and they told the students that they needed them to understand that they will be making a difference in what they did that day on issues in Africa.

They announced another goal, they wanted to walk around the world. There are 24,902 miles around the world and the brothers hope many people will take the walk. To date, 11,589 people have participated in the walk – which means only 13,313 miles and people left to go.

If you would want to take action and you missed the walk at Drake, there are many ways you can still help. Hanson has released a charity single on iTunes called “The Great Divide”. All proceeds from the song go directly towards providing medicine for people infected with HIV.

Hanson has also teamed up with Tom’s Shoes. For every pair of shoes purchased from Tom’s Shoes, the company donates a pair to someone in need of shoes.

The initial goal of 50,000 shoes was met in November 2007 and shoes are still being delivered across the world. Anyone across the world can host a walk on their own – information can be found at takethewalk.net.

Bid2Beat AIDS For Special Christmas Gifts

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

One of the biggest celebrity charity auction events of the year is currently gearing up for its launch on December 1.

Bid2Beat AIDS is an annual event that will feature over 1000 items from top stars such as 50 Cent, Adam Sandler, Adrian Grenier, Aerosmith, Alec Baldwin, Amy Winehouse, Antonio Banderas, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, Common , Death Cab for Cutie, Denzel Washington, P. Diddy, Donny Osmond, Elton John, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, Good Charlotte, Green Day, Hanson, Hilary Duff, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Blunt, James Earl Jones, James Morrison, Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z , Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jeremy Piven, Jessica Alba, John Legend, Johnny Depp, Kanye West, Kirsten Dunst, Ludacris , M.I.A., Madonna, Mariah Carey, Neil Patrick Harris, Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Collins, Raven Symone, Razorlight, Rihanna , Sacha Baron Cohen, Sharon Osbourne, Victoria Beckham, Whoopi Goldberg, Will Ferrell, Wyclef Jean, and many, many more. Also up for grabs will be VIP tickets to concerts and backstage visits with stars like Bernadette Peters, Jewel, Aimee Mann, Joan Rivers, and Michael Feinstein.

The annual auction will raise money for LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS fundraising and service charity. The first three BID 2 BEAT AIDS auctions raised nearly $250,000, and this year’s looks set to be the biggest yet.

More info about the auction can be found at the Bid2Beat AIDS website, and the auction will go live on World AIDS Day here.

Look To The Stars will keep you posted as the items are announced.

Hanson Still Walking, A Mile At A Time

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:36:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Walk is not only the name of Hanson's latest (downloadable-only) album, it’s the name of their tour and what they’re doing.

The three brothers, Zac, Isaac and Taylor, that make up the band are walking a mile, barefoot, at each city on their Walk Around The World tour, and donate one dollar to fighting poverty and AIDS in Africa for each fan that joins them. Participants can request how that donation will be spent, choosing between AIDS treatment, health care, drilling wells, providing shoes or building schools..

Inspired by visits to Africa, the walks are something the band feels is manageable and will have an impact. “No matter how bad of an economic crisis we’re in,” says Zac, “we’re still better off than the rest of the world. It’s about the power of the individual – about the way we look at our own power to affect things. People need to do things they feel passionate about and not feel stopped because they feel inadequate.”

The band’s goal is to reach 24,902 miles, equivalent to the earth’s circumference at the equator. Today, their website update says: “9839 walked. 15,063 to go.”

“AIDS,” says Zac, “is one of the biggest crises in the world.”

Hanson Walks For Charity

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 09:10:06 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Earlier this month, brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac of music group Hanson took a walk with fans in Toronto to raise awareness for poverty and AIDS in Africa. Eager to discuss their charity efforts, Hanson hopes that the walk will “help people to recognize the issues that exist.”

Hanson members work closely with TOMS Shoes, a footwear company that donates one pair of shoes to impoverished children for every pair sold. Modeled after a traditional, durable, slip-on shoe worn by workers in Argentina, TOMS Shoes are now saving the soles of tens of thousands of little feet across South America and South Africa.

TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie says his singular mission is “to make life more comfortable.”

Says Hanson, “A pair of shoes might not save the world, but we want to take people from knowing about something to … tangible action.”

For more information, visit www.tomsshoes.com.

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