Look To The Stars News: The Art of Elysium

LTTS Exclusive - The 2009 Noble Awards

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

I had the honor of attending “The Noble Awards” on their first annual show honoring charities and their celebrity supporters.

On Sunday, October 18th at The Beverly Hilton, “Access Hollywood’s” Billy Bush hosted the premiere of this special event honoring Morgan Freeman with a Lifetime Achievement Award and a list of celebrity honorees from Brett Ratner to Teri Hatcher.

Guests were treated to live performances from names like Brian McKnight and Benji Madden and the famed 8-year-old piano prodigy, Emily Bear. The night was supported with a star-studded cast of performers, honorees and guests that all believe in using the power of their voice in the name of philanthropy and charity. No detail was too small for this event. The award sculpture itself was the vision of Antonio Banderas and came to life at The Art of Elysium workshop with personal touches from the children at the Shriners Hospitals for Children with the guidance of The Art of Elysium volunteer/actor/sculptor David Grieco.

The Noble Awards was an inaugural awards show that launched the beginning of a perennial movement that will encourage each and every person to give back and take action in the world today.

Each year they will recognize and honor philanthropic organizations and the celebrities that make considerable contributions to them. Some of this year honorees included Nancy O’Dell for Best Buddies International, AnnaLynne McCord for The Blind Project, Teri Hatcher for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Brett Ratner for DoSomething.org, Billy Bush for Lollipop Theater Network, Whitney Burditt for Playing for Change, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds for Stand Up To Cancer, Laila Ali for Women’s Sport Foundation and a charity very close to my heart, The Art of Elysium honoring Joel Madden.

Jennifer Howell, Founder of The Art of Elysium, presented this award to Joel Madden with Lionel Richie, Allison Beck and Stacey Price: “As both an artist and a father, Joel truly embodies a sincere passion for both music and children. It was evident in his beautiful and humble acceptance speech where he expressed his heartbreak at the thought of a child spending one second inside of a hospital. A moment that was also extremely moving was when his twin brother Benji (who has spent many days with The Art of Elysium teaching guitar and participating in music workshops) shared his love for his brother with a music dedication. Nicole Richie (who has also dedicated her talents to the charity) looked on lovingly while her Father introduced Joel and thanked him for loving his daughter so much. The love, support and generosity that was shown by all members of Joel’s family are the true roots that can help take The Art of Elysium’s mission to every child that spends that terrifying one second in a hospital.”

I was lucky enough to experience the vision of the Founder/Executive Producer, Janeen Mansour, prior to the event and watch it develop from an idea to a reality.

“The goal of the Noble Awards was to highlight the charities there that night and celebrities that champion them," she said. "Our goal reached far beyond my expectations. The purpose of the Noble Awards is to create awareness and send out a call to action. I feel everyone in the room was inspired and moved and understood the message we were trying to convey. That message is to be a Noble.”

The Noble Awards are a testament to what Hollywood can achieve when it uses its voice to celebrate positive change. This event showcased just a few of the many celebrities and individuals dedicated to making a difference in the world today. It is my hope that it will serve as an inspiration to others to get involved in their charity, community or cause that has meaning to them. Being a volunteer takes less time than your yoga class and can cost you less money than your Latte. But the experience will stay with you a lifetime.

To the children, the volunteers, the unnamed angels, the celebrities, the founders, the team behind this event and to all of the people that donate their time and passion to making a difference on a daily basis, this celebrates you.

Inaugural Noble Awards Celebrate Hollywood Philanthropy

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Look To The Stars was proud to be part of the inaugural Noble Awards on Sunday, October 18 – an event that honored a host of charities and the celebrities that support them, elevating awareness of the significant impact of their work.

Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the event honored Morgan Freeman with a lifetime achievement award, as well as Laila Ali (Women’s Sports Foundation), Billy Bush (Lollipop Theater Network), Kenny Edmonds (Stand Up To Cancer), Teri Hatcher (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles), Norman Lear (Playing for Change), Joel Madden (The Art of Elysium), AnnaLynne McCord (The Blind Project), Nancy O’Dell (Best Buddies International), Eva Longoria Parker (Padres Contra El Cancer) and Brett Ratner (DoSomething.org).

Lionel Richie was on hand during the ceremony to present an award to Joel Madden, who attended the event with Nicole Richie and his brother Benji.

“I want to welcome him to our family and present this Noble award to a guy I love very much – Joel Madden!” said Lionel as he introduced Joel to the crowd.

“They are just as much a part of it,” said Madden, paying tribute to Nicole and Benji. “Nicole does just as much as I do with Art of Elysium and all the charities we work with. And so does Benj – Benj actually does more then I do, and he plays the guitar better then I do, so he is a little more entertaining for the kids.”

Madden later Twittered about the emotions he felt as he accepted his award: “Just left the NOBLE awards. Got an award that was really for the people at the Art of Elysium. Awesome folks and I’m humbled to know them. By the way got totally choked up when I got my award. I hate thinking about kids in the hospital, they should be getting the awards not us.”

