Look To The Stars News: ENOUGH Project

Celebrities Raise Hope For Congo

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Selena Gomez, star of Disney Channels Wizards of Waverly Place, is busy with many other stars in the hope of raising awareness for the Congo. They are doing so through charity events and fundraising efforts for RAISE Hope For Congo.

RAISE Hope For Congo is hoping to raise awareness about the violence perpetuated against Congolese women, increase news coverage and protect and empower women in the Congo.

Selena Gomez is just one of the many stars becoming an activist for RAISE Hope. Robin Wright Penn is another activist for RAISE Hope. Her moving letter is printed on RAISE’s website and details why she involved herself in the campaign to end the violence against Congolese women and girls. Other stars who have become activists include Mia Farrow, Emile Hirsch, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Javier Bardem, Joel Madden and many more.

RAISE Hope For Congo wants to raise awareness but would also like to wipe out sexual violence, torture and other atrocities by using the 4P method; Peace, Protection, Punishment and Prevention. This is the four ingredients needed to stop the massive violence happening in the Domestic Republic of the Congo.

The motto of RAISE Hope For Congo – which is an initiative of the ENOUGH Project – is “Enough is Enough! Congo is not hopeless. There are solutions. Together, we can stop the violence. Where there is hope there can be peace.”

Ante Up For Africa To Hit Las Vegas Tomorrow

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:33:00 -0000

Ante Up For Africa will support Refugees International’s efforts for the displaced people of Darfur and all of Sudan as part of its charity celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas on July 2, 2009.

The event is hosted by WSOP Bracelet Winner and Celebrity Apprentice Star Annie Duke and Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle, with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Brad Garrett planning to attend. Professional poker players and Refugees International supporters Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, and Phil Hellmuth will also be participating.

“We are grateful to Ante Up For Africa for shining a spotlight on the ongoing crisis in Darfur and generating such significant support for the people who have been forced from their homes by this conflict,” said Ken Bacon, President of Refugees International. “An event like this makes it possible for Refugees International to continue to demand action from the world’s leaders to provide basic assistance and protection to refugees in Sudan and around the world.”

Ante Up for Africa is a non-profit organization that raises funds for the survivors of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan and to support activism dedicated to resolving this crisis. Its successful charity poker event has raised over $2 million since it began in 2006. Beneficiaries of this year’s tournament include Refugees International, the ENOUGH Project and others. ESPN will televise the 2009 Ante Up For Africa Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament on August 11.

“It is important to me to show people that it is possible to make a difference for the people of Darfur,” said Annie Duke, one of the founders of Ante Up for Africa. “I am thrilled that this event has become such a success and that it will generate support for efforts by Refugees International, the Enough Project and others to end the crisis in Darfur.”

In 2009, Annie Duke played for Refugees International on NBC’s hit reality show “Celebrity Apprentice.” As a contestant on the show, she raised $700,000 for Refugees International.

“We have been privileged to work with Annie Duke and her friends and to witness the incredible generosity of the professional poker community,” continued Bacon. “We can’t thank Annie enough for her commitment to refugees around the world and for her work for peace and justice.”

Refugees International is a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises. The organization does not accept any government or UN funding to strengthen the independence of their advocacy. For more information, go to www.refugeesinternational.org.

Ante Up For Africa is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need. For more information about Ante Up For Africa, please visit www.anteupforafrica.org.

Affleck, Damon and More To Ante Up For Africa

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:30:00 -0000

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Brad Garrett, Mekhi Phifer, and top poker professional Phil Hellmuth have joined the growing list of celebrities who plan to play in the Ante Up For Africa charity tournament July 2 at the 40th annual World Series of Poker.

Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are expected to go all in for the 3rd Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) Celebrity-Charity poker tournament.

Annually, the largest celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas, the event is accessible for the public to play with their favorite stars or watch as spectators. A full house of celebrities will join Academy Award Nominee, Don Cheadle and “Celebrity Apprentice Star” and WSOP Bracelet winner Annie Duke at the event taking place during the 2009 WORLD SERIES OF POKER® (WSOP) at Rio in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 2 at 2 PM.

This No-Limit Hold’em poker tournament has an entry fee of $5,000 and provides entrants the opportunity to walk away with a six-figure payday. The event allows players to rub elbows with top Hollywood stars, athletes and poker professionals while contributing to a great cause.

Celebrities and athletes will join poker’s most notable players to raise public awareness and funds to support the victims of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Among those confirmed to participate, subject to availability, are Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Brad Garrett, Cedric the Entertainer, Charles Barkley, Danny Masterson, Hank Azaria, Herschel Walker, Jason Alexander, Kenny Smith, Marlon Wayans, Montel Williams, Reggie Miller, Tia Carrere, Sarah Silverman, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Cheryl Hines, Mekhi Phifer, Rob Schneider; Poker Professionals Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Tiffany Michelle, Erik Seidel and Phil Hellmuth with more to be confirmed.

The tournament will feature a fast-paced structure designed to complete the competition within five hours. Seating for the tournament is open to anyone age 21 or older.

