Look To The Stars News: Lou Gossett Jr

LTTS Exclusive: Brandon Tyler Russell Talks Charity

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:45:00 +0000

Up-and-coming teen actor Brandon Tyler Russell – star of the upcoming feature film Smitty, alongside Mira Sorvino, Lou Gossett Jr and Boo Boo Stewart – recently spoke to LookToTheStars.org about the inspiration behind his charity work.

Why did you choose to support the charities you work with?

Haiti Food Project: A Second Aid Benefit Concert

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:30:00 +0000

The Haiti Food Project: A Second Aid Benefit Concert for sustainable food programs that feed and nourish the Haitian children and the communities they live in was held at the American Jewish University in Bel Air, California, earlier this month.

The event was held in collaboration with Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger, which since 1985 has granted over $50 million to prevent and alleviate hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds, and The Board of Rabbis of Southern California. The event was attended by a bevy of leading personalities, entertainers and politicians, including Deepak Chopra, Her Excellency, Geri Benoit, Haiti’s Ambassador to the UN World Food Programme and Former First Lady of Haiti, Robert Wexler, Beverly Todd, Lou Gossett Jr, Brenda Russell and many others.

The event raised over $200,000 for victims of the Haitian earthquake, and could not have been held without the support of QSC Audio.

Kanye West To Attend Haiti Food Project Event

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Kanye West, Wyclef Jean, Lou Gossett Jr and Larry King will be some of the stars attending the Haiti Food Project Second Aid Benefit presented by MAZON at the Amercian Jewish University in Bel Air on Thursday, February 4.

Guests will be treated to motivational words from Deepak Chopra, as well as performances from Master of Ceremonies Beverly Todd, James Ingram, Deniece Williams, Brenda Russell and special secret guests yet to be announced.

Proceeds from the event will be awarded to the Lambi Fund of Haiti, International Medical Corps, Friends of the Children of Lascahobas, Haiti, and the Albert Schweitzer Hospital of Haiti.

LTTS Exclusive: Aviation Angels

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Look To The Stars’ Celebrity Ambassador Rachel Zeskind recently had the chance to find out about Aviation Angels, a philanthropic iniative that has a number of celebrity supporters.

What one passionate man and Hollywood can do in the heart of Los Angeles’ most gang riddled areas to make an impact on the community and the future of Compton’s youth is astounding. In fact, it is almost unbelievable that kids who had no escape from gang violence and drugs have found a safe haven, a realistic hope and a new direction for their future by just looking up to the sky.

Founder, Robin Petgrave

Hollywood Steps Out For World Kidney Day

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:30:00 +0000

A host of celebrities will come out for World Kidney Day tomorrow to encourage people get blood tests to check for early signs of kidney disease.

Mario Lopez, Hilary Duff, Brooke Burns, Kevin Sorbo, Constance Marie, Deana Carter, Lou Gossett Jr, Courtney Hansen, Eva Tamargo, Stacy Keibler, George Lopez, Phillip Palmer, Andy Garcia and Anthony Anderson are just some of the stars who will attend KEEP It Hollywood on Thursday, March 12.

The National Kidney Foundation of Southern California’s “KEEP It Hollywood” event is a pre-Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) that includes a mini-screening (blood pressure cuff, finger prick & a few health questions asked by some of the best doctors in the country) allowing numerous celebrities and influential community members to take part in the fight against Kidney Disease through early detection, evaluation, and intervention for World Kidney Day.

Stars To Flock To Purple Inauguration Ball

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:30:00 +0000

The Inaugural Purple Ball will take place on the evening of Barack Obama’s inauguration and will feature a host of celebrities raising money for charity.

Patricia Arquette, Amy Brenneman, Ed Harris, Ashley Judd, Josh Lucas, Amy Madigan, Brad Silberling, Kate Walsh, Angela Bassett, John Cusack, Brendan Fraser, David Alan Grier, Herbie Hancock, Hill Harper, Clifton Powell, and Lisa Marie Presley have been confirmed to attend the Ball, which will feature live performances by Il Divo and Peter Cincotti.

A portion of the proceeds from The Inaugural Purple Ball will benefit the Eracism Foundation, a charity established in 2006 by Academy Award Winner Lou Gossett Jr that aims to better society by addressing the negative impacts of racism. The organization provides programs that foster cultural diversity, historical enrichment, education, and antiviolence initiatives in an effort to eradicate racism. The evening will also honor American troops stationed overseas.

"Cover" Story by Bill Duke

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:13:18 +0000

Actor/director Bill Duke’s film Cover held one of the two coveted spots for closing night film at the close of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) in Los Angeles. Members of the audience were in awe by the dramatic unfolding of a story which sheds light on the issue of “down low” behavior and the alarming consequences which add up to African American women accounting for up to 70% of all new HIV/Aids cases.

What is “down low”? It is a street term which refers to the secret sexual infidelity on the part of a husband or boyfriend with a man/woman. Usually, the man learns that he has the disease and withholds the truth. Duke implores men to be honest.

The film seeks to save lives with its message. I asked Bill to elaborate on the main message that he hopes to send with his film. He replied emphatically with reference to percentages of Black women contracting AIDS, “For 80% of the women that are infected to be infected by men that know they have the disease something is wrong!” He prefaced the statement with addressing the issue as tragic.