The award itself was designed by Antonio Banderas, with personal touches added by children who participated in The Art of Elysium workshop at the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Morgan Freeman received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless work and dedication to over a dozen non-profits. Freeman’s diverse charitable efforts include working with American Red Cross, Artists for a New South Africa, the Campaign for Female Education, Earth Biofuels, Grenada Relief Fund, Mississippi Animal Rescue League and Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine. Freeman has also done PSAs for Sierra Club, and a number of Entertainment Industry Foundation campaigns, covering issues like colon cancer prevention, health care reform and volunteerism.

“I think so often we don’t know that our gestures matter,” said Teri Hatcher, who was also honored. “I think when you get involved in your local community charity you really do see you make a difference and it’s empowering for you.”

Look To The Stars was at the awards, and we will bring you more about the fantastic event over the coming days.

Stars Want Fans To iParticipate In Charity Initiative

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0000

The Entertainment Industry Foundation has mobilized the entertainment community around a groundbreaking initiative designed to inspire a new era of service and volunteerism.

Called iParticipate, the initiative aims to show what we can achieve when we all pull together. A number of celebrities have given their support to the campaign, including Michelle Obama, Blythe Danner, Morgan Freeman, Faith Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Simon Baker (CBS’ The Mentalist), Emily Deschanel (FOX’s Bones), Eva Longoria Parker (ABC’s Desperate Housewives), Julia Louis Dreyfus (CBS’ The New Adventures of Old Christine), Masi Oka (NBC’s Heroes), Michael Strahan (FOX’s Brothers), Kate Walsh (ABC’s Private Practice) and Rainn Wilson (NBC’s The Office).

As a centerpiece for this initiative, EIF has enlisted major broadcast networks including, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, for an unprecedented, week-long television event beginning Monday, October 19. Tune in to seven days and nights of television and watch how your favorite TV shows and personalities shine a light on the power of community service.

The rate at which Americans volunteer regularly has not increased in 40 years and has generally remained around 26% of the population, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While volunteerism usually declines during periods of economic distress, volunteerism is currently on the rise in America, particularly among young people, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

EIF has also produced a series of public service announcements to reinforce the importance of volunteerism. Through these PSAs, EIF will also recognize and encourage support for five key areas of service: Education & Children, Health & Well Being, Economic Development, Environmental Conservation, and Support for Military Families.

To coincide with the week of programming, hundreds of employees working at entertainment industry companies are answering the call to serve with organized volunteer projects throughout Los Angeles. Planned projects include:

Tuesday, October 20
Paramount Pictures, NBC Universal and United Talent Agency (UTA) will team up to make food packages for families at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Thursday, October 22
Warner Bros. Entertainment employees will be planting trees in Griffith Park, which was devastated by fires last year, in partnership with TreePeople.
WME Entertainment will volunteer at the Lowman Special Education Center with The Art of Elysium, a program that helps children battling serious medical conditions.
Fox Entertainment Group, International Creative Management (ICM) and Screen Actors Guild(SAG) will work side-by-side with CITY YEAR corps members to beautify Carthay Center Elementary School.

Friday October 23
Sony Pictures Entertainment,AEG and Paradigm will build homes for Habitat for Humanity at the first LEED certified housing development in the city of Lynwood.

Saturday, October 24
Disney | ABCTelevision Group and Creative Artists Agency(CAA) will assemble holiday care packages for military troops with Operation Gratitude at the Van Nuys National Guard Armory.

Other entertainment organizations who will volunteer this week include: CBS, Directors Guild of America, Nickelodeon, Producers Guild of America and Writers Guild of America.

Also as part of the initiative, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars judge and iParticipate celebrity ambassador Carrie Ann Inaba will donate her time along with 50-plus volunteers for a day of service at the Three Square Food Bank in Las Vegas on Wednesday, October 21st at 10:30 AM.

Inaba will join her fellow volunteers in sorting and packaging food for distribution to needy residents of Southern Nevada. Three Square is the only food bank in Las Vegas and prepares more than 8 million meals annually for underprivileged families. Inaba supports numerous charities along with “iParticipate” including the Face Foundation and Rescue Train.

To find out more about iParticipate, to watch PSAs, or to take part in this amazing revolution of volunteerism, visit the official website here.

Look To The Stars Helps Promote Hollywood Philanthropy At Noble Awards

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Look to the Stars is pleased to announce that we will work year-round with The Noble Awards to promote philanthropy in Hollywood.

The inaugural Noble Awards, taking place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, October 18, has announced five new award honorees. The Blind Project, The Lollipop Theater Network, Padres Contra el Cancer and Playing for Change will be honored along with six previously announced charities. In addition, Morgan Freeman will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. The two-hour event, hosted by “Access Hollywood’s” Billy Bush, seeks to annually honor up to a dozen charities and celebrities who actively support them, elevating awareness of these organizations and the significant impact of their work.

