Madonna News

Jan 05

Hollywood bigs rush to aid tsunami victims

Sandra Bullock and Leonardo DiCaprio were the first to step up to the plate.
Other A-list celebs are likely to follow with their own large-scale donations to tsunami relief efforts in Africa and Asia.
The American Red Cross said yesterday several celebrities already have made anonymous donations in response to the Dec. 26 disaster.
But most stars prefer to dish out their millions in the camera's eye.
"Hollywood is not a citadel of humility,'' said Los Angeles-based celebrity publicist Michael Goldman. "Very few people give anonymously, and even fewer give anonymously in Hollywood.''
The entertainment community is expected to generate international fund-raising buzz Jan. 15, when NBC and its sister networks air a prime-time relief telethon featuring "Sex and the City'' star Sarah Jessica Parker, singer Clay Aiken and "Will and Grace'' star Debra Messing.
Country singer Willie Nelson will headline a tsunami-relief benefit concert Sunday night at Austin Music Hall in Texas, and the 1985 African famine-relief benefit song "We Are the World'' is being revived for tsunami relief efforts in a new Chinese version featuring Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung and other top Hong Kong stars.
Earlier this week, Bullock donated $1 million to the American Red Cross. DiCaprio followed with an unspecified "large donation'' to UNICEF to help children in Thailand.
The "Miss Congeniality'' star impressed fans three years ago when she donated $1 million to Sept. 11 relief efforts along withJim Carrey, Rosie O'Donnell, Michael Jordan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Topping that, Madonna, Julia Roberts and Britney Spears gave $2 million apiece for relief efforts after the terror attacks.
It's no secret that attaching a celebrity name gives a charity an immediate fund-raising boost.
Richard Gere, Aerosmith, Jane Fonda, Gloria Estefan, Peter Jennings and Robert Redford are just a few of the celebs who have created foundations named after themselves.
The most generous stars in Hollywood? Here's a few recently listed in BusinessWeek magazine:
Oprah Winfrey: The talk-show goddess is the only celeb who ranked on BusinessWeek's 2004 list of the nation's Top 50 most generous philanthropists, contributing $175 million to educational and other initiatives.
Steven Spielberg: The filmmaker's charitable giving now exceeds $96 million, including donations to children's initiatives and Jewish causes.
Michael J. Fox: Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1998, the "Spin City'' star has raised $50 million to fight the disease through his foundation.
Angelina Jolie: The "Alexander'' star recently donated $1 million to aid Afghan refugees, and pledged another $5 million to establish a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia. Jolie gives a third of her income to charity, according to BusinessWeek, which didn't specify the annual dollar amount.
Bill Cosby: The legendary comedian has donated more than $20 million to educational causes, including numerous college endowments and scholarships.
source : bostonherald.com

Categories : General News

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