Look To The Stars News: Jason Alexander

Affleck, Damon and More To Ante Up For Africa

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:30:00 -0000

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Brad Garrett, Mekhi Phifer, and top poker professional Phil Hellmuth have joined the growing list of celebrities who plan to play in the Ante Up For Africa charity tournament July 2 at the 40th annual World Series of Poker.

Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are expected to go all in for the 3rd Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) Celebrity-Charity poker tournament.

Annually, the largest celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas, the event is accessible for the public to play with their favorite stars or watch as spectators. A full house of celebrities will join Academy Award Nominee, Don Cheadle and “Celebrity Apprentice Star” and WSOP Bracelet winner Annie Duke at the event taking place during the 2009 WORLD SERIES OF POKER® (WSOP) at Rio in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 2 at 2 PM.

This No-Limit Hold’em poker tournament has an entry fee of $5,000 and provides entrants the opportunity to walk away with a six-figure payday. The event allows players to rub elbows with top Hollywood stars, athletes and poker professionals while contributing to a great cause.

Celebrities and athletes will join poker’s most notable players to raise public awareness and funds to support the victims of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Among those confirmed to participate, subject to availability, are Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Brad Garrett, Cedric the Entertainer, Charles Barkley, Danny Masterson, Hank Azaria, Herschel Walker, Jason Alexander, Kenny Smith, Marlon Wayans, Montel Williams, Reggie Miller, Tia Carrere, Sarah Silverman, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Cheryl Hines, Mekhi Phifer, Rob Schneider; Poker Professionals Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Tiffany Michelle, Erik Seidel and Phil Hellmuth with more to be confirmed.

The tournament will feature a fast-paced structure designed to complete the competition within five hours. Seating for the tournament is open to anyone age 21 or older.

This event, as is every World Series of Poker tournament, is open to the public for viewing and admission is free. The event will take place in the famed Amazon Ballroom in the Rio Convention Center, just one day prior to the start of the WSOP Main Event, the game’s most prestigious poker event.

Cheadle, an accomplished poker player, and Duke, who has more than $4 million in tournament winnings, are committed to raising both public awareness about the tragedy in Darfur and funds to aid its victims. As the world’s richest sporting event, the WSOP awarded more than $180 million in 2008 and attracted participants from a record 124 nations.

In the previous events, many of the in the money finishers volunteered to donate half of their winnings to the charity. Proceeds from the event will go to the ENOUGH Project and Refugees International, organizations whose goals include raising public awareness and providing aid to the survivors of Darfur.

More information about the tournament is available at www.worldseriesofpoker.com. If you would like more information regarding the organization, please log onto www.anteupforafrica.org and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/anteupforafrica.

ABOUT THE WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year-over-year. In December, 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Team Brand Index trailing only the more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

ABOUT ANTE UP FOR AFRICA
Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein. We are dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need. To date, Ante Up For Africa has raised close to $2 million for the cause and has donated to organizations such as Not On Our Watch (NOOW), ENOUGH and The International Rescue Committee. For more information, please log onto www.AnteUpForAfrica.org.

Jason Alexander To Host Charity Poker

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

Jason Alexander will be hosting a Texas Hold-Em Poker Tournement on May 9 at the Hollywood Park Casino with proceeds going to charity.

Alexander will be joined by celebrities and Dianna Donofrio-Trigatzi (Celebrity Guest Tournament Director and Nevada State Director of the Poker Players Alliance), and Special Honoree, Leyna Nguyen (KCBS/KCAL Anchor), and poker stars such as Greg Raymer, Jamie Gold, and Chip Jett.

Cards hit the felt at 2:00 PM on May 9, with each hand representing a strong step towards ending domestic violence and helping youth who have been abused and abandoned. All proceeds from this tournament will go towards benefiting 1736 Family Crisis Center, Los Angeles’ largest domestic violence agency for the last 36 years.

Spectators are welcome to watch as celebrities and poker stars compete for prizes such as cash, an ECO friendly poker table valued at $5,000.00, donated by Eric Hansel, founder of EGM Green. And poker star Annie Duke, currently seen on Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice,” has also donated a WSOP Boot Camp Package as one of the prizes.

1736 Family Crisis Center operates 5 shelters throughout Los Angeles County, including 4 domestic violence shelters and one emergency youth shelter. Through the Center’s shelters, three outpatient clinics, five 24-hour emergency response stations and educational/outreach services, over 25,000 abuse victims and their children were helped in 2008. The most severe cases were taken in 1736 Family Crisis Center’s care. The Center relies 100% on grants and donations to provide much-needed services to victims of abuse and abandoned youth. These victims do not pay a penny for any of the services they receive for up to 2 years. In this uncertain economic climate, the nonprofits have been hit the hardest, and sadly, an unstable economy statistically fuels domestic violence.