Celebrities who will accept awards on behalf of the charities being honored include Laila Ali (Women’s Sports Foundation), Billy Bush (Lollipop Theater Network), Kenny Edmonds (Stand Up To Cancer), Teri Hatcher (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles), Norman Lear (Playing for Change), Joel Madden (The Art of Elysium), AnnaLynne McCord (The Blind Project), Nancy O’Dell (Best Buddies International), Eva Longoria Parker (Padres Contra El Cancer) and Brett Ratner (DoSomething.org). During the ceremony, each will be presented with an award sculpture, designed by Antonio Banderas, with personal touches added by children who participated in The Art of Elysium workshop at the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Brian McKnight and Julio Iglesias, Jr., along with Emily Bear and Timothy Mitchum will provide live musical performances throughout the evening.

“We are delighted to present these eleven distinguished charities and their celebrity supporters with the inaugural Noble Award,” stated Janeen Mansour, creator and executive producer of The Noble Awards. “With the presentation of The Noble Awards, our goal is to turn the spotlight back onto these celebrities and charities to provide recognition, to educate, to inspire, and to encourage even more support from the Hollywood community and the public at large.”

Morgan Freeman will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless work and dedication to over a dozen non-profits. Freeman’s diverse charitable efforts include working with American Red Cross, Artists for a New South Africa, the Campaign for Female Education, Earth Biofuels, Grenada Relief Fund, Mississippi Animal Rescue League and Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine. Freeman has also done PSAs for Sierra Club, and a number of Entertainment Industry Foundation campaigns, covering issues like colon cancer prevention, health care reform and volunteerism.

“The Entertainment Industry Foundation is pleased to be a part of the inaugural Noble Awards,” said Lisa Paulsen, President and CEO of Entertainment Industry Foundation. “We are honored and so proud to present our dear friend and exceptional actor Morgan Freeman with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding charitable work and ongoing contributions to so many important social causes.”

The Noble Awards will kick off the “Be A Noble” Movement, a perennial effort to encourage each and every person to “Be A Noble,” and inspire them to give back and take action with a purpose on a global scale. Some of these initiatives include:

Look to the Stars will work year-round with The Noble Awards to promote philanthropy in Hollywood.

As part of next year’s Cup with a Cause program, 7-Eleven, in collaboration with The Noble Awards, will produce a series of celebrity-designed coffee cups featured in stores nationwide. A minimum of $250,000 will go towards each participating celebrity’s charity of choice. During The Noble Awards’ cocktail hour, guests will be asked to design cups as part of the program.

Participant Media and Takepart.com, the official “action” platform for the Awards, have partnered with the “Be A Noble” Movement to provide the Foundation with a web platform to showcase the work of all the organizations they are honoring throughout the year.

ONEHOPE Wine has bottled an award-winning varietal of wine to be labeled “NOBLE.” 100% of all proceeds from each bottle will go towards the “Be A Noble” Movement, to be distributed among the honored charities.

Rumblefish Jewelry will design a jewelry line based on The Noble Awards and “Be A Noble” Movement, where a percentage of sales will be donated to Noble charities.

Additional partners include EIF/iParticipate, The Hollywood Reporter, Audi, Beverly Hilton, Mobile Cause, Rosenthal and GoodSearch.

As the film industry has the Oscars, television the Emmys and the music industry the Grammy Awards, the charity community and its most dedicated Hollywood supporters will gain global recognition with the staging of The Noble Awards. Produced on behalf of the Celebrity Charity Awards Corporation, a non-profit organization, the first annual awards will take place on October 18, 2009. The Celebrity Charity Awards Corporation will launch a year-round movement to BE A NOBLE to better unify the efforts of charities with celebrities, influencers, media and everyday citizens in order to create an effective forum for change and service. For more information, please visit www.thenobleawards.org.

Stars To Come Out For The Art Of Elysium Genesis Event

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

The Art of Elysium – a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging actors, artists and musicians to share their time and talent with children who are battling serious medical conditions – has announced their next annual event: The Art of Elysium GENESIS.

A celebration of emerging talent, Genesis will bring together artists, creative thinkers, and social leaders in support of this wonderful organization. This event will allow for a new generation to come together and celebrate individuality and the arts while supporting The Art of Elysium’s programs and mission. The evening will include specialty cocktails by Death & Co., “Coffee Bar” provided by Coffee Bean, custom “Jean Bar” provided by Current Elliott, an art exhibition by Last Legion Games, and special musical performance by Fight from Above, sponsored by Rogue Pictures.

Among the guests expected to attend the event are Sophia Bush, Beth Riesgraf (Leverage), Edi Gathegi (Twilight: New Moon), Madeline Zima (Heroes), Bonnie Somerville (The Ugly Truth), Jaime Ray Newman (Eastwick) and many more.

The event will take place on October 10 at HD BUTTERCUP at 3225 Helms Avenue, LA.

Since its inception, The Art of Elysium has provided artistic workshops in the following disciplines: acting, art, comedy, fashion, music, radio, songwriting and creative writing and their results have been astounding; producing a mutual exchange of hope and appreciation between both children in need, as well as, the artists themselves.

