Charity

Heritage Auctions Announces Three Super Bowl Charity Auction Packages

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 25th 2011 at 7:00AM

We've already mentioned one charity auction for a Super Bowl XLV package. Dallas-based Heritage Auctions has three more that give you a chance to get to the big game and do some good at the same time.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters Super Bowl XLV Double Suite Charity Auction comes courtesy of Mavericks and Cowboys season ticket holder Neal Hawks, with an assist from Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks. This Super Bowl suite package is being donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Current Big Brothers in the program, Dirk, Jason and Neal realize the impact that mentoring can have on a young life. The package contains tickets for you and 36 friends to a double field level suite for Super Bowl XLV, which includes complimentary gourmet food, beer and wine served by Cowboys Stadium staff.The lot also includes four parking passes. The auction is now live on HA.com/Sports, with bidding ending Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 10:00 PM CT.

Tags: emmitt smith, super bowl packages, Super Bowl XLV, taste of the NFL

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The Fashion Statement: Designer Kids Lines Boom

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) — Jan 20th 2011 at 9:00AM

A week ago, I wrote about the hordes of celebrities with baby bumps on the red carpet during awards season. Well, designers must have been some kind of soothsayers, because several spent a good part of last year developing and launching children lines. Soon, they will no doubt see the fruits of their labor (sorry), as more and more of these privileged babies are born.

Jennifer Lopez's twins, Max and Emme, were the stars of Gucci's advertising campaign to publicize its designer munchkin wear (0 to 8 year-olds) which debuted late last year. Lopez said this week she only agreed to let her kids be photographed because it was for a good cause. Gucci pledged $1 million to UNICEF's Schools for Africa initiative.

Tags: Carolina Herrera, dolce and gabbana, Fendi, Gucci, jean paul gaultier, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith, Preen, Ralph Lauren, stella mccartney, Tommy Hilfiger

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Anonymous $300,000 Gift Helps Edith Wharton's Historic Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 18th 2011 at 9:02PM

We've been watching The Mount, the historic Massachusetts home of author Edith Wharton, for the last couple years as it has struggled to stay open amid deep debt. The historic home even faced foreclosure a few years back but it seems that each time the home ends up in trouble, donors and foundations step in to help out, a testament to the enduring fondness for both the writer and this beautiful home. The Mount recently received a $300,000 gift from an anonymous local donor recently after an article in the Berkshire Eagle mentioned that the Mount is facing a $1 million debt repayment deadline in May 2011. A blog post on The Mount website states that the donor regards The Mount as a national treasure and hopes others will also step up to help. The Mount's year-end appeal raised over $350,000.

The Mount is located in the Berkshires area of Massachusetts which relies on summer tourism for its local museums and estates. The Mount is part of the "American Icons" admission program which lets visitors purchase special package deal tickets to four cultural institutions: Chesterwood and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, The Mount and Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock. Chesterwood was the summer home of sculptor Daniel Chester French. The Berkshires area is also the home of Tanglewood, the summer venue for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Gallery: Edith Wharton's The Mount

Tags: berkshires, edith wharton, historic homes, the mount

Nadal, Federer And Co. Headline Flood Fundraiser

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 16th 2011 at 2:00AM

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal put aside their famous rivalry this weekend, teaming up with other top players to raise money for Australian flood victims on the day before the start of the Australian Open. In the "Rally for Relief" charity match, players got together on the courts with a common goal, to raise over $1 million Australian for those in the Queensland state who were stricken by the series of floods that have plagued the region. The players gave the 15,000 people attending at the Rod Laver Arena a good show, hamming it up with plenty of wisecracks. The fundraising efforts will continue throughout the Australian Open with players auctioning off shirts and other planned events.

Tennis players aren't the only sports figures contributing in Australia. Lance Armstrong, in Australia for the Tour Down Under, used the power of Twitter to organize a fundraising ride in Adelaide. He personally donated $50,000. Around 8,000 people turned out to ride with him. The Queensland Reds rugby team's doctors have offered free medical assistance to those affected by the floods. The Football Federation Australia donated $100,000 Australian to the relief effort and is planning more efforts.

Tags: australian open, lance armstrong, rafael nadal, rally for relief, roger federer, tour down under

St. Jude Offers Dream Super Bowl XLV Package

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 14th 2011 at 8:02PM

Hotels are just about filled up in and around Dallas as Super Bowl XLV draws near but charity-minded sports fans can get a spot and help a great cause. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has teamed with FOX Sports for the 2010-2011 NFL season and is offering a one-of-a-kind, luxury Super Bowl package.

