Look To The Stars News: Treatment Action Campaign

American Idol Gives Back $67 Million

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:30:00 -0000

David Beckham, Bono, Annie Lennox and Carrie Underwood have all accepted cheques from April’s Idol Gives Back event on behalf of the charities they support.

The show raised over US$67 million for charities such as the Global Fund, Malaria No More, the Children’s Health Fund, Save the Children, and the Children’s Defense Fund.

“I saw first hand with my visit to Sierra Leone with UNICEF last year how devastating malaria can be to a country,“ said Beckham, who was presented with US$12 million by Idol winner David Cook on behalf of Malaria No More. “This money will help buy millions of bed nets and also protect many people, particularly the young children who are most vulnerable.”

Annie Lennox was also delighted to receive $500,000 for the Treatment Action Campaign.

“This is just to express my gratitude to everyone on Idol Gives Back, for putting together a show with a difference, and for inviting me to be part of it,“ she said in a statement. “Because of this event, and the generosity of the viewers, who donated so kindly, I have been able to hand over a cheque for the amazing sum of $500,000 to Treatment Action Campaign, in South Africa. I can assure everyone that every single dollar contributed will go to excellent use, in the work to educate, assist and support people living on the frontline of the HIV/Aids pandemic, many of whom are women and children. Thank you so much.“

Bono received US$10 million on behalf of the Global Fund For AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

“The Global Fund will keep thousands of people safe from HIV/AIDS because American Idol has donated $10 million,” said the U2 frontman. “That’s YOU people, who sent in your hard earned cash.”

The Idol Gives Back show featured appearances and performances by Snoop Dogg, John Legend, Miley Ray Cyrus, Annie Lennox, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Sheila E., Fergie, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Peyton and Eli Manning, and Reese Witherspoon, and pre-taped messages from David and Victoria Beckham, Kiefer Sutherland, Ellen DeGeneres, Jim Carrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. Britney Spears, who couldn’t be at the event, donate $25,000 to the cause.

Annie Lennox Sings Praises For Charity Work

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Annie Lennox has written an update about her SING campaign, an initiative she launched last year to raise money for AIDS treatment projects.

“December 1st will be World Aids day, and will also be the 1st anniversary of the launch of SING,“ she wrote in her latest blog. “I think it’s essential that anyone who supports the campaign gets a clearly outlined list of everything we’ve done so far, so that you can get a better understanding of our accomplishments.“

The campaign was launched to raise money for the Treatment Action Campaign through the sales of an all-star single that featured the voices of Madonna, Céline Dion, Dido, Faith Hill, Joss Stone, Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Fergie, Bonnie Raitt, KT Tunstall, Shakira, Beth Orton, Sarah McLachlan, Anastacia, the Sugababes, KD Lang, Martha Wainwright, Angélique Kidjo, Beverley Knight, Shingai Shoniwa, Gladys Knight, and Isobel Campbell.

“One of the reasons SING supports the Treatment Action Campaign is because it is a “grassroots” organization, run by the people “for” the people,“ wrote Lennox. “Once you can start to empower people with information, education and collective solidarity, you can begin to implement effective changes at a community level. Now that there is a new health minister in South Africa, there can be a window of opportunity to take some significant steps towards saving and sustaining lives. In a few weeks I will be having a meeting with the CEO of TAC, where we’ll have the chance to discuss what needs to be done, and how we can go about instilling and supporting positive action asap.

“Meanwhile thank you for supporting SING… as I’ve said before, we’re in for the long haul, and I aim to make a difference!“

It has also been announced that Lennox is to receive a Special Achievement Award at the 2008 German Sustainability Awards for her commitment to a sustainable future, in particular her commitment in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The ceremony will take place in Düsseldorf on December 5.

Annie Lennox And Friends Sing For Africa

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:59:52 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Momentum is building behind Annie Lennox’s Sing Campaign, and the singer is now offering fans the chance to download the song that started it all for free in an initiative to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS problem in South Africa.

US residents will be able to download the song from Amazon MP3 until March 17 and support the Treatment Action Campaign, an orgainization that provides much needed support in the country’s struggle against the deadly virus.

The single, which was made available in the UK through the Body Shop, has sold out in countries such as Ireland and cities such as London. The entire UK has sold half of its stock in only two days, an unprecedented occurrence in the music industry, especially in relation to a charity single.