The Art of Elysium holds their annual HEAVEN gala on the eve of the Golden Globes in Los Angeles, CA and is supported by corporate sponsors that have included Cartier, Vogue, Ford and Relativity Media. The 2009 gala was their biggest success to date and raised over $1,000,000 for the organization, as well as, receiving more than 197,500,000 media impressions in major publications throughout the world. Guests included Sting, Golden Globe nominee Marisa Tomei, Kirsten Dunst, Eva Mendes and Tobey Maguire among others. In addition to HEAVEN, The Art of Elysium hosted its first annual PARADIS at the Cannes Film Festival this past May sponsored again by Cartier & Relativity Media as well as Soho House and Grey Goose. The event was incredibly well attended by industry insiders as well as by Cannes jury member Robin Wright Penn and festival darling Quentin Tarantino.

To find out more about the Genesis event, click here.

Ali Larter Is A Hero For The Art Of Elysium

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress Ali Larter has donated jewelry to a special auction to benefit The Art of Elysium.

The Heroes actress is auctioning off a Tacori necklace, pendant, ring and earrings through www.clothesoffourback.org . She wore the jewelry at an event unveiling Tacori’s new 18k925 Jewelry Collection.

The Art of Elysium is an outstanding charity that encourages working actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions. Ali Larter is a longtime supporter of the organization, and earlier this year she picked works of art to be sold to raise money for The Art of Elysium.

To take part in the auction, which runs until October 1, click here.

Noble Awards Set To Honor Celebrity Humanitarians

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:30:00 -0000

As the film industry has the Oscars, television the Emmys and the music industry the Grammy Awards, the charity community and its most dedicated Hollywood supporters will gain global recognition with the staging of the inaugural Noble Humanitarian Awards, to take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, October 18. And Look To The Stars is proud to support it.

The two-hour event, produced on behalf of the non-profit Celebrity Charity Awards Corporation, seeks to annually honor up to a dozen charities and celebrities who actively support them, elevating awareness of these organizations and the impact of their work.

The organizations to be honored at this first-annual ceremony include The Art of Elysium, Best Buddies International, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, DoSomething.org, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Keep A Child Alive, The Salvation Army, Stand Up To Cancer and Women’s Sports Foundation.

Celebrities who will accept awards on behalf of the charities being honored include Laila Ali (Women’s Sports Foundation), Jessica Biel (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles), Alicia Keys (Keep A Child Alive), Joel Madden (The Art of Elysium) and Brett Ratner (DoSomething.org), with others currently being confirmed. During the ceremony, each will be presented with the trophy award, designed by Antonio Banderas, with personal touches added by children who participated in The Art of Elysium workshop at the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Other performers and presenters will be announced closer to the event.

With nearly two decades of experience across entertainment, fashion and charitable projects, Janeen Mansour is creator and executive producer of the Noble Humanitarian Awards. Mansour, who has interviewed many celebrities, was inspired to create a dedicated award show for the charity community after interviewing the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and learning about her significant charitable work.

“Celebrities have long given their time to charity, championing causes they feel passionate about. Their support draws media coverage, and organizations benefit. With the Noble Awards, we aim to turn the spotlight back onto these celebrities and charities in an effort to provide recognition, to educate, to inspire, and to encourage even more support from the Hollywood community and the public at large. It’s an annual celebration of service and volunteerism,” explains Mansour.

A team of entertainment veterans join Mansour in producing the Noble Humanitarian Awards. They include Ziad Batal (Executive Producer), founder of All 4 Media, one of the most prominent film and television production companies and creator and producer of dozens of reality, talk and sports programs in the Middle East; Michael Seligman (Producer), President & CEO of Seligman Entertainment, Inc, whose 35 years of work includes the Oscars, the Emmy’s, AFI’s, Kennedy Center Honors and Stand Up To Cancer; Tisha Fein (Producer), whose three-decade experience includes the Emmys, Grammys, Tonys, World Music Awards, Fashion Rocks, Movies Rock and Stand Up to Cancer.

The Noble Humanitarian Awards are produced on behalf of the Celebrity Charity Awards Corporation, a non-profit organization. With the staging of the first annual awards on October 18, 2009, the Celebrity Charity Awards Corporation will launch a year-round campaign to better unify the efforts of charities with celebrities, influencers, media and everyday citizens in order to create an effective forum for change and service. For more information, please visit www.thenobleawards.org.

Band From TV To Launch New Epilepsy Site At Charity Gig

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Band From TV – the celebrity charity music group made up of stars from some of today’s most popular TV shows – is to play a special gig next month to launch a charity website set up by its founding member.

Talk About It was created by Heroes star Greg Grunberg to raise awareness of epilepsy and help educate people the world and end stigmas about seizure disorders. The site features many of his Heroes co-stars and celebrity friends, such as Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, and John Mayer. Grunberg is a longtime supporter of epilepsy causes, an issue that he has been involved with since his son, Jake, was diagnosed with the condition. He is the official spokesperson for the Epilepsy Foundation and Epilepsy Advocate.

Grunberg started the Band From TV – which includes members such as Hugh Laurie, Teri Hatcher, Bonnie Somerville, Hayden Panettiere, Adrian Pasdar, James Denton, Jesse Spencer, and Bob Guiney – after getting a few celebrities to play together at the House Of Blues for charity. The success of that event has led to a number of gigs in the US which have, according to Hugh Laurie, “raised a gargantuan sum of money for charity.” These charities include such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust. Band From TV recently released their first CD, Hoggin’ All The Covers, which has become a huge hit at Amazon.com and can be ordered here. Look To The Stars was lucky enough to interview Greg just before Christmas, and the video of our chat can be viewed here.