The St. Jude Ultimate Game Day Package includes four tickets in a luxury suite for Super Bowl XLV; a private jet for four to and from Dallas; five-night luxury accommodations in downtown/uptown Dallas; a Game Day chauffeur and a luxury automobile from for private use; four seats to the Legends for Charity award dinner; four seats to the Off the Field Players' Wives Association Fashion Show; four seats to the NFL-sanctioned 2011 Super Bowl Breakfast and a package for four at Halcyon Days Salon and Spa at Neiman Marcus North Park. Basically all you need to bring is your toothbrush and your game day gear. The bidding ends on January 26, 2011 and bids are already up over $50,000.

Tags: St. Jude, st. jude childrens research hospital, st. jude medical, st. judes, Super Bowl XLV

Andre Agassi Shows A Naked Picture Of Steffi Graf To Raise Money For Charity

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 10th 2011 at 7:00PM

Both Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf are known for raising a lot of money for charity but Agassi took his zeal to a new level at a recent auction in Taiwan.

As bidding got underway on an autographed plate to raise money for charity Agassi made a surprising offer: "You pay more than $4,000," Agassi said, "and I will show you a picture of my wife on my phone, naked." The gambit worked, a qualify bid was made and the lucky male bidder leaned over and took a quick peek on Agassi's phone. He smiled and the two men shook hands and hugged (video from Taiwan after the jump). An audible "wow" was also reported.

Since the inception of the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education in 1994, $150 million dollars has been raised including $92 million from the annual Grand Slam for Children fundraising event which draws stars to Las Vegas every year. Children are an important cause for Graf as well, her work has focused on children around the world from Eritrea to Kosovo and she has raised money for the treatment of refugee children at a new hospital building in Hamburg, Germany as well as other projects.

Tags: andre agassi, steffi graf

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$13 Million Gift Means New Pavillion For Natural History Museum In Los Angeles

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 6th 2011 at 12:01AM

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County will have a dramatic new glass entrance pavilion thanks to a $13 million gift from the Otis Booth Foundation. The gift is the largest made to date by the Los Angeles-based private foundation and the largest private gift dedicated to the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park in its nearly century-long history. The foundation is a legacy of Franklin Otis Booth, Jr. (1923-2008), the great- grandson of General Harrison Gray Otis, founder of the Los Angeles Times.

The Otis Booth Pavilion will feature a 63-foot fin whale specimen that was first exhibited at the museum back in 1944. The 7,000-pound specimen was re-articulated to give the whale the appearance of a whale in the midst of a dive. The light-filled, three-story entrance will be connected to Exposition Boulevard by a pedestrian bridge. It was designed for the museum by CO Architects in association with Cordell Corporation. The Otis Booth Pavilion is scheduled for completion by November 2013, in time for the celebration of the Natural History Museum's 100th anniversary. The museum is in the middle of a six-year renovation that also includes the opening of the new Age of Mammals experience and exhibitions inside the Haaga Family Rotunda, the new Dinosaur Hall and a new exhibition exploring the natural and cultural history of Los Angeles and Southern California. The Museum's $135 million NHM Next Campaign has raised $84 million to date. The Otis Booth Foundation donation was made outside of the current campaign.

[via the LA Times]

Tags: los angeles, los angeles museums, natural history museum, natural history museum of los angeles county

Penfolds Becomes First Wine Brand To Join (PRODUCT)RED

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 5th 2011 at 9:01PM

Australian winery Penfolds has become the first Australian partner and first wine company to create (PRODUCT) RED items. Penfolds has launched (PENFOLDS)RED to help fund fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. The winery will contribute a portion of proceeds on its Thomas Hyland and Koonunga Hill wines to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. The official launch of the partnership will take place at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Penfolds is the Official Wine Sponsor of the festival which runs January 6-17, 2011. The film festival provided (RED) the opportunity to showcase their recently released documentary titled The Lazarus Effect. This 30-minute film, directed by Lance Bangs and executive produced by Spike Jonze, follows the story of HIV positive people in Zambia who undergo remarkable transformations thanks to access to antiretroviral medications. The festival will screen The Lazarus Effect free of charge throughout the day on January 7th, 2011.