“One third of pregnant women in South Africa are HIV positive,” said the 53-year-old in a recent CNN interview. “We can prevent their children being born with the virus if we let the women have access to treatment. If you do not allow that to happen, you’re going to have future generations simply being wiped out.”

Lennox was joined by a choir of 23 well-known female performers for the song, which was originally released on her Songs of Mass Destruction album in 2007. The former Eurythmics lead singer believed that a group of female voices would make the message of the song stronger, so she enlisted the talents of Madonna, Céline Dion, Dido, Faith Hill, Joss Stone, Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Fergie, Bonnie Raitt, KT Tunstall, Shakira, Beth Orton, Sarah McLachlan, Anastacia, the Sugababes, KD Lang, Martha Wainwright, Angélique Kidjo, Beverley Knight, Shingai Shoniwa, Gladys Knight, and Isobel Campbell in the recording.

“Because I had written a song called ‘Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves’ in the 80s, which became a fairly well-known feminist anthem really, [I thought] perhaps it would be possible to try to attempt to write another kind of anthemic song for women,” said Lennox. “So I started to write a song and it ended up being called ‘Sing’. I sort of melded the song in with an HIV activist song written by a group of activists living in Khayelitsa in South Africa.”

The Sing Campaign, which Lennox launched in 2007, has also just set up a new video on YouTube, in which the public can leave comments in support of the campaign.

More information about the campaign, visit the Sing Campaign website.

Artists Come Out To Shake the Blues

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:17:52 -0000

Written by Crystal A. Johnson

The charity Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) held its annual concert and auctions on Thursday November, 15, 2007 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. The “Shaking the Blues” benefit supports ANSA’s work fighting HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and Africa, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Treatment Action Campaign, a grassroots organization at the forefront of South Africa’s fight against AIDS.

Among the celebrities in attendance were Blair Underwood, Eric Benet, Anthony Anderson, Alfre Woodard, Heroes star Jimmy Jean-Louis, and Grey’s Anatomy star James Pickens Jr. Event chairs include Jackson Browne, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, George Lopez, Carlos Santana’s wife Deborah, Alfre Woodard and Forest Whitaker.

Not only was a baseball signed by Hall of Famer Dave Winfield on hand at the silent auction, but Dave and his wife Tonya attended the event. Close friends with Samuel and Latonya Jackson, the Winfields hope to personally visit South Africa soon.

The musical line-up featured stirring performances by The Roots and friends, Erykah Badu with Edith Funker, Nikka Costa, Doyle Bramhall II, Keb Mo, and Taj Mahal. The Roots roused the crowd with a rendition of Bob Dylan’s Masters of War, and the audience rose for Erykah Badu’s performance of her classic On and On.

In keeping with many other recent celebrity events, acknowledgement was given to the writers’ strike; James Pickens Jr spoke of supporting the writers before he introduced the grand finale performance by Taj Mahal.

Movie and K-ville star Anthony Anderson served as auctioneer for the live auction. As Blair Underwood battled for a diamond earring lot, Anderson comically referred to him only as “the man with the orange leather jacket on”. Underwood’s counter-bidder upped the ante, requesting a date with her opponent be included along with the earrings, which she won at $9,000. Not only did Underwood accept, but he promised it would be a dinner at the world-famous restaurant Spagos.

To encourage higher bids on a private lunch with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Anderson jokingly suggested that the winner could take a picture with Tutu and put it on Myspace.com to be the envy of their friends. The lunch went for $15,500.

Los Angeles-based non-profit organization ANSA was originally founded in 1989 by noted members of the entertainment community, with an initial goal of supporting the struggle against apartheid. Over time, the organization’s focus has shifted to the fight against the African AIDS pandemic, advancing democracy, and equality in South Africa.

The effort to raise money is not over. If you want help the cause their are several items available at the online auction. To bid on the online items: www.charityfolks.com/ansa.

ANSA Shakes the Blues With Stars in Los Angeles

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:42:33 -0000

On Thursday, November 15, 2007, Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) will host “Shaking The Blues,” a star-studded benefit, at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. The evening combines the power of music and activism to shake off our blues – from the personal to the global – and make a difference in the world. The event will feature blues-influenced musical artists as well as a multi-cultural array of renowned entertainers who are donating their time and talents to the fight against HIV/AIDS in the US and Africa.

The event begins with a pre-show cocktail party for major donors at 6 PM. Shaking The Blues performances start at 7:45, immediately followed by a VIP after-party. Those confirmed to appear include Erykah Badu, Nikka Costa, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal Trio and The Roots, with Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson serving as the event’s musical director. Additional highlights include appearances by George Lopez, Jurnee Smollett, Blair Underwood and other special guest stars soon to be announced.