To celebrate the launch of Talk About It, Band From TV – along with special celebrity guests including Scott Grimes from ER and many others – are performing one night only on October 25 at The Canyon Club in Agoura. Come with your family and friends and be ready to rock out to your favorite cover tunes being performed by some of your favorite TV actors.

THIS SHOW WILL SELL OUT!! Tickets may be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster or by calling The Canyon Club Box Office at (818) 879-5016.

Elijah Wood Donates DNA To Charity Auction

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood has partnered up with DNA 11 to raise funds for the children’s charity The Art of Elysium through an online auction with eBay’s “Giving Works” program.

DNA 11 will be giving 100% of the proceeds from this art auction to The Art of Elysium. Elijah will provide DNA 11 with some of his DNA and they will in turn produce a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of artwork for the auction.

“I believe that art is the DNA of civilization and the fact that DNA 11 is taking art a step forward and incorporating humanity into canvases illustrates how essential the creative process is to our being. On behalf of The Art of Elysium, I am genuinely thrilled and honored to be a part of their process,” states Jennifer Howell, Founder of The Art of Elysium.

“It’s an honor to be able to collaborate in the creation of this very special art piece with someone as talented as Elijah. We are proud that 100% of the proceeds will be going to such a wonderful and special charity,” states Adrian Salamunovic, Co-Founder, DNA 11.

“I’m really excited to take part in DNA 11’s scientific process for creating a unique and original art piece benefiting The Art of Elysium, a charity that I am truly passionate about,” states Elijah Wood.

DNA 11 is the original creator of DNA 11 Art – the world’s most personal form of art that combines design, technology, science and pop culture. They create contemporary custom portraits from your DNA, fingerprints and lip prints. Each modern piece is as unique as the person purchasing it. The one-of-a-kind pieces can be found in the Museum of Modern Art stores, has been featured in an episode of CSI: New York and can be found in thousands of homes around the globe. For more information on DNA 11 please visit www.dna11.com.

The Art of Elysium is a non-profit organization founded in 1997 which encourages actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions. They provide artistic workshops in the following disciplines: acting, art, comedy, fashion, music, radio, songwriting and creative writing. They work with numerous hospitals and hospices throughout Los Angeles and have just opened in New York City. For more information on The Art of Elysium please visit www.theartofelysium.org.

To make a bid, click here.

Noble Awards Aim To Honor Philanthropic Celebrities

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:30:00 -0000

An awards show that aims to be the Golden Globes of non-profits will hit Los Angeles in October.

The Noble Awards will honor the work of 10 philanthropic organizations – such as Keep A Child Alive, The Salvation Army, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the Epilepsy Foundation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, DoSomething.org and The Art of Elysium – and allow each to award the NOBLE (designed by Antonio Banderas) to a celebrity supporter who has used their evevated platform to bring awareness to the cause.

This unprecedented event will be a star-studded evening stimulating greater charity involvement around the world. The celebrities to be involved will be announced later, but Look To The Stars can confirm the involvement of Alicia Keys and Heroes’ Greg Grunberg.

The show is being organized by the Celebrity Charity Awards Corporation, a non-profit entity whose aim is to unify the efforts of charities with celebrities, media and everyday citizens to create an effective forum for change and service.

The event will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 18. For more information, check out the official Noble Awards website and check back to Look To The Stars for further updates.

Wayans Brothers Launch Charity Auction

Fri, 29 May 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Catrina K. Sally

The Wayans Brothers are well known for their numerous contributions to the comedy world. In addition to keeping fans of the spoofing genre in stitches, the siblings are donating their designer stitches including shirts, jeans, jackets, and sweaters to benefit children’s charities.

The NorthStar Moving Corporation and Clothes Off Our Back Foundation are collaborating with the comedy family to auction off their charitable goods. Bids can be placed at the Foundation’s site until Tuesday, June 9th at 5 p.m. PDT. All proceeds will directly benefit Feeding America (previously America’s Second Harvest), The Art of Elysium, Hope North, and H.E.L.P. Malawi.

NorthStar Moving Corporation, “the leading eco-luxury mover in California," collects donations from celebrity patrons and delivers the charitable items to auctions sponsored by The Clothes off Our Back Foundation. All proceeds benefit various children’s charities. Other celebrity supporters include Akon, Jessica Alba, Beyoncé Knowles and Scarlett Johansson.

Stars For A Cause To Raise Charity Funds Tonight

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A selection of items designed and decorated by some of Entertainment’s biggest stars will go under the hammer at Bonhams and Butterfields Auction House in Los Angeles tonight, May 28.

The Stars For A Cause Auction features a wide range of rare and collectable items, such as posters signed by Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anna Paquin, David Duchovny, Rumer Willis, Jonas Brothers, P. Diddy, America Ferrera, Hayden Panettiere, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Anne Hathaway, Steve Carell, Emma Thompson, Marisa Tomei, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Tina Fey, Steven Spielberg and many more.