With every purchase consumers make of Penfolds (PRODUCT)RED designated products - Koonunga Hill tier wines and Thomas Hyland tier wines – during promotional periods throughout the year, Penfolds will contribute 15 percent of the proceeds to the Global Fund to support HIV/AIDS programs in Africa. The Koonunga Hill wines include Shiraz Cabernet, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon, the suggested retail is $11.99. The Thomas Hyland wines are made up of Adelaide Shiraz, South Australia Cabernet Sauvignon, Adelaide Chardonnay and Adelaide Riesling and the suggested retail for these wines is $15.

Although the project has not been met with universal approval, since 2006 $160 million has been generated through (RED) partnerships and events impacting 5 million people with testing, counseling and education. Other (RED) partners have included Apple, Armani and American Express.

[via NY Times]

Tags: penfolds, product red, wine

Antonio Banderas Sings For Unicef

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 4th 2011 at 2:01AM

Antonio Banderas is known for being an actor but as his Broadway career shows, he can sing as well. UNICEF'S Children First album features performances by Banderas, Anne Sofie von Otter, Rebecca Caine, Barbara Hendricks, and the Sylvia Young Theater School Children's Choir. The album is a recording for, about, and in the benefit of children around the world and will be released on January 11, 2011. It sells for $12.99 and $3.00 from the sale of each CD will be donated to support the activities of UNICEF around the world.

Children First is an integrated sequence of songs that describes the human life cycle in music and text. It includes an official song of UNICEF sung by Antonio Banderas and Anne Sofie von Otter (listen to it here). That song, "Children First", and other tracks such as "All of These Things You Are to Me" and "Heaven's Lullaby" have lyrics written by American lyricists Amy Powers, Lisa Freeman and Richard Rudolph and music by Danish composer Carsten Mørch. The album is being released through Naxos Music.

Tags: Antonio Banderas, children, unicef

Ron Artest Raises Over $500,000 By Raffling Off His Championship Ring

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 29th 2010 at 7:01PM

When the Los Angeles Lakers received their championship rings earlier this year player Ron Artest announced that he would would be raffling his ring off to raise money for his Xcel University charity which helps raise money for mental health awareness and treatment. Artest famously thanked his psychiatrist in the press conference after the Lakers won the championship and has been public about his own therapy. Earlier this month Artest presented Pacific Clinics with a $50,000 check.

Artest ended up raising around $650,000 for his ring. The winner was Raymond Mikkael, a father of four from Hawthorne, California. Check out video of Artest and Mikkael here. The rings were created by Jason of Beverly Hills and have some significant details including a small piece of leather from the Game 7 ball set into the underside of each of the rings. Each ring also has the player's three-dimensional likeness sculpted into the side of the ring. The ring's face has two trophies signifying back to back victories made from a custom batch of 16 karat gold (last year's rings were made of 15 karat gold) and 16 oversized round brilliant white diamonds to indicate the 16 Lakers' championships. The rings were designed with Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Tags: Jason of beverly hills, los angeles lakers, ron artest

Departures Offers Pirelli Calendar As An Incentive To Raise Money To Fight Malaria

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 27th 2010 at 11:03PM

As my colleague Jared Paul Stern mentioned earlier this month, the 2011 Pirelli calendar was photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. The calendar has a Graeco-Roman mythology theme and stars Juliane Moore Daria Werbowy, Lara Stone, Erin Wasson and others in a series of 36 black and white photos showing 24 different subjects, including gods, heroes and myths. The calendar is always hard to get a hold of and even more so this year. Departures magazine received a copy of the calendar and they are using it to get donations for the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets.

Departures has partnered with Crowdrise, a fundraising platform created by actor Edward Norton, producer Shauna Robertson and Robert and Jeffrey Wolfe (founders of the quirky online retailer Moosejaw) to encourage people to make a minimum donation of $25 to the Nothing But Nets, a grassroots campaign to raise awareness and funding to combat malaria on http://www.crowdrise.com/pirelli. The donation serves as an entry to win the calendar. The The fundraising effort will run through January 15, with the lucky donor being selected at random on January 16.

Tags: crowdrise, nothing but nets, pirelli calendar, pirelli calendar 2011

Doris Buffett, Warren Buffett's Big Giving Big Sister

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 21st 2010 at 12:02AM

Warren Buffett isn't the only philanthropist in his family. The oracle of Omaha has a big giver for a big sister too. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports on 82-year-old Doris Buffett and her Sunshine Lady Foundation. The article says that she has already given away about $120 million, about half way toward her goal of giving away all her assents in her life time. So far her foundation has helped a variety of charities offering scholarships, help for families in crisis and more on an individual hands-on basis.

