Celebrities and their Charities
Gwyneth Saves the Children: Charity a Hot Hollywood Trend
From Idol Gives Back to Oprah's Big Give to Angelina's work with the UN, stars are working 'for a good cause' like never before
Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow has been appointed an ambassador for the Save the Children charity. The week of March 24 also marks the conclusion of Celebrity Apprentice in which a group of B-listers including Stephen Baldwin, Piers Morgan, and Carol Alt battled to outwit each other in tasks overseen by Donald Trump. The goal: to win big money for the charity of their choice.
In two weeks American Idol holds its second Idol Gives Back concert starring Ellen Degeneres, Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon and other A-list celebs. Meanwhile, Oprah’s Big Give has challenged ordinary Janes and Joes to give charitably to needy Americans with finesse and grace under pressure.
Herewith, a look back at some uber-celebs who’ve attached their names to charitable works.
Late and still great
Audrey Hepburn served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and was honoured with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work.
Remember Live Aid?
You could argue that Bob Geldof is to blame for the current sexy celebrity/charity endorsement trend. When Geldof of the Boomtown Rats gathered his singing chums from the industry to record the Christmas jingle Do They Know It's Christmas in the early 1980s, no-one anticipated that a new “cause celebrity” had been created. And after the monumental success of Live Aid charities around the world changed becoming more commercialized to attract attention. Which isn’t to discount Sir Bob’s achievements….
HRH, the Princess of Wales
The late Diana, Princess of Wales was an open supporter of numerous charities and, in particular, showed her humanity be being seen in close contact with AIDS sufferers at a time when most of the public was terrified of patients.
Sir Elton's Oscar Party Helps AIDS Research
This year, Elton John’s 16th annual Academy Awards viewing party raised $5.1-million for AIDS research. The party at the Pacific Design Center was hosted by John’s partner, Scarborough native, David Furnish, and included dinner, a musical performance by John, and a live auction. The guest list included stars like Sean Penn, Seal and Heidi Klum, Prince, and Quincy Jones. Since its inception in 1992, John’s foundation has raised more than $125-million to support HIV/AIDS prevention and service programs in 55 countries.
Brangelina's Jolie Pitt Foundation
The world’s most attractive couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reportedly donated more than $8-million (USD) to charity in 2006. Fox News reported this week that the couple donated more than $4-million each to their two-year-old Jolie Pitt Foundation, which aids humanitarian causes around the world.
According to federal tax records, the foundation donated some $2.4-million including $1-million each to both Doctors without Borders and the Global AIDS Alliance. A donation of $100,000 was made to the Daniel Pearl Foundation, a trust set up to honour the former Wall Street Journal reporter murdered in Pakistan.
