Look To The Stars News: Hole in the Wall Gang

LTTS Exclusive: Bring On The New Orleans Funk For Charity

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:30:00 +0000

On Thursday, November 3, Look To The Stars’ Allison DiLiberto attended the 2nd Annual Jam For The Kids at Manhattan’s Hiro Ballroom at the Maritime Hotel (88 9th Ave), which benefited The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

Brother Joscephus & The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra, courtesy Jeffrey Ufberg Photography

2nd Annual Jam to Benefit Newman's Hole In The Wall Gang Camp

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:53:00 +0000

Tonight at 7PM, supporters of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, will gather for the 2nd Annual Jam For The Kids! at Manhattan’s Hiro Ballroom, located within The Maritime Hotel, for a full night of funky New Orleans style music, featuring Papa Grows Funk, with special guests Brother Joscephus & the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra and Charlie Dane.

Founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, located in Ashford, CT, is a nonprofit, year-round center serving children and their families coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS, hemophilia and other serious and life-threatening illnesses. Proceeds from this event will go to support summer camp sessions for the children, so they can enjoy more than they or their parents ever thought possible and experience the joy of camp free of charge.

Meat Loaf And Friends Record Charity Single

Mon, 23 May 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Rocker Meat Loaf and his fellow Celebrity Apprentice contestants John Rich, Lil Jon and Mark McGrath have recorded a charity single together.

All four competitors from the current season of the reality show, will donate the proceeds from sales of ‘Stand in the Storm’ to the charities they have been raising cash and awareness for on Celebrity Apprentice.

Meat Loaf’s donation will go to the Painted Turtle (one of Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang camps for ill children); John Rich’s to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Lil Jon is donating to the United Methodist Children’s Home of North Georgia while Mark McGrath is donating to the Save The Music Foundation.

Kyle Petty To Attend Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Kyle Petty will be a special guest at a celebrity charity poker tournament hosted by Tiffany Michelle on Thursday, March 3, in Las Vegas.

The Victory Junction Black Ace Charity Poker Tournament will take place at the Hard Rock Casino at 7:30pm on Thursday to raise money for Kyle Petty’s Victory Junction Gang.

Scheduled to appear at the tournament are a growing list of NASCAR stars, professional Poker Pros and Hollywood personalities including: Richard Petty, Tiffany Michelle, Kyle Petty, Layne Flack, Vanessa Rousso, David Williams, Antonio Esfandiari, Maria Ho, Ryan Newman, Penn Jillette, C. Thomas Howell, Shaun Sipos, Bob Guiney and more.

Meat Loaf Wins Fantasy Football Charity League

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Meat Loaf’s ESPN Fantasy Football Charity League team has overcome a 43-point halftime deficit to defeat Jerry Cantrell’s JC Aroma Of Tacoma 224-214 in the championship of the Alice in Chains & Friends Fantasy Football Charity League at the end of the NFL’s regular season.

According to ESPN, this means that Meat Loaf’s chosen charity, The Painted Turtle, will receive all the proceeds from an online auction of items donated by all the league’s participants and others.

Going under the hammer are CDs, books and T-shirts donated by Meat Loaf, a guitar from Slayer, a signed Jamie Moyer Philadelphia Phillies jersey donated by Duff McKagan, a Fender Strat signed by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and posters signed by Alice in Chains and Cypress Hill.

Newman's Own Gives $300 Million To Charity

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Earlier this week, during its “Over the Moon Celebration,” Paul Newman’s Newman’s Own brand announced that it surpassed over $300 million in charitable giving.

To cross the milestone, and in the company of dedicated individuals and organizations that made it possible, Newman’s Own Foundation awarded $1.4 million in grants. The evening’s reception was co-chaired by Joanne Woodward Newman and Clea Newman Soderlund, Paul Newman and Joanne’s youngest daughter.

“When people would thank Paul for his charitable giving, he would always reply that he didn’t think he was doing anything special,” said Robert Forrester, president of Newman’s Own Foundation. “He believed that the real thanks should go to those people and organizations… who work every day to make ours and the future’s a better world. For Paul, it was a privilege to be just one among these many. That’s how we all feel today as we carry on this unique and wonderful philanthropic legacy.”

Celebrity Guests Pay Tribute To Rocky Horror For Charity

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 11:30:00 +0000

A astonishing array of celebrities hit the stage in LA last Thursday, October 28, for a special charity tribute to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Directed by High School Musical creator Kenny Ortega, the evening raised money for the Painted Turtle Summer Camp for critically ill children.