Please help us by joining in to play poker with Jason and his friends, as we become part of the solution to end domestic violence.

Tournament tickets and donates available through the website.

Kristen Bell Attends Alzheimer's Event

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress Kristen Bell was one of the many stars to attend the 17th annual Alzheimer’s Association A Night At Sardi’s event in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, March 4.

Held at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the event attracted stars such as Jason Alexander, Vanessa Williams, Dick Van Dyke, Michelle Pfeiffer, P. Diddy, Greg Kinnear, Zachary Levi, Michael Chiklis and William Shatner, and honored the producers of Fox Sports and the TV show “Friday Night Lights”.

The charity event is one of the biggest annual fundraisers for the Alzheimer’s Association, garnering over $17 million since it was first held.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Their mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. More information about their work can be found at their website.

Stars Hit The Catwalk For St. Judes

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A bevy of stars stepped out on the catwalk on Saturday night for the 5th annual Runway For Life benefit in Beverly Hills.

Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ross McCall, Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez, Jonny Lee Miller, Daisy Fuentes, Jason Alexander, Nancy O’Dell, Cybill Shepherd, Natasha Henstridge and Jaime Pressley were among the stars to show their fashionable sides in the fundraiser for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and William Shatner was spotted in the audience.

Over 1,000 guests attended the event – held at the Beverly Hilton – which raised well over $1 million for St. Judes. Runway for Life is one of the biggest fundraising events of the hospital’s calendar, and has netted over $6.5 million since it was first staged.

Past events have included appearances by Cindy Crawford, Anna Kournikova, Alison Sweeney and many more.

World Magic Awards To Feed The Children

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

You can help make the problem of starving children disappear by attending the 2008 World Magic Awards this Saturday, October 11.

Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, the show will benefit Feed the Children, an organization that provides food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty, or natural disaster.

Featuring a host of the world’s best magicians – including Hans Klok – the World Magic Awards will attract John Schneider, Corbin Bernsen, Melora Hardin, Jonathan Schaech, Debbie Matenopolous, Ernie Hudson, Buzz Aldrin, Cristian de la Fuente, Ashley Jones and many others.

Last year’s show was hosted by Roger Moore and was attended by Joan Collins, Pamela Anderson, Marla Maples, John Schneider, Robert Vaughn, and Eric Roberts.

More information about the event – which has an organizing committee that includes Tony Hawk, Vince Gill, Adrian Paul, Montel Williams, Michael Caine, Pat Boone, Monique Coleman, and Jason Alexander – can be found at www.worldmagicawards.com.

The Chips Are Up For Africa

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

The Second Annual ‘Ante Up for Africa’ poker tournament was held on July 2nd in Las Vegas, and drew an impressive field of poker pro’s, celebrities and athletes – all of who helped make the event a success by raising over $400,000 for charity.

The event, co-hosted by humanitarian/actor Don Cheadle and poker pro Annie Duke, is already having a positive impact in Darfur – notably in reference to a UN Security Council vote authorizing a peacekeeping force in the area. “It wouldn’t have taken place [without us]," said Cheadle.

“It’s just great to see everybody,” Cheadle said as the event began.

The mood was comical at some tables,”All the tournaments I’ve ever won have been for charity,“ said actor Jason Alexander. “When there’s no actual money for me, I’m very good.”

Adam Sandler cracked his first joke as the first hand was dealt, “I just want to hurry up and lose my money and go home to my wife.”

Matt Damon busted out of the tournament early, while seasoned poker pal Ben Affleck made it all the way to the final table before losing to John Hennigan.

Affleck said he remains optimistic about the situation in Darfur, “I do think that [Sudan’s leaders] are afraid of the next administration being tougher, and are probably a little bit more willing to be more cooperative. But I’m optimistic about what’s going to happen.”

Other celebrities who kicked in the $5k for a spot at the felt included Charles Barkley, Jennifer Tilly, Shannon Elizabeth, Ray Romano, Casey Affleck, and poker pro Phil Helmuth among others.

The tournament benefited two charities: ENOUGH, a project co-founded in 2007 by the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress; and Not On Our Watch (NOOW), a group co-founded by Cheadle, Damon, George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Bid Now For Christmas Gifts

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:21:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The countdown to Christmas has begun, and celebrities are doing their best to make holiday shopping easy this year. Several charity auctions have already kicked off to raise money for good causes, including one that may be eBay’s largest sale of celebrity items… ever!