There are also shoes from William Shatner and Ludacris, and bags adorned with kisses from Al Roker, Nancy O’Dell, Nicollette Sheridan, Marcia Cross, Hugh Laurie, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Geena Davis, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, Teri Hatcher, Reese Witherspoon, Kelly Clarkson, Green Day, Keira Knightley, Paula Abdul, John Legend and many more.

And if that is not all, there are also cufflinks from Miley Cyrus and Trace Adkins, and jewelry from many others.

A public preview of the lots will take place between 12pm and 5pm today, at the Bonhams and Butterfields Auction House at 7601 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles. The auction will begin at 8pm.

Half of the proceeds of the auction will go to charities chosen by the participating stars, such as the The Art of Elysium, Keep A Child Alive, Red Cross, Elton John AIDS Foundation, UNICEF and many many more. The other half will go to the Prince’s Trust, which helps young people develop confidence, motivation and skills to find work.

More information can be found here.

Ali Larter Picks Art For Charity Auction

Tue, 19 May 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Heroes star Ali Larter has chosen her favorite pieces of art and has put them up for auction to benefit The Art of Elysium.

Each month a different Art of Elysium celebrity supporter picks a few pieces of art to be highlighted and sold to raise money for the charity on the Clothes Off Our Back auction website. The actress has chosen pieces by Nino Munoz and Henry Diltz and Russell Young to benefit the charity, which encourages actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions.

Also as part of the auction, items such as shirts and caps signed by Paul Rudd, a Hollywood Domino set signed by Kate Bosworth and a poster signed by Maroon 5 are going under the hammer.

To view the items or make a bid, click here. The auction ends May 31.

Band From TV To Play Concert For Charity In Miami

Thu, 14 May 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The All-Star Band From TV is to play a special Concert For Charity event in Miami on Saturday, May 16.

The band – made up of television stars such as Greg Grunberg, Bob Guiney, Bonnie Somerville, Hugh Laurie, James Denton, Jesse Spencer and Teri Hatcher – recently scored the number 1 slot on Amazon with their CD/DVD package, Hoggin’ All the Covers. Proceeds from every show the band plays goes to charities such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust.

The Concert For Charity will take place at the Shore Club Hotel in Miami Beach and will also feature a special appearance by Melora Hardin, who spoke to Look To The Stars about charity last year.

General admission tickets to the event cost $50. $175 VIP admission includes a pre-party with the band and a preferred viewing area. The event is for ages 21 and over. Click here for tickets.

To watch a video of the Band From TV at the recent Heroes For Autism event, click here.

Stars For A Cause On Display

Mon, 04 May 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A selection of celebrity designed/autographed jewelry, footwear and other unique items will be on display at auction house Bonhams in New Bond Street, London, tomorrow before being auctioned at Bonhams and Butterfields in Los Angeles on May 28.

Half of the proceeds of the auction, organized by Stars For A Cause, will go to charities chosen by the participating stars, such as the The Art of Elysium, Keep A Child Alive, Red Cross, Elton John AIDS Foundation, UNICEF and many many more. The other half will go to the Prince’s Trust, which helps young people develop confidence, motivation and skills to find work.

Celebrities taking part in the campaign include Kate Winslet, Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Ricky Gervais, Charlize Theron, Goldie Hawn, Miley Cyrus, Colin Farrell, Susan Sarandon, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Tom Hanks, Sigourney Weaver and more.

To learn more about this amazing auction, visit the official website.

Hugh Laurie To Be Honored For Charity Work

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

House star Hugh Laurie will be honored with a special humanitarian award by the Venice Family Clinic later tonight, February 23.

Along with House creator David Shore, Laurie will be honored for his charity work. Also being honored at the event is the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Founded in 1983, Silver Circle is Venice Family Clinic’s premier giving group, raising more than one million dollars annually to provide free, quality health care to people in need. The Venice Family Clinic, the nation’s largest free clinic, provides free, quality health care to people in need. Last year, with the support of Silver Circle donors and more than 1,500 volunteers—including nearly 500 physicians—the Clinic served over 23,500 children and adults in approximately 100,000 primary care, specialty care, mental health and dental visits. Silver Circle is Venice Family Clinic’s premier annual support group, raising approximately $1,000,000 per year.

Laurie was busy with his charity pursuits over the weekend: on Sunday he performed with the Band From TV at the West Coast Premiere of NASCAR, the Auto Club 500. The band – made up of television stars such as Greg Grunberg, Bob Guiney, Bonnie Somerville, James Denton, Jesse Spencer and Teri Hatcher – recently scored the number 1 slot on Amazon with their CD/DVD package, Hoggin’ All the Covers. Proceeds from every show the band plays goes to charities such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust.

The Venice Family Clinic event will be held at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. More info can be found here.

Band From TV To Receive Special Charity Award

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Band From TV – the star-studded band made up of celebrities from shows such as Desperate Housewives and Heroes – is to receive a special accolade at the Hollywood Note Foundation’s annual Change The World Awards in May.