This event, as is every World Series of Poker tournament, is open to the public for viewing and admission is free. The event will take place in the famed Amazon Ballroom in the Rio Convention Center, just one day prior to the start of the WSOP Main Event, the game’s most prestigious poker event.

Cheadle, an accomplished poker player, and Duke, who has more than $4 million in tournament winnings, are committed to raising both public awareness about the tragedy in Darfur and funds to aid its victims. As the world’s richest sporting event, the WSOP awarded more than $180 million in 2008 and attracted participants from a record 124 nations.

In the previous events, many of the in the money finishers volunteered to donate half of their winnings to the charity. Proceeds from the event will go to the ENOUGH Project and Refugees International, organizations whose goals include raising public awareness and providing aid to the survivors of Darfur.

More information about the tournament is available at www.worldseriesofpoker.com. If you would like more information regarding the organization, please log onto www.anteupforafrica.org and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/anteupforafrica.

ABOUT THE WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year-over-year. In December, 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Team Brand Index trailing only the more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

ABOUT ANTE UP FOR AFRICA
Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein. We are dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need. To date, Ante Up For Africa has raised close to $2 million for the cause and has donated to organizations such as Not On Our Watch (NOOW), ENOUGH and The International Rescue Committee. For more information, please log onto www.AnteUpForAfrica.org.

Stars To Hit The Tables For Ante Up For Africa

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

PokerStars is proud to be hosting the first Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) Europe charity poker tournament, being held as part of the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final tonight, April 27.

The event has attracted a star-studded field of celebrities and pro players, all helping to raise money and awareness for the crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Confirmed celebrities include: Nelly, Boris Becker, Jason Lewis, Benji and Joel Madden, ‘Heroes’ star James Kyson Lee, boxer Vladimir Klitschko, Christina Milian, The Dream, Daniel Negreanu and Joe Hachem.

The tournament will take place April 27, the day before the start of the Grand Final. All prize money will be donated to Not On Our Watch and the ENOUGH Project – both of which provide valuable aid and assistance for victims of the Darfur crisis.

More info available at PokerStars.com.

Nicole Richie Raises Awareness About Atrocities

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Nicole Richie has posted a video on her website encouraging people to support two charities in their work raising awareness of atrocities in the Congo.

“I’m about to tell you a true story about a place where babies and grandmothers are being raped on a daily basis, and the reason they are being raped is directly connected to the purchases of our cell phones, of our laptops and of our iPods,” she says in the video.

Richie also interviews John Prendergast from the ENOUGH Project and Kinberly Pinkson from the EcoMom Alliance about the fact that mining of minerals we use in our lives every day is escalating violence in the country towards women and children.

“The number one weapon out there is not guns, its not knives, it is rape,” said Richie. “They are raping these women. Not only is it rape, they are being raped in front of their husbands and children, their children are being killed… they’re being told to eat their children. This stuff is really inhumane. This is the worst stuff that I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Richie has set out four things you can do to help stop the violence in the Congo:

1. Join the Movement at www.raisehopeforcongo.org.
2. Text “CONGOPLEDGE” (one word, no spaces) to ACTION (228466) or visit www.raisehopeforcongo.org/special-page/conflict-minerals to endorse the Conflict Minerals Pledge.
3. Send emails to the industry leaders and ask them to be a leader on this issue by signing the pledge. Visit www.raisehopeforcongo.org/special-page/conflict-minerals to send your emails now.
4. Call the White House switchboard at 202.456.1414 or write to President Obama at www.whitehouse.gov and ask him to appoint a special envoy for the Great Lakes region.

To watch Richie’s video in full, click here.

Celebrity Apprentice 2 To Feature Annie Duke

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

NBC will aim to repeat the success that was Celebrity Apprentice when a new series of the show premieres in January 2009.

Although most of the contestants cannot be named or have yet to commit, professional poker player Annie Duke confirmed her involvement during the weekend.

According to a statement made on www.ultimatebet.com on Friday, ""Annie Duke wasn’t able to attend… the Aruba Poker Classic because, as you may have heard, she was selected to be on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice this season. She had to fly to L.A. for the premiere party and she’ll be competing for the Ante Up for Africa charity. Annie and Donald Trump in the same boardroom… that should make for some interesting TV."

Duke is well known for her work with Ante Up For Africa, a celebrity poker tournament she organizes annually with Don Cheadle that aims to raise money and public awareness for the crisis in Darfur. Participants are asked to contribute half of their tournament winnings to the ENOUGH Project and the International Rescue Committee, organizations whose goals include raising public awareness and providing aid to the survivors of Darfur.

The first series of Celebrity Apprentice, which was won by Piers Morgan, raised over $1 million for a range of charities.

The Chips Are Up For Africa

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

The Second Annual ‘Ante Up for Africa’ poker tournament was held on July 2nd in Las Vegas, and drew an impressive field of poker pro’s, celebrities and athletes – all of who helped make the event a success by raising over $400,000 for charity.