The show featured a massive number of stars strutting their stuff and doing the Time Warp for a good cause, including the Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Billy Idol, Jason Segal, Julian McMahon, Lea Michele, Jorge Garcia, Ricki Lake, Mario Lopez, Matthew Morrison, Evan Rachel Wood and many more.

Stevie Wonder Named As United Nations Messenger Of Peace

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:00:00 +0000

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has designated Grammy Award-winning songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder as a United Nations Messenger of Peace with a special focus on people with disabilities.

Recognized for his ability to focus attention on and mobilize support for civil and human rights issues, Stevie Wonder joins ten other United Nations Messengers of Peace who advocate on behalf of the Organization.

Messengers of Peace are individuals who possess widely recognized talents in the fields of art, academia, literature, sports and entertainment, helping to raise worldwide awareness of the Organization’s ideals and activities. Through their public appearances, contacts with the international media and humanitarian work, they expand public understanding of how the United Nations helps to improve the lives of people everywhere.

Taylor Swift Signs Elephant For Family Health International

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:29:00 +0000

As reported earlier by Look To The Stars, Family Health International is one of many charities to benefit from the current auction of celebrity-signed toy elephants organized by PROJECT ZAMBI.

Among those who have signed the elephants specifically for FHI are Taylor Swift (pictured below), the Jonas Brothers, Hugh Jackman, Heidi Klum and Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi.

Will Smith's Children Support Charity Initiative

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Jaden and Willow Smith – the actor children of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith – have spoken about their support for PROJECT ZAMBI, a charity initiative started by a group of Hasbro employees to help raise awareness and funds for the estimated 15 million children who have lost parents and relatives to the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

“Willow and I joined Project Zambi to represent all the kids out there who want to make the world a better place,” said Jaden. “We want to encourage kids everywhere to lend a hand and join us in spreading the word about how much children who have been orphaned by AIDS in Africa need our help.”

The children have joined a host of stars – including Jessica Biel, George Clooney, Glenn Close, Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joely Fisher & Brad Garrett, Jennie Garth & Peter Facinelli, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Jonas Brothers, Alicia Keys, Heidi Klum, Kathy Najimy, Rhea Perlman & Danny DeVito, Graham Rahal, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Taylor Swift, James Taylor, Barbara Walters, Denzel Washington, and Naomi Watts – in signing toy elephants to benefit charities such as Keep A Child Alive, the African Children’s Choir, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, the Chikumbuso Women and Orphans Project, the Children of Uganda, Global Action for Children, the Global Fund, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages and many more.

Celebrities Sign Elephants For Project Zambi

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

A host of celebrities have come together to be part of an online auction that features one-of-a-kind collectible elephant models.

Jessica Biel, George Clooney, Glenn Close, Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joely Fisher & Brad Garrett, Jennie Garth & Peter Facinelli, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Jonas Brothers, Alicia Keys, Heidi Klum, Kathy Najimy, Rhea Perlman & Danny DeVito, Graham Rahal, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Taylor Swift, James Taylor, Barbara Walters, Denzel Washington, and Naomi Watts are some of the stars who have signed the elephant toys for Project Zambi, a charity initiative started by a group of Hasbro employees to help raise awareness and funds for the estimated 15 million children who have lost parents and relatives to the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

“It is encouraging to see that companies such as Hasbro are developing initiatives to support global health issues,” said Alicia Keys. “Through my involvement in this project, I’m proud to support Keep A Child Alive, an organization dedicated to providing care and support to children and families whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India by directly engaging the global public in the fight against AIDS.”

Jane Seymour To Host Charity Weekend

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:30:00 +0000

On October 3rd and 4th, Jane Seymour will welcome celebrities and guests from around the world in Sedona, Arizona, to help make a difference in the lives of children with serious and life threatening illnesses at the “Tee It Up For Children’s Laughter” Charity Weekend.

All proceeds from the charity event will benefit Camp Soaring Eagle. Camp Soaring Eagle is working to be the next member of the internationally acclaimed Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, which were created as a result of the vision and hard work of the late Paul Newman.

Celebrity Guests Include:

Paul Newman Honored At Star-Studded Charity Event

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

A group of entertainment’s finest turned out to a special evening to raise funds for Paul Newman’s Hole In The Wall Camps in New York on Monday, June 8.

Hosted by Robert Redford and Julia Roberts, the event featured performances from Jerry Seinfeld, James Taylor, Harry Connick Jr., Yo Yo Ma, Art Garfunkel and Joshua Bell. Attendees also included Bill Clinton and Kristin Chenoweth.

“We’ve done a lot of these galas,” said Julia Roberts. "And I’ve never stood up without my buddy Paul Newman. It seems so much easier to sing and dance and make a fool of yourself when he’s right next to you. He encourages fun, more than any person I’ve ever met. "

Paul Newman Honored With Nature Preserve

Mon, 11 May 2009 13:00:00 +0000

The town of Westport, Connecticut, is to honor the late Paul Newman by creating a 37-acre nature reserve adjacent to his former home.

