Look To The Stars News: Ronald McDonald House Charities

Charitable Celebrities To Receive 21st Century Leaders Awards

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Celebrities will be out in abundance in Doha, Qatar, next week for the Whatever It Takes Experience presented by 21st Century Leaders and Whatever It Takes.

As well as a private art experience and gala dinner, several stars will be honored with 21st Century Leaders Awards at this massive charity event.

The Doha 21st Century Leaders’ Awards are granted to individuals who, whilst being leaders in their own fields, have also made a serious commitment and significant impact on their chosen cause.

The award is given to individuals who have used their influence to raise awareness, their celebrated status to raise funds, and the respect and notoriety which they have gained from successes in their chosen profession, to make positive policy changes to progress either environmental or humanitarian concerns.

Friday, October 30, will see Sir Ben Kingsley CBE, Venus and Serena Williams, Josh Hartnett, Danny Boyle and Christian Colson honored for their outstanding charity and humanitarian work. A surprise guest will open the event, and an art exhibition will also take place featuring original artworks by George Clooney, Stella McCartney, Sir Roger Moore KBE, Sir Michael Caine CBE, and Lady Shakira Caine, Sir Ian McKellen, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Laurence Fishburne, John Travolta, Pierce Brosnan OBE, Morgan Freeman, Charlize Theron, Minnie Driver, Lucy Liu, Susan Sarandon, Courteney Cox & David Arquette, Whoopi Goldberg, Penelope Cruz, Benicio del Toro, Joseph Fiennes, Anjelica Huston, Christian Slater, Harvey Keitel, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Gillian Anderson, Hilary Duff, Adrien Brody, Mickey Rourke, Robin Wright Penn, Patrick Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Stephanie Powers, Toni Collette, Daniel Craig and many more.

An active supporter and patron of charities such as the Prince’s Trust, Teenage Cancer Trust and First Star, English actor Sir Ben Kingsley CBE is very much devoted to helping disadvantaged young people and children. In 2008, Kingsley was awarded the “Cinema for Peace Honorary Award”, for the portrayal of the humanitarian role-models Simon Wiesenthal, Itzhak Stern and Gandhi.

In April 2009, following the success of Slumdog Millionaire, filmmakers Danny Boyle and Christian Colson announced a commitment of £500,000 to Plan, an international children’s development organization. The money will be spent on a five-year program focusing on education and sanitation, designed to improve the lives of children in Mumbai’s slum communities. In consultation with Plan, the filmmakers have also founded the Jai Ho Trust, an independent trust which aims to ensure that Rubina Ali (who played the youngest Latika in the film) and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail (youngest Salim) receive an education, housing and social support. The trust will also hold a sum of money for the two children until they reach adulthood.

American actor and film producer Josh Hartnett supports a number of worthy causes and has backed Global Cool, a charity focused on climate change since its inception. Launching with a reception at No.10 Downing Street in London in 2007, Josh Hartnett met with former Prime Minister Tony Blair on behalf of the group and has since taken the message of greenhouse gas reduction far and wide, to let people know that they really can make a difference to the environmental health of our planet.

Professional women’s tennis players whom have won a combined 12 Grand Slam titles. The Williams sisters have demonstrated an immense amount of charitable work off the court. The “Williams Sister’s Tour” set out to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities which provides housing for families of seriously ill children. In addition, Serena started The Serena Williams Foundation which focuses on education, and helping underprivileged children in Africa who cannot afford to go to school or college to do so.

WhateverItTakes.org is a unique charity artwork project which inspires hope by gathering artworks from leaders in all fields; royalty, film, music, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, sports, literature etc. The artworks are used to ethically produce Whatever It Takes products which are then sold to raise funds for charitable causes chosen by each contributing leader. 21st Century Leaders Foundation’s mission is to assist and encourage a generation of influencers – royalty, Nobel peace prize laureates and well-known leaders in the fields of film, music, fashion, art and literature – to raise awareness and funds for international development causes, thereby leading the way in promoting positive environmental sustainable development. 21st Century Leaders was founded in May 2003 when Charlotte di Vita was made a Goodwill Ambassador to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. 21st Century Leaders was also the 10th Anniversary celebration of Trade plus Aid, the foundation for which Charlotte had received an MBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

To find out more about this event – to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Doha on October 30/31 – click here.

Ryan Seacrest To Host Ronald McDonald House Event

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities (ARMHC) announces its Hearts and Hands Gala at 7pm on Saturday, October 24, at the World of Coca-Cola.