Shaking The Blues, which continues ANSA’s tradition of presenting one unique and extraordinary major fundraiser annually, is chaired by Dianna Cohen & Jackson Browne, Myrna Colley-Lee & Morgan Freeman, LaTanya Richardson Jackson & Samuel L. Jackson, Ann & George Lopez, Deborah Santana, Alfre Woodard & Roderick Spencer and Keisha Nash-Whitaker & Forest Whitaker Host committee members include J.J. Abrams, Gillian Anderson, Johnny Clegg, Danny Glover, Dulé Hill, Quincy Jones, Norman Lear, Lebo M, Alexandra Paul, Chris Rock, Cicely Tyson, Blair Underwood, Alice Walker, Denzel Washington and other luminaries.

“Last year, ANSA was honored to host the 75th birthday celebration for our dear friend and advisor Archbishop Desmond Tutu said ANSA’s Executive Director Sharon Gelman. “He embodies the belief that justice and love will ultimately triumph and maintains a remarkable sense of humor, even in the face of enormous challenges. It is activists like him who inspire us to shake off the blues and take action to fix our world. That’s the spirit of Shaking the Blues, which promises to be one of ANSA’s best events ever.”

Proceeds from the event will support ANSA’s work in the US and Africa. ANSA will also donate a portion of the proceeds to the Treatment Action Campaign, the grassroots organization that is at the forefront of South Africa’s fight against AIDS.

Tickets range from $45 to $100, and are available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com and (213) 480-3232. For major donor and VIP tickets, ranging from $250 to $75,000, contact Blue Room Events: (310) 491-1401.

A Shaking The Blues online auction of one-of-a-kind items and experiences from President Bill Clinton, Denzel Washington, J.J. Abrams, Dulé Hill, and many others, launched October 29 at www.charityfolks.com/ansa.

ANSA is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization working to combat HIV/AIDS, safeguard voting rights and democracy, advance human rights and equality, and assist and empower AIDS orphans and other at-risk youth. By working in partnership with effective grassroots organizations and pivotal movements on the frontlines of these issues, ANSA makes a substantial difference. Founded in 1989 to support South Africa’s quest to end apartheid and build a new democracy, ANSA is now dedicated to eradicating social and health inequities that are the legacies of apartheid, segregation, and generations of poverty. In the past decade alone, ANSA has raised $9 million for effective African programs, shipped 70 tons of medical supplies and books to impoverished communities, and educated millions of adults and young people in the US, South Africa, and across the African continent about HIV/AIDS and voting rights. For more information go to www.ansafrica.org

Annie Lennox Leads Women To Sing For AIDS Projects

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:17:21 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Annie Lennox’s new album, Songs of Mass Destruction, due out October 1 promises “not to be lightweight, easy listening, coffee house kinda stuff.” According to Lennox’s website, Sing, a powerful feminist anthem on the album, will feature 23 of the most recognized and successful female solo artists in the world, including Madonna, Shakira, Joss Stone, Dido and Céline Dion.

Inspired by her involvement with both Nelson Mandela’s 46664 and Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and its vocal group, The Generics, organizations that support health care for HIV/AIDS patients, Annie created Sing to raise funds for TAC’s HIV/AIDS projects. The Generics are also featured in her new album.

Another not-for-profit organization based in South Africa, Life College, has also attracted Lennox’s attention. Life College offers educational and mentoring services to families to substantially improve their levels of success in life. Included in the curriculum is a Life Champion Leadership Programme, which pairs students with people who have achieved high levels of professional success, like Annie Lennox, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, top athletes and prominent business people. It’s said to be one of the best, life changing aspects of the course.

Lennox agrees: “I wish that there could be a Life College in every part of the world, and I wish I could attend it myself! It teaches people the skills to create a positive way forward into leading a constructive and successful life, both personally and professionally.”

Look To The Stars News: Treatment Action Campaign

American Idol Gives Back $67 Million

Related past articles

Annie Lennox Sings Praises For Charity Work

Related past articles

Annie Lennox And Friends Sing For Africa

Related past articles

Artists Come Out To Shake the Blues

Related past articles

ANSA Shakes the Blues With Stars in Los Angeles

Related past articles

Annie Lennox Leads Women To Sing For AIDS Projects

Related past articles