The new Newman/Poses Preserve will include walking paths, benches, and a ban on development and building. The idea came from Newman’s widow, Joanne Woodward, who wrote to the local council in January.

“The Poses land is a truly beautiful piece of land that Paul, our children, and I have had the privilege of enjoying for many, many years,” she said. “Preserving the Poses property in its natural state is something I very much believe Paul would have loved to see happen. Paul always expressed regret that he was not able to accomplish this himself, so I think if there were to be anything at all done by the town to honor Paul’s memory this would be a very generous and appropriate tribute to him. He would, I believe, be particularly pleased that such a gesture would benefit all of Westport’s residents.”

Stars Pay Tribute To Paul Newman

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:30:00 +0000

An awe-inspiring array of stars paid tribute to Paul Newman at a benefit gala for one of the actor’s summer camps for sick children in California last night.

Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis, Danny Glover, Danny DeVito, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Billy Crystal were just some of the stars who performed a reading of The World of Nick Adams, an adaptation of a number of Ernest Hemingway’s autobiographical stories at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.

“We expected Paul to be with us and so this kind of turned into kind of a tribute,” said Danny Glover. “This is the first time we are doing this without Paul — there is a void there, without a doubt.”

Celebrities To Pay Tribute To Paul Newman

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:00:00 +0000

An awe-inspiring array of stars will pay tribute to Paul Newman at a benefit gala for one of the actor’s summer camps for sick children in California next month.

Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis, Danny Glover, Danny DeVito, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening and Billy Crystal will perform a stage reading of The World of Nick Adams, an adaptation of a number of Ernest Hemingway’s autobiographical stories, written by Newman’s longtime friend A.E. Hotchner at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on October 27. Proceeds from the evening will go to the The Painted Turtle, one of Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang camps for ill children.

Founded by Newman and Herb Alpert in 1999, The Painted Turtle provides the 17,000 chronically ill children in California who would otherwise be unable to attend summer camps with an empowering, renewing experience completely free of charge.

Paul Newman - A Life Spent Giving

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Actor and philanthropist Paul Newman leaves behind a legacy modern celebrities will find hard to match.

83-year-old Newman – who passed away after a short illness on Friday – made his movie debut in 1954, and went on to become one of the most well known faces to grace the silver screen, appearing in over 50 films. Born in Ohio, Newman made his acting debut at the age of seven, but didn’t start acting professionally until after serving as a gunner in the Pacific in World War II. When the acting bug did bite, it went on to net Newman 10 Oscar nominations in his five-decade-long career – winning the best actor accolade for his role opposite Tom Cruise in The Color Of Money in 1986 – two Golden Globe awards, a Screen Actors Guild award, a Cannes Film Festival award and an Emmy award.

But it is Newman’s humanitarian and philanthropic efforts that gained him true popularity in the American heart. Much has been written about his Newman’s Own Food Company, the initiative he established in 1982 to manufacture his special salad dressings. Over $200 million were generated by the company for charity over the years, and earlier in 2008 the actor announced he had signed ownership of the company to charity. He wrote a book – titled Shameless Exploitation in the Pursuit of the Common Good – about his work with the company, explaining that the inspiration behind his humanitarian outlook was the death of his son from a drug overdose in 1978, which led him to set up the Scott Newman Center for Drug Abuse Prevention. Much of the money Newman raised went to the Hole in the Wall Gang summer camps he established in 1988. The camps allow ill children to participate in activities such as boating, fishing, swimming, archery, arts and crafts, woodworking, performing arts, horseback riding, overnight camping and group adventures, all while receiving superior 24-hour medical care free of charge. More than 100,000 children from 31 countries have attended the Hole in the Wall camps.

Paul Newman Donates Salad Dressing Ownership To Charity

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:34:00 +0000

Actor Paul Newman has donated the entire value of his ownership in Newman’s Own – his company famous for salad dressings – to charity.

The star of Road To Perdition and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid founded Newman’s Own Food Company in 1982, producing a range of popular dressings and sauces, with all profits – $200 million so far – going to charity. The millions of dollars raised through the venture every year go to thousands of charities around the world, and now $120 million will be donated to beneficiary organizations.

Much of Newman’s money goes to the Hole in the Wall Gang summer camps the actor established in 1988. The camps allow ill children to participate in activities such as boating, fishing, swimming, archery, arts and crafts, woodworking, performing arts, horseback riding, overnight camping and group adventures, all while receiving superior 24-hour medical care free of charge. More than 100,000 children from 31 countries have attended the Hole in the Wall camps.