Atlanta`s own Ryan Seacrest of “American Idol” will serve as host of the sold out black-tie dinner which will feature a special performance by “American Idol” season six finalist Melinda Doolittle and a silent auction. The Coca-Cola Company is the event`s presenting sponsor. The Event Chair is Javier Goizueta, Vice President, The Coca-Cola Company and President of the McDonald`s Division Worldwide. Muhtar Kent, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company is Honorary Chair.

“The Ronald McDonald House is a cause that is very dear to the hearts of us at The Coca-Cola Company. We are committed to supporting the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities, as we strive to help improve the health and well-being of children and families in need,” says Javier Goizueta.

Proceeds from the Hearts and Hands Gala will support operations of Atlanta`s two Ronald McDonald Houses.

“We are grateful for the generosity and ongoing support of The Coca-Cola Company. And we are thrilled Coca-Cola`s longtime ambassador, Ryan Seacrest, will host the evening. Despite a tough economy, we expect this inaugural event will be successful in raising funds to support families in need at our two local Ronald McDonald Houses. This year marks our 30th anniversary and this new event is a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness for Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities and the organization’s important work throughout the area,” says Linda M. Morris, President/CEO of Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Increased demand led to the recent expansion of the local Ronald McDonald House programs. Last year, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities opened a new state-of-the-art 50-bedroom $15.7 million Ronald McDonald House near Emory University and Children`s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston to meet the growing need. An 11-bedroom Ronald McDonald House on Peachtree Dunwoody Road continues to operate at full capacity to serve families of children receiving medical treatment at Children`s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Combined, the two local Houses serve more than 2,000 families a year.

Michael Jackson's This Is It Film To Be Released

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

It has been reported that a film is to be released of the final footage from Michael Jackson’s rehearsals for his This Is It concerts, with some of the proceeds to go to charity.

Sony Pictures is in final negotiations to acquire the film – at a price of $60 million – with 90% of the profits to go to the Jackson Estate, which will include a charity to be set up in the King of Pop’s name.

Jackson was a huge supporter of charities in his lifetime, and his family hopes to keep his memory alive with the new charity. The singer often visited underprivileged children and children affected by disasters and in hospitals, and worked with organizations such as the Jane Goodall Institute, the TJ Martell Foundation, the United Negro College Fund, the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children, the Prince’s Trust, the Great Ormond Street Hospital, Childhelp USA, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America, Children’s Defense Fund, Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS Foundation and many more.

The film is set for release on October 30.

Michael Jackson's Charity Legacy

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Michael Jackson, who passed away last week, featured significantly on the pages of Look To The Stars. He was a passionate supporter of charity, and was honored by many different organizations for the work that he did and the compassion that he showed.

As well as writing We Are The World with Lionel Richie and helping to organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert in the wake of September 11, Jackson also donated the proceeds from a song to victims of Hurricane Katrina, often donated items to charity auctions, and was to donate some of the proceeds from his upcoming shows in London to charity. He set up a burns unit for children and also established the Heal The World Foundation, whose work has included airlifting 6 tons of supplies to Sarajevo, instituting drug and alcohol abuse education and donating millions of dollars to less fortunate children.

But this is only the tip of the iceberg. A comprehensive timeline of the late singer’s charitable work has been published by Jackson Action. The list includes his work with underprivileged children and children affected by disasters, visits to hospitals, and work with organizations such as the Jane Goodall Institute, the TJ Martell Foundation, the United Negro College Fund, the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children, the Prince’s Trust, the Great Ormond Street Hospital, Childhelp USA, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America, Children’s Defense Fund, Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS Foundation and many more. It also details Jackson’s efforts to airlift 60,000 doses of children’s vaccines to Tblisi, Georgia, and his donations to hundreds of charities. To view the timeline, click here.

The charity world has lost a valuable supporter, and Look To The Stars extends our best wishes to Michael Jackson’s family, friends and fans.

Stars Design Necklaces For Charity Auction

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:00:00 -0000

The World Gold Council has launched its charity auction featuring jewelry designed by some of entertainment’s biggest stars.

As reported by Look To The Stars last year, a range of celebrities – including Debra Messing, Christina Applegate, Whoopi Goldberg, Marcia Gay Harden, Samantha Harris, Eric McCormack, Chris Noth (“Mr Big”), Lena Olin, Rachael Ray, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, and Pauletta & Denzel Washington – have designed gold pendant necklaces incorporating a leaf motif. Participants will choose to have proceeds from the sale of their designs benefit their favorite charity or Jewelers for Children, the jewelers industry charity that has invested over $30 million in special programs to reach children whose lives have been devastated by catastrophic illness or life-threatening abuse and neglect.