The event, co-hosted by humanitarian/actor Don Cheadle and poker pro Annie Duke, is already having a positive impact in Darfur – notably in reference to a UN Security Council vote authorizing a peacekeeping force in the area. “It wouldn’t have taken place [without us],” said Cheadle.

“It’s just great to see everybody,” Cheadle said as the event began.

The mood was comical at some tables,“All the tournaments I’ve ever won have been for charity,” said actor Jason Alexander. “When there’s no actual money for me, I’m very good.”

Adam Sandler cracked his first joke as the first hand was dealt, “I just want to hurry up and lose my money and go home to my wife.”

Matt Damon busted out of the tournament early, while seasoned poker pal Ben Affleck made it all the way to the final table before losing to John Hennigan.

Affleck said he remains optimistic about the situation in Darfur, “I do think that [Sudan’s leaders] are afraid of the next administration being tougher, and are probably a little bit more willing to be more cooperative. But I’m optimistic about what’s going to happen.”

Other celebrities who kicked in the $5k for a spot at the felt included Charles Barkley, Jennifer Tilly, Shannon Elizabeth, Ray Romano, Casey Affleck, and poker pro Phil Helmuth among others.

The tournament benefited two charities: ENOUGH, a project co-founded in 2007 by the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress; and Not On Our Watch (NOOW), a group co-founded by Cheadle, Damon, George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Celebrities To Raise Stakes For Africa Again

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

The 2008 ‘Ante Up For Africa’ Poker Tournament at the World Series of Poker will be held on July 2 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The tournament is the brainchild of actor Don Cheadle and poker pro Annie Duke, who created the event to raise money and awareness for the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

“After the success of last year’s tournament, we are looking forward to another exciting year while raising awareness for an ongoing crisis,” Duke said. “It is exciting to bring the world of poker and entertainment together, and we are once again asking players who win prize money to donate half of their winnings to our charities.”

Last year’s inaugural event raised more than $700,000, thanks in part to the stellar list of celebrities, athletes, and poker professionals who participated.

Confirmed to participate in this year’s event are Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Ray Romano, Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, Kevin Pollack, Cheryl Hines, George Lopez, Joe Trohman from Fall Out Boy, and more.

“The poker community has a unique opportunity to help ease the suffering in Darfur,” said Jeffrey Pollack, WSOP commissioner. “The stars are coming out for this special event once again and we encourage everyone to register early before we sell out.”

Two charities will benefit form this year’s Ante Up For Africa showdown – the ENOUGH Project and Not On Our Watch.

ENOUGH is joint initiative of the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress, which aims to end crimes against humanity in Darfur, Northern Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The organization also hopes to prevent future mass atrocities around the world.

Not On Our Watch, which was founded by George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, strives to focus global attention and resources on putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. It takes its name from the book authored by Cheadle and John Prendergast, and draws on the voices of celebrities, cultural leaders and activists to help bring the crisis to the public’s attention and generate humanitarian assistance for the nation.

The tournament is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on July 2.

Stars Raise The Stakes For Darfur

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:44:33 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Las Vegas is to host a star-studded poker tournament on July 5 to raise much needed aid for the current humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

The Ante Up For Africa event will be held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, and will see “Ocean’s 13” stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon compete in the high stakes world of Texas Hold ’Em against a host of other celebrities.

The event has been organised by actor Don Cheadle and professional poker player Annie Duke, and will coincide with the annual World Series of Poker. The pair hope the event will generate funds to help the “millions of people who must roll the dice every day in their struggle to survive (in Darfur).”

The Ocean’s 13 actors are expected to join fellow celebrities Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Ray Romano, George Lopez, Willie Garson and many others in the all-night tournament. There is also the opportunity for non-celebrities to pitch their skills against the stars, as anyone over the age of 21 can enter the tournament for a $5000 “buy-in”.

“While a donation is not required to enter,” said Duke in a recent press release, “we are respectfully asking players who win prize money to donate half of their winnings to the [”ENOUGH Project":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/621-enough-project] and the International Rescue Committee – organizations whose goals include raising public awareness and providing aid to the survivors of Darfur."

Don Cheadle, an accomplished poker player himself, is co-author of Not On Our Watch, a book about the crisis in Darfur, and co-founder of the non-profit organization of the same name. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the film “Hotel Rwanda”, which tells the story of the government-sanctioned slaughter of more than a million people in Rwanda in 1994, and has spent the last two years heavily involved in humanitarian causes.

Look To The Stars News: ENOUGH Project

Celebrities Raise Hope For Congo

Related past articles

Ante Up For Africa To Hit Las Vegas Tomorrow

Related past articles

Affleck, Damon and More To Ante Up For Africa

Related past articles

Stars To Hit The Tables For Ante Up For Africa

Related past articles

Nicole Richie Raises Awareness About Atrocities

Related past articles

Celebrity Apprentice 2 To Feature Annie Duke

Related past articles

The Chips Are Up For Africa

Related past articles

Celebrities To Raise Stakes For Africa Again

Related past articles

Stars Raise The Stakes For Darfur

Related past articles