The awards will celebrate Hollywood for its impact on philanthropy, and will recognize celebrity individuals for their personal efforts to make the world a better place.

Band From TV – which features stars such as Greg Grunberg, Bob Guiney, Bonnie Somerville, Hugh Laurie, James Denton, Jesse Spencer and Teri Hatcher – raises money through gigs and album sales for a range of charities such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust. They have been spotlighted by the Hollywood Note Foundation to receive the Humanitarian Award of Inspiration at the award ceremony.

Also to receive awards at the event will be Ed Begley Jr., who will be presented with the Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement Award, Bart Simpson’s voice Nancy Cartwright – who will receive the Change The World Public Service Award – and many others, including Aimee Teegarden, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeremy Sumpter, and Michael Bernard Beckwith.

Beneficiaries of the event will include Stand Up To Cancer, Happy House, Save The Ta-Tas, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children), Coalition for Clean Air, the Ready or Not Foundation, and the Agape Foundation.

The ceremony – which will be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel – will feature performances by Rachael Lampa, Daniel Nahmod and Kute Blackson.

More information can be found at the Change The World Awards website. To read an exclusive report about the Change The World Awards Announcement event by Look To The Stars Celebrity Ambassador Rachel Zeskind, click here.

Band From TV To Rock NASCAR

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of Heroes and Desperate Housewives will want to get to the West Coast Premiere of NASCAR, the Auto Club 500 on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 11am PDT for a special performance by Band From TV.

“We are so excited to feature Band From TV at our Opportunity, California FanZone Stage,” said Auto Club Speedway president Gillian Zucker. “Not only will Southern Californians experience the thrill of a live NASCAR race, but also a full weekend of live entertainment including a musical performance from Hollywood celebrities- an experience you can only get here at Auto Club Speedway!”

More information about the event can be found here.

Featured Video: Stars Talk About The Art of Elysium

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:59:00 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Look To The Stars’ Michelle Vink caught up with Elijah Wood, Alicia Witt, Sophia Bush, Eva Mendes, Shephard Fairey, Amy Smart, Rosanna Arquette, CEO of Cartier Frederic de Narp, and Jennifer Howell, founder of The Art of Elysium, at the organization’s 2009 Black Tie Charity Gala.

Find out what the stars had to say about why they volunteer with the children’s charity here.

Take The Clothes From Celebrities' Backs For Awards Season

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:02:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

February is already upon us and that can mean only one thing: the start of the Hollywood Awards Season! And to celebrate, Clothes Off Our Back is giving you the chance to bid on red carpet clothing and Hollywood memorabilia to raise money for charity.

From now until March 10 you have the opportunity to bid on items such as sunglasses owned by Robert Downey Jr and Pushing Daisies’ Kristin Chenoweth, a shirt worn and autographed by David Duchovny, clothing and a book signed by Blair Underwood, a jacket worn and signed by Mark Harmon, the gown America Ferrera wore to the Directors Guild Awards, gowns belonging to Melora Hardin, Carrie Underwood and Tricia Helfer, Teri Hatcher’s handbag, a book autographed by Jodie Foster, and much much more.

Proceeds from the auction will go to Feeding America, The Art of Elysium, Hope North and H.E.L.P. Malawi. The auction can be accessed by clicking here.

Support Greg Grunberg On The Walk For Epilepsy

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Heroes star Greg Grunberg is to take part in the National Walk For Epilepsy in March, and he wants your support.

The 42-year-old actor is a long-time supporter of Epilepsy causes, and will be joined by his son Jake – a sufferer of the condition – for the walk.

“I will be participating in the National Walk for Epilepsy scheduled to take place on the National Mall in Washington, DC on Saturday, March 28, 2009. Participating in an event that raises money for people living with epilepsy, touches all of our lives in some way. Think about the ways that people living with epilepsy has impacted those around you.

“The money we raise will go to fight stigma, raise awareness and find a cure for epilepsy. I need your support, so please do anything you can, join my team, register as an individual or make a donation to the Epilepsy Foundation on my behalf.“

The National Walk for Epilepsy is a fundraising event that will cover a route of 2 miles. The goal of the Walk is to raise more than $1.5 million for epilepsy services, education, advocacy and research. The event, made possible with support from Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., is designed to bring the epilepsy community together to demonstrate camaraderie, strength and success.

Grunberg – who plays Matt Parkman, the mind-reading cop on NBC’s Heroes – is well known for his charity work. He is the founder and drummer for Band From TV, an all-star charity rock band that raises money for non-profit organizations such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust. Band From TV recently released their first CD, Hoggin’ All The Covers, which has become a huge hit at Amazon.com and can be ordered here. Look To The Stars was lucky enough to interview Greg just before Christmas, and the video of our chat can be viewed here.

To donate directly to Greg Grunberg’s Walk For Epilepsy, click here. More information about taking part in the walk can be found here.

Win An Autographed Band From TV CD/DVD

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of great music and television’s hottest stars should aim to stay home in front of the TV this Friday, as Band From TV make an appearance on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show. And Look To The Stars is giving you the chance to win an autographed copy of the group’s brand new CD/DVD, Hoggin All The Covers.