Other charities to benefit from the auction include YouthAIDS, Right Action for Women, Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Waterkeeper Alliance, Project Angel Food, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Hope for Henry Foundation – a charity which improves the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses by providing carefully chosen gifts and specially designed programs to entertain and promote comfort, care and recovery – Yum-o!, and the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen.

The auction runs until May 7, and will be followed by a live gala event in New York City.

To make a bid or view the items, click here.

NHL Announces Charity Poker Tournament

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:00:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

The National Hockey League just announced that the 2009 NHL Awards will be broadcast live from Las Vegas on June 18. But the bigger news is that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman also announced the League will be staging a celebrity/pro athlete charity poker tournament June 17.

 "For years there has been a charitable component to the Awards program," said Bettman, “I am pleased to announce today that the NHL will team with Pokerstars.net and the NHL Players’ Association to present [the poker tournament] in connection with the 2009 NHL Awards.”   

The “NHL Charity Shootout Presented by Pokerstars.net” event will include NHL stars, NHL alumni and celebrity guests playing ‘No Limit Texas Hold’em’ to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Las Vegas and the NHL Players Association’s Goals and Dreams charity. Players will also make donations to the charities of their choice.    

Fans can buy tickets for the 2009 Awards in Las Vegas at this website or at the Pearl Concert Theater Box Office inside the Palms Hotel. Ticket will grant fans unprecedented access, including a seat alongside the NHL stars, celebrities and other NHL VIPs. Plus, the same ticket will gain admittance to the NHL official after-party at the Rain nightclub.

Vince Gill To Play Charity Concert

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Country singer Vince Gill will play a special charity concert in Geenville, South Carolina, in April.

The singer – who has won 19 Grammy Awards – will bring his band to the Bi-Lo Center on April 19. Proceeds will benefit The Mac Foundation – a charity established in 2006 by parents Ronnie and Vickie Allen after their 12-year-old son passed away – that aims to create opportunities for children and young adults through sports, the arts, and extra-curricular activities, intent on keeping their minds and bodies focused on positive alternatives to the temptations of life.

The Mac Foundation will use proceeds from the concert to make donations to the Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Greenville Family Partnership, CESA Top Soccer, and The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club.

Tickets tickets cost $29-$39, and are available at the Crown Nissan Ticket Office at the BI-LO Center or at the Bi-Lo Center website. More information about the Mac Foundation can be found here.

Kasey Kahne Helps Out Ronald McDonald House Charities

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0000

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne visited a McDonald’s in Yelm, Washington, yesterday to personally congratulate and thank the restaurant crew members for their outstanding efforts during World Children’s Day 2008 – selling the most paper Hands in the country through the “Give A Hand” fundraiser.

World Children’s Day at McDonald’s is the Company’s largest annual fundraiser to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities and other children’s charities worldwide. The 2008 campaign raised more than $8 million dollars to help support the Charity’s three core programs, including the Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile; since its inception in 2001, the campaign has raised more than $132 million for RMHC.

Kahne, a Seattle-area native and long-time supporter of RMHC, has donated $500,000 to the Charity to date in support of helping families with seriously ill children.

“I have seen first-hand what the Ronald McDonald House does and how they provide a home away from home for people that have a child in the hospital and need a helping hand,” said Kahne. “I am happy to support Ronald McDonald House Charities.”

In March, Kahne will team up with multi-platinum country music star Dierks Bentley to host the Sound Check 9 concert, a fundraiser for his Kasey Kahne Foundation. A performance by Dierks will follow an on-stage Q&A with Kasey. More info about the event can be found here.

NASCAR driver and Celebrity Friend of Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), Kasey Kahne, presented a certificate to Laurie Berryman, McDonald’s® Owner/Operator (Middle), and Tabi Wylie, McDonald’s restaurant manager (Left), in Yelm, Wash., for selling the most paper “Give A Hands®” during World Children’s Day® 2008.

James Reynolds Leads Veterans Program

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Daytime actor and Emmy nominee James Reynolds is chairman of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 2009 National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans.

Reynolds, best known for his long- running performance as police officer Abe Carver on the popular “Day’s of Our Lives”, led VA’s annual patient recognition program that invited the public to visit and honor hospitalized veterans during National Salute Week, Feb. 8-14. He serves as the national spokesperson for more than 131,000 volunteers serving veterans at VA facilities across the nation.

Reynolds was born and raised in the small farming community of Oskaloosa, Kan. During high school, he performed in many school plays and played football, basketball and track.

Following graduation, he joined the Marines and was assigned to an information service office in Hawaii as a reporter. He was sent to Vietnam and served for almost a year with a variety of units in and around Chu Lai, adding battlefield reporting to his combat duties. A wound ended his military service.

