Look To The Stars News: Jessica Alba

Lance Armstrong Stands Up To Cancer Tonight

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Don’t miss Stand Up To Cancer on ABC, CBS and NBC today, Friday, September 5, at 8 p.m. (EST).

A spectacular line up of talent including Jennifer Aniston, James Taylor, Scarlett Johansson, Meryl Streep, David Cook, Christina Applegate, Lance Armstrong, Jack Black, Kirsten Dunst, Charles Barkley, America Ferrera, Halle Berry, Hilary Swank, Forest Whitaker, Jimmy Fallon and Keanu Reeves will appear on the one-hour telecast. The celebrities are set to educate you, move you and entertain you, and will even be on hand to answer your calls in the celebrity phone bank.

The premiere TV performance of Just Stand Up – the star studded charitable single in support of Stand Up To Cancer – will be performed by legendary recording artists Mariah Carey, Beyoncé Knowles, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Ray Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood.

Doug Ulman, President of the Lance Armstrong Foundation says, “Inspired to act by their own personal experiences with cancer, the Stand Up to Cancer team recognizes that we can no longer rely on the current system alone to give us the breakthroughs we need. They are calling on the public to help take matters into our own hands, investing in a revolution that will change the way scientists and clinicians work to understand and treat cancer. Stand Up To Cancer is more than a rallying cry. It is a galvanizing force created to urgently move cancer research forward.”

Tonight’s program is raising funds to build “Dream Teams” made up of scientists, clinicians, technicians and other experts.

For more information about Stand Up To Cancer, and a complete list of celebrities who will be appearing during the show, visit the Stand Up To Cancer Website.

Drew Barrymore Leaves Her Mark For Charity Auction

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:59:12 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Drew Barrymore is being hounded by bidders who are doggedly pursuing an exciting new internet auction. The 33-year-old actress is selling a one-of-kind work of art she created… with her pet dog.

The star has donated a canvas featuring her handprints – and the paw prints of her dog, Flossie – to The Rescue Train, an organization that seeks to reduce the number of animals entering shelters by promoting education through creating unique programs and solutions.

The artwork, which can be viewed via www.charityfolks.com, is the last lot in a series of auctions that featured works of art created by celebrities and their pet pooches. Other stars to create canvases included Jessica Alba, Carmen Electra, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Paula Abdul, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Eric Roberts.

Charity Folks is the leading online marketplace for celebrity charity auctions, and has raised over $6 million for non-profit organizations in the past. The current Drew Barrymore auction ends on April 23.

Big Names Flock To End Violence Against Women

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:38:25 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

The tenth annual V-Day V To The Tenth festival arrives next weekend – and it is expected to be the biggest V-Day gala yet, with a huge outpouring of support from celebrities. Stars such as Salma Hayek, Oprah Winfrey, Faith Hill, Jane Fonda, Jessica Alba, Glenn Close, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Hudson, Julia Stiles, Ali Larter, Marisa Tomei, Calpernia Addams, and many others will be in attendance.

Over $50 million has been raised by the charity, which supports local and global groups’ efforts to eradicate violence against women and girls. New Orleans was chosen to stage the event this year to honor “Katrina Warriors for their strength and resilience in the face of devastating loss.”

The founder of V-Day, Eve Ensler, said, “Although we cannot prevent such events as Hurricane Katrina, we can be there with and for each other when they occur. We can extend our hand; we can remember those who have lost their homes, their jobs, their minds and their way.”

The April 11-12 gala will hold musical performances, speeches from activists, and a performance of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, which first opened in New York in 1997. Performed in cities all over the world, it is a series of monologues of female perspectives on a varied ‘female experience.’ With few props, actresses use shock and humor to break down the barriers of tradition, shame, ignorance, and political correctness.

With the spotlight on New Orleans, the funds raised at this year’s campaign will support “education and grassroots projects that economically empower the women of the Gulf South.”

Scarlett Johansson Soles Souls for Soles4Souls

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:29:45 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Scarlett Johansson joins celebrities such as Don Cheadle and Jessica Alba in bringing attention to Soles4Souls, a charity that donates shoes to the world’s shoeless, particularly after natural disasters when people are most vulnerable.

June 1, National Barefoot Day, will kick off Sole4Soul’s first national Barefoot Week. The week promises to be filled with fun runs, shoe drives, walkathons, parties and lots of entertaining events in an effort to get donors to become regularly engaged with the charity.

Founder Wayne Elsey says, “Raising awareness is a good thing, but for people to truly ‘own’ our charity, we need to give them chances to personally participate in our mission – and Barefoot Week is designed to do that.”

