Look To The Stars News: Make It Right

Brad Pitt Makes It Right With Celebrity Charity Auction

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:05:00 +0000

eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, is teaming up with Brad Pitt’s Make It Right to take charitable fundraising to a whole new level with a physical space and interactive bidding.

Fans are invited to walk through a gallery featuring one-of-a-kind celebrity experiences and mementos to be auctioned off for charity on eBay Celebrity. Smartphones add a hands-on element to visually innovative displays, enabling attendees to participate in an interactive bidding process via dimensional QR codes by utilizing the eBay mobile app to bid in real time as well as track auction progress.

The elite exhibition brings celebrity charity auction items to life in New York’s famed Chelsea Market, with 100% of proceeds going to Make It Right, a non-profit foundation building sustainable, affordable homes in disadvantaged communities. Launched in November, eBay Celebrity is a unique shopping destination that combines celebrity experiences, memorabilia and merchandise with philanthropic causes.

Ellen DeGeneres And Brad Pitt To Make It Right In New Orleans

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Make It Right has announced that Ellen DeGeneres will join Brad Pitt as host of “A Night to Make It Right”, a charity gala to raise vital funds to complete Make It Right’s goal to build 150 environmentally friendly homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward.

The gala will be held at Hyatt Regency New Orleans on Saturday, March 10, 2012 and also celebrates the hotel’s grand re-opening. Performers will include Rihanna, Sheryl Crow, Seal and The Neville Brothers, and the host committee includes Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Spike Lee, Blake Lively, Djimon Hounsou, Josh Brolin, Bennett Miller and Chris Paul.

“I’m so happy I can be a part of this incredible foundation,” said Ellen DeGeneres, a long-time supporter of Make It Right. “I’m from New Orleans, I love New Orleans and I love that Make It Right continues to help the people there rebuild their beautiful city. Brad Pitt is amazing – not only for what he started, but also because, who else can make a hard hat look like a jaunty fall fashion accessory?”

eBay Launches Celebrity Charity Auction Site

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:15:00 +0000

Just in time for the holiday giving season, eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, today announced the launch of eBay.com/celebrity, a unique shopping destination that combines celebrity experiences, memorabilia and merchandise with philanthropic causes.

As part of eBay’s charitable platform eBay Giving Works, eBay Celebrity establishes a differentiated experience for the shopping enthusiast and cause-oriented consumer by aggregating relevant celebrity content, charity auctions, and the breadth and selection of related products that are unique to eBay.

eBay has consistently been the platform of choice for celebrities looking to raise funds for charity, and this year was a landmark year for the company’s philanthropic efforts: an auction featuring limited edition Nike Mag sneakers raised millions of dollars for The Michael J. Fox Foundation and an annual lunch with Warren Buffett auction sold for a record $2.63 million. In 2011, eBay Giving Works has raised $51 million and over $278 million to date for various charitable organizations. eBay Celebrity takes charitable fundraising to the next level, connecting consumers with their favorite celebrities through charity and commerce.

Celebrities Support Botox Expressions Of Kindness For Charity

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:30:00 +0000

To celebrate acts of kindness around the country, Allergan, Inc., the maker of BOTOX Cosmetic, has announced the “BOTOX Cosmetic My Expressions of Kindness” charitable campaign.

Allergan is asking everyone who is treated with BOTOX Cosmetic, or is considering talking to their physician about treatment, to post acts of kindness online to help raise up to a quarter of a million dollars for three deserving charities: Make It Right, Dress for Success and Children’s Action Network. The online fundraising campaign is being spearheaded by television personality, long-time volunteer and BOTOX Cosmetic advocate Didiayer Snyder, who is joined by fellow celebrities Vanessa Williams, best-selling author Vicki Iovine, Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen and five-time gold medalist Nadia Comaneci as campaign ambassadors.

People are asked to get involved and show their support by visiting the campaign Web site at ExpressKindnessCampaign.com to complete a “My Expressions of Kindness” profile. Upon completion, a $25 donation will be automatically generated and each person will have the opportunity to choose whether it will benefit Make It Right, Dress for Success or Children’s Action Network. The “My Expressions of Kindness” profiles completed by each of the campaign ambassadors who have pledged their support to one of the charity partners is also posted on the Web site. Other social media fundraising activities include Facebook and Twitter.

Stars Have 1GOAL In Mind At Clinton Global Initiative

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Actor Brad Pitt was honored at the Clinton Global Initiative on Thursday for his humanitarian work in helping rebuild New Orleans.

Former President Bill Clinton presented Pitt with a plaque from the U.S. Green Building Council which said the actor and his Make It Right Foundation had created the “largest and greenest single-family community in the world.”

‘Make It Right’ has exceeded my expectations," said Pitt. "Our criteria from the beginning were at odds, to say the least. We demanded that these homes be sustainable, that they have aesthetic qualities … that they be storm resilient and take safety in mind of the families who live there and that they would be affordable.

Brad Pitt Visits Spanish Urban Renewal Project

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Brad Pitt visited an urban renewal project – designed by famed Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer – in the industrial city of Aviles in northern Spain last week.