The all-star cover band donates all of its proceeds to charities – including Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust.

House star Hugh Laurie – who plays keyboards in the band – will take on vocal duties during their performance on The Tonight Show this Friday, January 16.

Greg Grunberg of Heroes fame will also be on the show. Grunberg started the band after being getting a few celebrities to play together at the House Of Blues for charity. The success of that event has led to a number of gigs in the US which have, according to Hugh Laurie, “raised a gargantuan sum of money for charity.”

Grunberg’s excitement about the project is clear in our recent exclusive interview with him.

“My oldest son has epilepsy,” said Grunberg. “And I saw this band as a wonderful vehicle to help raise money for the Pediatric Epilepsy Project. Having band mates who also happen to be in some of the most popular shows on television creates an amazing opportunity to really reach out to our fans to help support these wonderful causes.”

Hoggin’ All The Covers

The Hoggin’ All The Covers DVD/CD set features 13 tracks – including “Piece of My Heart,” “Mustang Sally” and “The Letter” – recorded at a gig in LA, and the DVD includes footage of rehearsals, exclusive interviews and information on the charities that will benefit from sales. It is currently available on Amazon.com and Amazon.de, and will soon be available on Amazon.co.uk.

Even better, we have a signed copy to give away in a free prize draw.

How to enter

To enter our draw, just guess what song Hugh is going to sing on the show. We’ve included a hint below in case you’re not feeling lucky today!

Drop us a line at contests@looktothestars.org before the show airs on NBC on Friday at 11:35pm telling us your name, address, and the answer to the question. All correct answers will go into the random draw.

Hint: the song was originally recorded by Billy Preston for his 1973 album, Music Is My Life_. It then spent a week at #1 on the Billboard Charts during July of that year. Still too hard? It’s also Track 3 on the Hoggin’ All The Covers CDcode=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001IDZGCU.

Celebrities Donate Dresses And Wine To Charity Auction

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Need a new dress for the upcoming Awards Season? Then why not bid on one of these items donated by Hollywood’s hottest stars and benefiting worthwhile charities?

Julianne Moore, Sharon Stone, Jaime Presley, Ana Ortiz, Angie Harmon, Monique Coleman and many others have handed over their favorite little black dresses to Clothesoffourback.org to benefit the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation and YouthAIDS.

Also up for grabs are signed bottles of Little Black Dress 2006 Pinot Noir, the official wine of Award Season. Sit down for a special drink on behalf of Gavin Rossdale, Miranda Lambert, Patti LaBelle and many more. Portions of the auctions will also go to Feeding America, The Art of Elysium, Hope North, and H.E.L.P. Malawi.

All auctions end on March 11 and can be accessed here.

Stars To Shine In Charity Heaven

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Art of Elysium will celebrate their 2nd annual Black Tie Charity Gala in a star-studded event this weekend.

Subtitled Heaven, the event will honor Jim Sheridan and Eva Mendes for their work with the charity, which encourages working actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions.

The event will be hosted by Rosetta Millington Getty and Relativity Media’s Ryan Kavanaugh, and celebrities expected to attend include Casey Affleck, Jason Bateman, David Arquette, Patricia Arquette, Justin Bartha, Sophia Bush, Courteney Cox, Eric Dane, Kirsten Dunst, Rebecca Gayheart-Dane, Topher Grace, Rachel Griffiths, Jake Gyllenhaal, Melissa Joan Hart, Thomas Jane, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Ali Larter, Jared Leto, Lisa Love, Tobey Maguire, Joaquin Phoenix, Natalie Portman and many others.

The Art of Elysium was established in 1997 and is dedicated to enriching the lives of artists and critically ill children.

“The Art of Elysium exists because of the passion that artists hold in their hearts,” said Jennifer Howell, founder of the organization. “By serving children in need, the artist is allowed to express this passion in ways that could never be revealed on stage, in a gallery or behind a camera. We invite you to join in our efforts to make a difference or to invent your own way to reach out and share yourself with others.”

The Heaven Gala takes place on Saturday, January 10, at the The Vibiana, 210 Main Street, Los Angeles. More info can be found here.

Featured Video: Bob Guiney Talks to Look To The Stars

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Bob Guiney talked to our reporter Michelle Vink about his work with Band From TV and his support for The Art of Elysium.

Check out the exclusive video!

Paris Hilton Parties For The Art Of Elysium

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A plethora of stars turned out at the grand opening of the new Dolce & Gabbana Boutique in Los Angeles this week in support of The Art of Elysium.

The Who’s Who of the entertainment world included Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Joel Madden and Benji Madden from Good Charlotte, Lauren Conrad, Rumer Willis, Gabrielle Union, Josh Brolin, Kelly Ripa, and many others.

The evening was hosted by former OC actress Rachel Bilson, and at least 15% of sales from the Robertson Boulevard store will go towards the Art of Elysium, which develops creative projects for children battling serious medical conditions.

“This is a strategic opening for the group on a global scale. Locating a D&G store in a very important street both for its positioning and visibility allows us to speak directly to our public,” said Gabbana.

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