In addition to the human impact, the charity also has a message on the environmental benefits. According to Elsey, while 300 million children have never owned a pair of shoes, that same amount of shoes was dumped into American landfills last year alone.

Lauren Conrad, who plans to participate in the week-long summer event, says, “Soles4Souls is an amazing organization and their efforts help those in need while promoting recycling at the same time. I am proud to say that I will be cleaning out my closet on their behalf for the second year in a row and urging all of my friends to do the same.”

Scarlett Johansson has already donated 2000 pairs of shoes to the charity.

During Barefoot Week, Soles4Soles will donate over 300 thousand pairs of new shoes to hurricane ravaged New Orleans and four other struggling communities in the US.

Celebrities To Attend V-Day In New Orleans

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:01:03 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

April 11 and 12 will mark a special celebration in New Orleans – a celebration of hope, of vision, of spirit, of response, and of action. It will see a gathering of united attitudes and a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. The tenth annual V-Day festival is set to bring a change to the way the world thinks and acts, and it has gathered the support of a host of celebrities to help get its message heard.

V-Day is a non-profit organization that distributes funds to grassroots national and international initiatives and programs that work to stop violence against women and girls. Named one of Worth Magazine’s 100 Best Charities and one of Marie Claire Magazine’s Top Ten Charities, the V-Day movement has raised over $50 million in the last 9 years. And for their 10th anniversary, they have chosen New Orleans to host their star-studded gala event.

New Orleans Arena will come alive on April 12 for V To The Tenth, an evening set to open hearts and minds and raise awareness and money for groups working to end violence around the world. The evening will see international performances of The Vagina Monologues and musical performances, as well as speeches from V-Day activists from across the globe, including Kenya, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Eastern Europe. Already confirmed to attend the event are Salma Hayek, Oprah Winfrey, Faith Hill, Jane Fonda, Jessica Alba, Glenn Close, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Hudson, Julia Stiles, Ali Larter, Marisa Tomei, Calpernia Addams, and many more.

Tickets to the event are available for $25 from the Ticketmaster website.

But if you miss out on tickets to that event, why not try to attend the V-Day Superlove festival over at the Louisiana Superdome? Entry is FREE, and the festivities include two days of revolutionary conversations, poetry, singers, performers, storytelling, art, free massages, support groups, yoga, massage, meditation, makeovers, and much more.

More information can be found at the V-Day website.

Celebrities On Show For AIDS Relief

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:52:49 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

“A Dollar Saves A Life” is the catchphrase of a new advertising campaign featuring Alicia Keys, Jessica Alba, and Somalia-born model Iman, launched to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.

The stars will join actress Lisa Bonet, Indian model Padma Lakshmi, and Zöe Kravitz – daughter of Lenny Kravitz – in a series of advertisements in magazines across America, as part of Keys’ Keep A Child Alive Foundation’s new “Good Cents Initiative”.

The advertisements will see the stars dressed in stylish black clothes, striking simple yet elegant poses surrounded by accessories and props to promote the new campaign. Keys has been photographed clutching a large pink piggybank, and Alba smiles under an umbrella as coins rain down from above.

“Every penny counts,” read the advertisements. “We see every penny as something worth saving. Please join us in helping children in Africa and India get the vital AIDS drugs they need.”

The Good Cents Initiative was launched in September, 2007, when Keys took part in a roundtable discussion on youth activism with Bono, Shakira, Chris Rock, and Bill Clinton. The event was hosted by the Clinton Global Initiative.

Another star to be involved in an HIV/AIDS related project is singer Johnny Clegg, who has reworked his classic song “Great Heart” with an all-star cast of South African musicians as a fundraiser for the Starfish Greathearts Foundation.

Clegg appears alongside 17 other acts on the recording, including Arno Carstens, Chris Chameleon, Sipho “Hotstixs” Mabuse, and Kahn Morbee from indie-pop group The Parlotones.

The song, released as a radio-only single, is also included on a new benefit album – “Spirit of the Great Heart” – which will raise money for children affected by South Africa’s HIV/AIDS pandemic.

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.

Bono Awarded For AIDS Work

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:32:08 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Nobel Peace Prize nominee Bono has received an award at an AIDS charity event in New York.

The U2 frontman was honored for his humanitarian work at The Black Ball, a ceremony held at the Hammerstein Ballroom on October 25 to raise money for the Keep A Child Alive foundation, a non-profit organization that provides treatment to AIDS victims in Africa.