The celebrity took the time to visit the new facilities being worked on in a port area in what was once the centre of the city’s steel industry in the 1950s. The new area will feature an auditorium, a sight-seeing tower, an exhibition centre and a large outdoor square that will serve as a venue for cultural activities when it opens in 2010, and Pitt’s work with his Make It Right Foundation in New Orleans – which has being rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina – attracted him to the project.

The city’s mayor, Pilar Varela, said the actor was especially interested in the environmental sustainability of the Spanish project: “This is why Brad Pitt has come to visit the site… He is interested in supporting the project, the cultural as well as the architectural aspects.”

Bryan Adams Foundation Holds An Evening Of Opera

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:30:00 +0000

The Bryan Adams Foundation held its inaugural fundraising event, An Evening of Opera and Picnic, last month on the lawns of The Royal Hospital, Chelsea in London.

The Foundation was set up by Bryan Adams to improve the quality of people’s lives around the world, and aims to achieve this by providing financial help and support to those people who are committed to bettering the lives of other people, by providing grants to finance specific projects.

A 4 course picnic, donated by Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay and eaten on rugs to the accompaniment of music by The Pavao Quartet, was followed by a performance of Opera in the hospital’s chapel sung by the Jette Parker Young Artists from the Royal Opera House, who sung pieces by Puccini, Bizet, Mozart, Verdi and others. Critically acclaimed UK violinist, Charlie Siem, also performed on the evening during the second half.

Brad Pitt Wears The Shirt For Charity

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Brad Pitt was spotted wearing a shirt bearing the logo of Graft last week, when his bike broke down and the paparazzi had to give him a ride home.

The “Graft” logo on his shirt is a custom logo which is in reference to an international leading architecture firm that Brad Pitt collaborates with on projects around the world. Graft is part of the core team of his Make It Right Foundation that raises money to build new homes for those affected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Nice that he is promoting the Make It Right message everywhere he goes!

E! Donates To Jolie-Pitt Foundation

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:30:00 +0000

It has been revealed that E! Entertainment Television made a significant donation to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation last year.

According to Fox News, the media giant made a donation of $250,000 to the foundation established by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to assist with humanitarian crises around the world. The donation was one of four large contributions made to the fund in 2008, including $1,194,911 from Jolie, $956,961 from Pitt, and $5,000 from Jerry Weintraub.

The Jolie-Pitt Foundation has donated over $4 million to causes since it was established, including $1,364,320 to Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, $100,000 to help build The Duk Lost Boys Clinic medical centre in the Sudan, $1 million split evenly among three organizations working with war-affected children, $1m to help Sudanese refugees of the Darfur crisis, $1 million to the Human Rights Watch’s work in Burma, $100,000 to Global Action for Children, $400,000 to Cambodia’s children’s causes and $150,000 to the Maddox Chivan Children’s Center.

Brad Pitt Gets Political For New Orleans

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Actor Brad Pitt met with the US Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and House Majority Whip, James Clyburn, last week in Washington to discuss the rebuilding of New Orleans’ hurricane-ravaged Lower 9th Ward.

According to reports, Pitt may also have met with Barack Obama to discuss the continuing efforts of his Make It Right foundation, which is building low cost, highly efficient housing for those left homeless since the 2005 disaster.

“I just want to say thank you to the Speaker for opening up the doors for us to come in and discuss the current rebuilding effort going on in New Orleans,” said Pitt at a press briefing, “and how we can expand this idea of affordability and sustainability because we think we have a model that works.”

Brad Pitt Is Amazed With New Homes

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Brad Pitt visited the New Orleans neighborhood where families are moving into six homes built by his charity following Hurricane Katrina earlier this week.

“It’s amazing,” said the actor as he met the new homeowners. “This place that suffered such injustice and so much death can become one of the primary examples of a high-performance neighborhood. It really is amazing.”

Through Make It Right, the actor has helped to fund the construction of six new houses, with more to come.

Brad Pitt Makes It More Right

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Brad Pitt has announced that his Make It Right Foundation has raised enough money to build 90 new homes in New Orleans.

The star only expected to raise enough to build 84 homes by this stage in the project, but due to unprecedented support from the public, there is enough to create 6 more houses in the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged area of the Lower Ninth Ward.

Pitt followed the announcement by visiting the area with his wife, Angelina Jolie, and children Maddox, 7, and Pax, 5, to view his housing project on Tuesday.

Brad Pitt And George Clooney Hold Fundraising Dinner

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Hollywood hunks Brad Pitt and George Clooney will kick off this year’s Venice film festival on Wednesday, August 27, with the world premiere of their latest film and a fundraising dinner for charity.

The dinner will benefit Not On Our Watch, the organization the pair founded to raise awareness of the crisis in Darfur and emphasize global humanitarian issues. It is expected to attract a number of high profile guests, and will take place on August 26, the day before the festival opens. Clooney and Pitt will also appear at the premiere of their new crime comedy Burn After Reading, directed by 2008 Oscar-winning duo Joel and Ethan Coen and co-starring John Malkovitch and Tilda Swinton.