Wilson, Guttenberg Tee Up For Children

Wed, 21 May 2008 10:39:03 +0000

Luke Wilson, Steve Guttenberg, Aidan Quinn and James Naughton are signed up to play in the Travelers Celebrity Pro-Am, proceeds of which go the The Hole in the Wall Gang and the Greater Hartford Jaycees.

The Travelers Championship, formerly the Greater Hartford Open, is the sole fundraiser of the Greater Hartford Jaycees. The charity is a leadership development and community service organization, made up of men and women aged 21-40. Over the last 55 years, they have raised over $23 million for charity. Proceeds from the tournament will help the Jaycees to support the community in a variety of ways, ranging from delivering Thanksgiving baskets to families in need to facilitating leadership programs in local high schools to distributing grants and scholarships.

The Hole in the Wall Gang charity was started by Paul Newman to offer children with serious illnesses and life threatening conditions a place to forget about their problems. More than 100,000 seriously ill children from 34 states and 31 countries have attended their Camps free of charge. Tony Award-winner James Naughton is a member of the charity’s Board of Directors.

Julia Roberts - More Than Just A Pretty Woman

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:17:32 +0000

Julia Roberts may be one of the most instantly recognizable actresses in Hollywood, but as a child she suffered from an affliction shared by over 3 million other Americans. Along with her brother, Heroes star Eric Roberts, the actress was a chronic stutterer. But it was a disorder she fought to overcome, and now she is helping others overcome the frustrating complaint.

Born in Smyrna, Georgia, Roberts wanted nothing more than to be a veterinarian when she grew up. Her father, a professional vacuum cleaner salesman, was a keen amateur actor who met his wife, a real estate agent, through a local theater group. Acting and performing was a big part of family life in the Roberts’ household, and thespian pursuits soon rubbed off on the young Roberts children. The two older offspring soon headed to New York to pursue acting careers, but Julia stayed at home to attend university. However, the acting bug could not be suppressed, and upon graduation, Julia headed to the Big Apple to join her sister, actress Lisa Roberts Gillan.

But before she could break into show business, Roberts had to beat her stuttering problem. She did this through the support of her family and friends, and last week, along with her brother, was asked by the Stuttering Foundation of America to be a spokesperson for the group.

Paul Newman Donates To Breast Care Centre

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 05:16:00 +0000

A Welsh hospital has received a large and beneficial donation from Hollywood legend Paul Newman.

The Breast Care Centre at Singleton Hospital in Swansea received $40,000 at the start of October from the Newman’s Own Foundation, a charitable trust set up by the award winning actor 25 years ago. The star of Road To Perdition and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid founded Newman’s Own Food Company in 1982, producing a range of popular dressings and sauces, with all profits going to charity. The millions of dollars raised through the venture every year go to thousands of charities around the world.

The donation to the Breast Care Centre came about through his son-in-law, Gary Irving, who married Newman’s daughter, Nell, two years ago. Irving’s mother, Sue Proctor, has been getting treatment at the centre in Wales since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003.

Charities Benefit from Auction of President Ford’s Personal Items

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:43:55 +0000

On July 7, over 500 items belonging to the late, former President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty, will be auctioned, with proceeds benefiting three charities important to the Fords. The auction will take place in Beaver Creek, Colorado, location of one of the Fords’ residences.

Auction items include: President Ford’s golf clubs, his skis, the President and Mrs. Ford’s engraved crystal, their personal American flags, artwork, furniture, clothing (such as ski jackets, ski boots), sculptures, books, kitchen ware, collectibles, decorative household items, silver, rugs, Christmas ornaments, antiques, and lamps. Hundreds of other items will be sold the day before the auction at a tag sale. Many local companies have contributed products and services for the auction, which is hosted by New York-based Guernsey’s auction house.

The non-profit organizations to benefit from the auction and tag sale are The OK Corral Camp, The Eagle River Scholarship Fund, and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens.

Paul Newman: Philanthropist, Not Actor

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 09:45:10 +0000

Having closed the book on his five decade long acting career, 82-year-old Paul Newman is now turning his full attention towards his philanthropic activities that began nearly two decades ago.

By producing his own brand of dressings, pasta sauces, popcorn and salsa, Newman has raised more than $200 million for charities. His Dressing Room restaurant in Connecticut is a “home-grown” affair that supports local and regional farmers, fishers and producers, and raises awareness of a more sustainable food future.

Mr Newman also continues to expand his Hole in the Wall Gang summer camps for critically ill children in the U.S., Europe and Middle East; the number currently stands at twelve.