The sparkling evening of cocktails, dinner, and rare musical performances was organized and co-hosted by Alicia Keys, a Global Ambassador for the foundation, who described Bono as “an amazing man [who] works tirelessly at really having a cause and fighting for it. He is an inspiration and single-handedly made it cool to have something to speak about.”

“Rock stars always want to do two things,” said Bono, who was honored to accept the award but insisted he would rather be giving out the accolades. “They want to have fun and change the world. If you can do both at the same time, you’re OK.”

The event, which featured performances by Gwen Stefani and Sheryl Crow, as well as by Bono and Keys, attracted a host of celebrities who are both known for their support of the foundation and who wanted to show their respect for Bono’s work. David Bowie, Jay-Z, P. Diddy, Petra Nemcova, and members of Green Day were all spotted during the evening.

“This is an awesome opportunity to step up out of compassion and try to do the smallest of things,” said Crow, a few minutes before performing a duet with Keys. “Just to play some music and raise some money. I’m really proud of Alicia for doing it, and obviously I’m a huge fan of Bono and all the work he’s done.”

“I love Bono,” added Keys, who teamed up with the Irish singer in 2005 to record a version of Peter Gabriel’s “Don’t Give Up” for Keep A Child Alive. “I really respect what he has done for Africa, and how he has used his fame to do good in the world. I hope I can do half as much in my life. Keep A Child Alive is my passion and heartfelt mission. I believe AIDS is the most important issue we face, because how we treat the poor is a reflection of who we are as people. I urge everyone to recognize the extreme disaster Africa is facing.”

Africa currently has 12 million AIDS orphans, and less than 5% of the population has access to life-saving anti-retroviral treatment. It is estimated that there are 40 million people infected with the disease, 3 million of them children, with 700,000 more children becoming infected every year. Through its fundraising, Keep A Child Alive has funded several AIDS clinics in Africa, saving lives in Kenya, Durban, Johannesburg, Kigali, Rwanda, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Uganda. They also provide funds for the Agape Orphanage and the Go Go Grannies in South Africa. Keep A Child Alive is a partner of the ONE Campaign, which aims to help Americans to work against the worldwide emergency of AIDS and extreme poverty.

“I am a Global Ambassador for Keep A Child Alive,” said Iman, who co-hosted the Black Ball with Keys. “So it is something I have been doing for quite a while. I am from Africa, and there are a lot of orphan children in Africa whose parents have died from AIDS, and also there are a lot of kids infected with HIV. So we want to provide the drugs that are available in the West, and to make them affordable for poor countries as well, especially the continent of Africa.”

More information on Keep A Child Alive, whose Global Ambassadors also include Liv Tyler and Jessica Alba, can be found at www.keepachildalive.org.

Alba, Cook Raise $260K for Variety

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:06:35 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

A Knoxville screening of “Good Luck Chuck” has benefitted the children’s charity Variety of Eastern Tennessee, thanks to the presence of Jessica Alba and Dane Cook. Fans paid $75 to attend the screening and see the actors, raising a total of $260,000 to help disabled children.

The Variety charity screenings began in 2003 with “Radio” and Cuba Gooding Jr., and “Walking Tall” raised funds the following year. 2005 saw “The Dukes of Hazzard” with Jessica Simpson, Seann William Scott and Knoxville native Johnny Knoxville, and last year’s benefit featured “Talladega Nights” with Will Ferrell. Altogether, nearly $1 million has been raised by the screenings.

The funds are used to purchase mobility equipment for children with physical disabilities and are also shared with other children’s agencies such as Second Harvest, Tennessee School for the Deaf and the Empty Stocking Fund.

Johansson and Alba Kick Off Million Pair March

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 10:17:13 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Stars such as Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle and Jessica Alba are donating their shoes and support to the Spring Cleaning/Million Pair March organized by Soles4Souls.

The charity provides aid for those in need around the world, and is collecting shoes and funds for a Fall shipment to refugee camps in the war-torn Sudan.

“Bringing sandals to remote villages will change the quality of an impoverished person’s life overnight,” said Wayne Elsey, Founder of Soles4Souls. “Wearing shoes can stop hookworm infections, as well as cuts and puncture wounds from sharp objects that can result in permanent injury. It helps to end the cycle of pain.”

Other celebrities who are helping the cause include Kristin Chenoweth, Parker Posey, Susan Lucci, Jeff Probst, Melissa Rivers and Moby.

Soles4Souls hopes to collect one million pairs of shoes and $1 million to cover the shipping costs. They are asking people to donate new or “gently worn” shoes and/or money.

To date the charity has collected over two million pairs of shoes which have helped victims of the Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and others in need in the US and abroad. For more information on how you can help, go to www.GiveShoes.org.

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