The Sunshine Lady Foundation is a private family foundation founded in 1996 by Doris Buffett and each Sunshine Lady Foundation grant is considered an investment in the recipient. The Times-Dispatch article says that big projects have included construction of a Boys and Girls Club, housing for people with intellectual disabilities, college scholarships for abused women, and a college degree program for prisoners.

Warren Buffett has defined the difference between his version of philanthropy and his sister's, saying: "I'm wholesale. She's retail." He praised his sister for her method of changing individual lives saying he is very proud of her. The Sunshine Lady Foundation has volunteers who read about 100 letters a day, vetting them each individually. Check out a video with the inspiring Doris Buffett after the jump.

Tags: doris buffett, philanthropy, warren buffett

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Holiday Shopping Guide: Gifts that Give Back

by Ariston Anderson (RSS feed) — Dec 16th 2010 at 2:01PM

End of year marks a great time to pull out your checkbooks and give to your favorite charities. But even when going through your holiday shopping list, there's always room for more giving. Here are a few gifts that are sure to please anyone on your list, from fashion to electronics, and more importantly allow you to help out a few more charities before the year is up. Here's are roundup of the top gifts that give back in 2010:

FEED x UNICEF Guatamala Bags

Handwoven tribal fabrics continue to make waves this season, with a new line of bags and wallets just released by Proenza Schouler. But to really make a dent this holiday season, go for the latest bag from FEED Projects. The new design made from traditional Guatemalan Ikat fabrics both celebrates women artisans and helps support UNICEF's nutrition programs in Guatemala. Available for $45 at Lord & Taylor stores and online.

Tags: charity gifts, gift guide, gifts that give back, holiday shopping guide

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Justin Bieber Auctions Off Clothing For A Good Cause

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 15th 2010 at 9:02PM

Given the craze for Justin Bieber, I'm surprised that the prices for the auction of clothing, shoes and accessories he wore aren't higher. Clothes Off Our Backs is auctioning off the tween dream's gear including a pair of Muska Skytop II burgundy Supra sneakers he wore while on a golf course, red 511 Levi's skinny jeans worn by singer Justin Bieber at the 2010 Capital Radio SUmmertime Ball and black American Apparel T-shirts worn at a photo shoot. The shirt shown at right carried a bid of $50 last time I checked (size extra small). The auction ends December 20, just in time to make a few Bieber fans' Christmas dreams come true.

Proceeds from the auction benefit Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that partners with local communities to build schools and increase educational opportunities in the developing world. Check out Bieber mentioning Pencils of Promise in his recent interview with Barbara Walters after the jump.

Tags: charity auction, clothes off our backs, justin bieber, Pencils of Promise

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Dallas Cowboys Helmet To Be Auctioned Off For Salvation Army

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 15th 2010 at 4:02AM

3D Pop Artist Charles Fazzino, the Officially Licensed Artist of Super Bowl XLV, has created a unique Dallas Cowboys helmet for a good cause. Fazzino partnered with the Dallas Cowboys to auction off a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork that celebrates the football club's 50th Anniversary season and benefits The Salvation Army.

The silver and blue Dallas Cowboys helmet has been decorated with images that represent key moments in the franchise's history. The piece depicts the three homes of the Dallas Cowboys, the Cotton Bowl, Texas Stadium and Cowboys Stadium and also celebrates members of the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, the players, coaches and front office staff inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and various other benchmarks from the Dallas Cowboys first 50 years. The artwork also includes the Salvation Army shield. Over the last 13 seasons, the Jones Family, the owners of the Cowboys, has dedicated the Cowboys annual Thanksgiving Day halftime show as a national showcase to kickoff The Salvation Army's annual Red Kettle fundraising campaign. The team's association with network television has spawned a donation of $20 million worth of airtime to present nationally televised entertainment extravaganzas that have created a new holiday tradition. Since 1997, the efforts have helped raise more than $1.3 billion for The Salvation Army, while reaching 30 million people annually. This unique charitable relationship is highlighted during the holiday season, but is sustained throughout the year.

Fazzino's helmet is being auctioned off by Heritage Auction Galleries on December 19, 2010 at 10:00 PM CT.

Tags: charles fazzino, dallas cowboys, nfl football, red kettle, salvation army

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