The BID 2 BEAT AIDS online auction will open on December 1, World AIDS Day, and will feature over 1000 specially signed items, ranging from posters to iPods. The annual auction will raise money for LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS fundraising and service charity, and in the past has raised up to $175,000.

The array of memorabilia up for sale this year is simply colossal, with perhaps the most interesting items being a series of “Lend a Hand to LIFEbeat” cards that feature the handprints of over 100 celebrities. Stars such as Britney Spears, Jack Black, and Kathy Griffin traced around the outlines of their hands and decorated their artworks for the auction, and the finished products will make a unique addition to any Christmas stocking.

Also included in the auction is a selection of signed musical instruments. Rapper 50 Cent has donated the tambourines he used during his performance at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, and Metallica and the Foo Fighters have both donated guitars. There are also over 200 official RIAA gold and platinum record awards up for sale, from artists such as Annie Lennox, Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Green Day. Rare tour crew jackets from Guns N Roses, Cher, George Michael, and Prince are also available.

There are a stack of autographed CDs and DVDs on offer in the auction, from Mariah Carey, Elton John, Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5, Amy Winehouse, and Val Kilmer, as well as books signed by Madonna, Bill Clinton, Rosie O’Donnell, Martha Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Ethan Hawke. Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Elijah Wood, and Usher have all signed posters for the auction.

For those people after something a little different, the auction also includes an iPod designed by Yoko Ono, a box of cereal signed by Will Ferrell, Borat’s hat signed by Sacha Baron Cohen, and a Spiderman action figure autographed by Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

And if nothing mentioned so far whets your appetite, there are also signed items from Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Nelly, Joan Collins, John Travolta, Kanye West, The Cure, Jay-Z, Cameron Diaz, Victoria Beckham, Robin Williams, Hilary Duff, Jason Alexander, Jack Nicholson, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adam Sandler, John Legend, Jessica Simpson, Whoopi Goldberg, Aerosmith, Denzel Washington, Good Charlotte, James Blunt, Jeremy Piven, Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Norah Jones, Razorlight, Wyclef Jean, and many more… far too many to list here.

More information and a full list of items can be found at www.bid2beataids.com.

As if this wasn’t enough choice for Christmas shoppers, there are also several other auctions and events on the go at the moment. The biggest of these is the 10th Annual Collaborating For A Cure Benefit Dinner and Auction, a massive black tie gala to be held on November 29. It also happens to be one of the highest grossing charity events held every year in New York, and last year raised over $4 million for the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that has provided over $55 million in grants to cancer research, and has been instrumental in the development of new cancer drugs.

The gala dinner and live auction will be held at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue, New York City, and over 1200 guests are expected to attend. The host for the evening is Chevy Chase, and attendees will be treated to a very special performance by Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh, members of 70’s rock group, the Eagles.

Selected items up for auction on the night as well as online include dinner with Chevy Chase, the chance to play tennis with Andre Agassi, and a meet and greet with Aerosmith.

More information can be found at www.charitybuzz.com.

Also on the Charitybuzz website is an auction to raise funding for Stand Up For A Cure, an organization dedicated to lung cancer research and awareness.

The auction runs from November 28 until December 12, and features unique items such as the chance to have Andrea Bocelli perform in your own home, the opportunity to have Patti LaBelle host your cocktail party, and VIP tickets to see Céline Dion at Madison Square Gardens.

And if you still can’t find a suitable gift, have a look at the Have A Heart Auction on Charitybuzz. All proceeds from the auction, which features the chance to meet Avril Lavigne, a copy of “An Inconvenient Truth” signed by Al Gore, and a “Godfather II” DVD signed by Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, will benefit HEART, an organization that aims to foster compassion and respect for all living beings.

But you have to be in quick, as the auction ends on November 29.

Sir Roger Moore to Host a Magical Night for Charity

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:33:49 -0000

Written by Crystal A. Johnson

Sir Roger Moore of James Bond fame will host one of the most magical events of the year, the “World Magic Awards” on Saturday October 13th at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, CA. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Feed the Children Organization.

The black-tie star studded event will include some of the top names in magic and entertainment. Lance Burton, Neil Patrick Harris, Hans Klok, Pamela Anderson, Arthur Trace, Kevin James, Tony Chapek and Jason Alexander are among the list of presenters and performers. And what would a magic show be without a few surprises?

Feed the Children helps with programs to feed children and their families, responds to disasters worldwide, helps with babies who have been abandoned, lost parents to epidemic or have endured violence or poverty. To learn more about Feed the Children visit their website at www.feedthechildren.org.

Look To The Stars News: Jason Alexander

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