Brad Pitt is also happy to announce that a New Orleans company has been contracted to provide the solar panels for the first wave of new homes being constructed in his Make It Right campaign in the Hurricane Katrina-devastated Lower 9th Ward of the city.

Brad Pitt Partners With Kiehl’s For The Environment

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:30:00 +0000

If you are one of the many women who claim Brad Pitt and luxury beauty brand Kiehl’s as two of your favorite things, you are in luck!

Mega movie star, philanthropist, and father of six Brad Pitt has teamed up with Kiehl’s to create the brand’s first 100% eco-friendly product. Kiehl’s Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser will hit stores at $16.50 a bottle in October and be a permanent addition to the brand’s renowned line of products. One hundred percent of the proceeds from sales of the body wash will go towards JPF Eco Systems, a new non-profit launched by Pitt and Kiehl’s. The mission of the new charity is to “minimize impact on the environment through thoughtful design.”

The body cleanser will be packaged in recycled plastic and consist of all-natural ingredients like aloe vera, coconut, and glycerin. The formula is free of environmental foes like parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, and dyes. The bottle’s label will include a reproduced hand-written note from Pitt himself, though Pitt will not be appearing in any advertisements for the product. The cleanser will be available at Kiehl’s stores, department store counters, and online.

George Clooney Helps Out Brad Pitt's Foundation

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:30:00 +0000

George Clooney has revealed his admiration for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s charitable efforts.

The 47-year-old heartthrob has confessed that he would like to be more like his Ocean’s 11 co-star, adding: “There is a tendency to make fun of people who get involved in these sorts of things. Brad went there [New Orleans], builds houses… he can do a lot of other things with his time. He and Angie really put their money where their mouth is. I’m always very impressed by them.”

Clooney is also planning to invest more money in pal Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation after sponsoring the building of two homes earlier this year, and is keen to add to the $300,000 he has already donated.

Pitt and Jolie Among Time's Most Influential People

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:30:24 +0000

TIME magazine placed Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie together in 21st place in its latest annual list of the world’s most influential people, and George Clooney stepped up to write a glowing tribute.

Jolie and Pitt were among the “Heroes and Pioneers” of the list, and the couple’s friend summarises the reasons for their selection:

“There are hundreds of people who could be honored for their good works, but I’ve seen Brad and Angelina firsthand, and their commitment together is truly impressive.”

Idol Gives Back On Wednesday

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:11:00 +0000

It will be raining philanthropic celebrities on Wednesday night when American Idol Gives Back airs on the Fox Network. The “star clouds” are set to burst with a gala of music, fun, appearances, and surprises – all in the name of charity.

Idol host Ryan Seacrest will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event, which was taped in front of a lively audience at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night, and producers expect this year’s event to raise over $100 million for charity.

“Tonight isn’t just about raising money,” said Brad Pitt, one of the many guests to attend the gala. “Sometimes, to help people, we’ve got to travel outside of our comfort zone to really understand another situation.”

Ellen DeGeneres Makes It Right For Brad Pitt

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 09:49:50 +0000

Comedienne, actress, and New Orleans native Ellen DeGeneres has raised over $10 million for the city since it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina over two years ago.

Besides her own financial donations, awareness raising, and gifts – like a new car to a single mother who lost her home to the hurricane – DeGeneres has raised over $800,000 so far for Brad Pitt’s Make It Right campaign from viewer donations through her talk show.

Make It Right is building 150 environmentally friendly, self sustaining homes in the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the hardest hit areas by the hurricane. People whose homes were flattened by the storm are quite happy about the project.

2007 - The Year The Stars Gave Back

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:11:14 +0000

2007 was a year of giving, both on grand and not-so-grand scales. Celebrities from all fields, be it movies, music, sport or general entertainment, showed compassion beyond the call of duty, and in most cases had a lot of fun doing it.

Without a doubt, one of the biggest events of the year was Live Earth in July, where stars new and old shone in all of the corners of the Earth to raise awareness of the plight of the planet. The shows were generally well-received, and led to organizer Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

But celebrities also participated in smaller, more personal acts of kindness in 2007. Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Melissa Gilbert, and Michael Douglas all donated their time to feed the hungry at the Los Angeles Mission, Fran Drescher launched the Cancer Schmancer Movement, and Ewan McGregor visited UNICEF projects during his epic motorcycle trip across Africa.

Stars Keep On Giving

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:28:26 +0000

The giving just keeps on going this holiday season, with a whole bunch of celebrities donating items to charity auctions, and others taking the time to attend events and fork out massive amounts of money for good causes.

Such was the case on December 11, when the husband and wife team of Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith paid $50,000 for a pair of artworks by Joan Miro and Salvador Dali at an auction in Chile.

“They bought the two works for a price much higher than their commercial value, because the proceeds of the auction went to UNICEF,” said Denise Ratinoff, head of the auction house that ran the event. “It was virtually a donation to UNICEF, and it helped a lot. Their presence in the auction made many other people also pay steeply for what they purchased.”