Reynolds enrolled in Topeka’s Washburn University, majoring in pre-law and journalism. Advised that the best place on campus to meet girls was the theatre department, he began auditioning and performing in plays – discovering a passion for acting. He used his journalism background to land jobs with newspapers such as the Topeka Daily Capitol and the Colorado Springs Sun where he wrote about theatre, film and music. That allowed him to report on his passion while pursuing acting as a career.

In 1974, he landed his first television commercial and a featured role in “Mr. Majestyk,” with Charles Bronson. He moved to Los Angeles, amassed an impressive list of prime-time television and motion picture credits, and became one of the foundation blocks of “Days of our Lives.” He has logged more hours on television than any other African- American actor in the U.S. – averaging over a 100 hours of airtime each year for 25 consecutive years.

Reynolds received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Carver, as well as NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series. He was also nominated for an NAACP Theatre Award for his work in the theatrical production “Buffalo Soldier.”

Reynolds is deeply committed to charitable works such as the Ronald McDonald House Charities and touring with the USO. He has been to Cuba, the Mediterranean, Kuwait and Afghanistan to meet and show support for troops overseas. In 2007, Reynolds was honored by the Beverly Hills/ Hollywood NAACP Veteran Affairs and Armed Services Committee for his contributions to the Unites States Armed Forces.

Naomi Judd Heads Up Exciting Auction

Mon, 26 May 2008 11:08:45 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Now here’s something really exciting: Country singer Naomi Judd has teamed up with The Autograph Store, a leading online auction dealer of celebrity autographed photos and signed memorabilia, to sponsor the Huntington, West Virginia, Ronald McDonald House’s Charity Auction.

The auction, which also includes a dinner and dance, will be held on May 31 at the Bellefonte Golf and Country Club in Ashland, Kentucky, and will feature some awesome items including guitars autographed by the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton, CDs signed by U2 and Madonna, and photos autographed by Johnny Depp and others.

The Huntington Ronald McDonald House has served more than 8,300 families from southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and southeastern Ohio, and the Autograph Store is proud to be the exclusive supplier of all celebrity autographed items for this fundraiser.

“We are extremely excited to partner up with a wonderful organization such as the Ronald McDonald House Charity and Naomi Judd,” said Matthew Raines, Executive Vice President of the Autograph Store. “We look forward to furthering our relationship with this organization that gives so much back to its community. The mission of the Ronald McDonald House is to provide families of seriously ill children a place to stay while their child is in the hospital…a home-away-from-home that will enable them to remain together and function as a family in an environment of love, strength and support…an expression of the warmth and caring of the community. It is our distinct honor to help them take another step toward achieving their mission.”

More information can be found at www.autographstore.com.

Cindy Crawford Hosts Mothers Day Spa For Ronald McDonald House

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:26:03 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Some of Tinseltown’s brightest female stars turned out for an early Mothers Day charity fundraiser event in Los Angeles today, April 29, to salute mothers staying at Ronald McDonald House.

Cindy Crawford, Dayanara Torres, June Ambrose, and Tamia hosted the “spa and wellbeing” event, and treated mothers with sick children to manicures and neck and shoulder massages, make-up tips, and consultations provided by JAFRA Cosmetics International Inc., as well as gift bags filled with beauty items.

“It will be very special to watch these incredible mothers take a break, relax, and enjoy the day,” said Crawford. “We know that the presence of families helps in the healing process for children. These moms give so much love and support to their children during such a difficult time, and in honor of Mother’s Day, this is a nice way to show our appreciation for all the sacrifices they make for their families each and every day.”

The stars took part in the event as Celebrity Friends of Ronald McDonald House (RMHC), part of the charity’s existing Friends of RMHC volunteer program which includes a network of 30,000 volunteers that allows RMHC to serve millions of children each year. Other celebrities involved in the program include Hayden Panettiere, Holly Robinson-Peete, and Wayne Brady. The celebrity program was launched in 2007, during McDonald’s annual World Children’s Day fundraiser for RMHC, and is designed to heighten awareness for the charity and inspire people to take action by actively donating their time, resources, or funds.

“Mothers who depend on the Ronald McDonald House to be a ‘home away from home’ while their children receive treatment at nearby hospitals often form a special bond with one other,” said Wai Ling Eng, RMHC Global Board Trustee. “I’m delighted to be part of this event that salutes these strong women and gives them a chance to further their connection with other mothers going through a similar experience.”

Today’s event at the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House followed the opening of a newly-built auxiliary property, which added 40 additional hotel-style bedrooms to the facility. The expansion means the charity can now provide low cost, often free, lodging to 75-families per night; an increase from the previously accommodated 35-families.

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