Look To The Stars News: Nothing But Nets

Ugly Betty To Highlight Malaria Issues

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Stars from Ugly Betty – including America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams – have teamed up with the United Nations to raise awareness of malaria.

The first episode of the new season of the ABC show – which starts on October 16 – will feature the U.N.’s Nothing But Nets initiative and a plotline that will “reveal the role mosquito nets play in preventing the disease”.

The show is the first comedy to be shot inside the U.N.’s New York City headquarters.

Joe Jonas: Running For A Good Cause

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Catrina K. Sally

Joe Jonas is lacing up his sneakers for charity.

The pop star will take time out from touring to support the iWin Joe Jonas Fun Run. The event will benefit the brothers’ Change for the Children Foundation and Special Olympics Texas. 15 lucky runners will be able to sprint with Joe as he leads the 3.1 mile race. After the run, Joe will join the rest of the Jonas brood to perform at the AT&T Arena for a sold-out concert.

The Jonas brothers are familiar with both sold-out concerts and charity. The brothers started the Change for the Children Foundation to support programs that motivate children to face hardship with confidence and a will to succeed. The charity currently supports five organizations: Nothing But Nets, the American Diabetes Association, the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and the Summer Stars Camp for the Performing Arts.

Usher Supports Nothing But Nets

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

R&B artist Usher is the latest celebrity to lend his support for the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign.

“I am proud to be a part of an exciting partnership with the United Nations Foundation and its Nothing But Nets campaign,” he said, urging underprivileged youths to become more pro-active in global issues. “This initiative sends an important message: youth, regardless of their backgrounds, can make a difference in this world by taking action through service to save lives. Anyone can make a difference. All it takes is $10 to send a net and save a life.”

Chaired by Ted Turner, the Nothing But Nets campaign aims to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Last week, in anticipation of World Malaria Day on April 25, Turner challenged more people to join the campaign.

Ted Turner Responds To Ashton Kutcher For World Malaria Day

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Following Ashton Kutcher’s Twitter Battle with CNN last week that resulted in Kutcher donating 10,000 mosquito nets to charity, Ted Turner – chairman of the United Nations Foundation – has challenged him yet again.

“Congratulations Kutcher, your Twitter followers really came through for you,” said Turner in his video message. “But World Malaria Day is only the beginning. We need to send more nets and save more lives. And you don’t have to be [”Bill Gates":http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/21-bill-gates] or Oprah Winfrey to make a difference – you just need $10. If 10,000 more people joined the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign, I’ll have you and Demi over for lunch at Ted’s Montana Grill in Atlanta. Hope you like Bison Burgers…"

Nothing But Nets is a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. While the UN Foundation has been working with the UN to fight malaria for years, it was a column that Rick Reilly wrote about malaria in Sports Illustrated, challenging each of his readers to donate at least $10 for the purchase of an anti-malaria bed nets — and the incredible response from thousands of Americans across the country — that led to the creation of the Nothing But Nets campaign.

World Malaria Day is on Saturday, April 25. Ted Turner’s video message can be viewed here.

Michael Jordan Charity Auction Nets $110,000

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

On April 15, we ran a story announcing that the Chicago Bulls had teamed with Hunt Auctions to offer fans a chance to bid on historic Michael Jordan gear – including his locker – with all proceeds going to the Chicago Bulls’ charitable organization, the CharitaBulls.

The auction was held on Saturday (April 18) at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, where 13 Jordan items were auctioned, along with items from basketball legends such as Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

All in all, the Jordan items brought in more than $110,000 to benefit the Bulls non-profit organization, the Charitabulls.

In 1987, the Chicago Bulls founded a nonprofit organization to aid in civic tasks, especially where children are concerned. CharitaBulls was formed with the mission to enhance the lives of Chicago’s youth by actively creating and supporting educational, recreational and social programs. Additionally, CharitaBulls has contributed to global organizations such as the World Food Programme, the United Nation’s Nothing But Nets anti-malaria campaign, and the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugee’s Ninemillion.org campaign to provide education for refugees in Africa. For more information, please visit the CharitaBulls website.

Idol Gives Back to Children

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:20:19 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

When American Idol announced last spring that for every vote cast after their April 24-25 special broadcast “Idol Gives Back,” sponsors would make donations to the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF), no one expected it to result in over $75 million.

CPEF is distributing the funds through organisations that benefit children in the US and Africa. In the States, Save the Children, America’s Second Harvest, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America and Children’s Health Fund will be the recipients for approved project proposals. In Africa, $6 million has already been donated to each of five organisations for projects that focus on health and education.

Save the Children, UNICEF, and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria, each with a very strong presence throughout Africa, are grateful to the Idol Gives Back campaign. While Save the Children will continue to address preventable deaths from things like diarrhea and pneumonia across the continent, UNICEF is using the money in Rwandan schools to provide free meals and ‘catch-up’ programs to get drop-outs out of the working fields and back into the classrooms. The Global Fund is supporting anti-AIDS performances in South Africa, where in some areas HIV infection rates in youth are actually on the decrease. The sharp and critical plays on drugs, sex and AIDS are more powerful than a classroom lecture.

The CPEF donation is welcome support where malaria claims a child every 30 seconds. “It makes a massive difference,” says Martin Edlund of Malaria No More, who, along with Nothing But Nets is distributing insecticide-treated mosquito nets, and also works on anti-measles, AIDS and tuberculosis initiatives. Intelligent projects like these are not hand outs, but efforts to help get people’s lives back into their own hands. And they ensure the most benefit directly to those they’re intended for. “You can’t put a bed net in a Swiss bank account.”

Idol Gives Back $60m

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 19:25:51 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Fox has announced that $60m has been raised so far by the two-night “Idol Gives Back” special, with donations continuing to flow in.

Viewers cast over 70 million votes following Tuesday night’s performances; Fox’s parent company News Corporation had pledged 10 cents for each of the first 50 million votes, and its donation was matched by AllState and ExxonMobil. Further corporate donations came from Ford, Coca-Cola, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ConAgra Foods and AT&T.

During a two-hour results show on Wednesday, viewers pledged money via a toll-free number and Idol’s website, while host Ellen DeGeneres gave $100,000 and judge Simon Cowell made a “significant six-figure donation”.

Celebrities pre-recorded appeals for donations, including Madonna, who was in Malawi, and Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, who was in Uganda where he filmed “The Last King of Scotland.”

U2’s Bono also sent a pre-recorded message, saying, “People say you can’t be the generation that ends brutal, stupid poverty, but we can and we will,”

The money raised will be administered by the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF), a new charity aiming to battle extreme poverty in America and Africa.

In Africa, the Fund will use the Idol money to support The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, Malaria No More, Nothing But Nets, Save the Children, and The U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

In America, CPEF will use the money to boost Save the Children, Second Harvest, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America, and Children’s Health Fund.

Mark Shriver, VP of U.S. programs for Save the Children, told Reuters, “They took a risk by using their show to raise issues of poverty and asking people to contribute, and that is a huge accomplishment. The American Idol format is hugely successful and they introduced starving, dying children in Africa and children struggling with poverty in the United States, and brought that to prime time television.”

Fans can still contribute directly via the Idol website, or visit the iTunes Store to buy for-charity recordings of the night’s performances by the contestants and celebrities including Céline Dion, Josh Groban, Annie Lennox, Earth Wind & Fire, and Il Divo.

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