andPOP » Charity

Snoop Dogg Guest Hosts ‘Price Is Right’

andPOP Staff — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:23:28 +0000

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Snoop Dogg helped Drew Carey cohost “The Price Is Right” today. It’s all part of charity week for “The Price Right.” His appearance raised $72,585 for the Snoop Football League, reports MTV.

“The Snoop Youth Football League is something that we created over seven years ago and it was put together to try to help the inner city kids with all the gang violence and drugs and negativity,” Snoop said in a post-show interview. “We wanted to put something in the community that would be positive, they could do that could be here 20 years from now. A football league is very productive and its positive and it keeps a lot of kids out of trouble and it shows them how to organize and work together.”

It is funny to see the whitest man in the world, Drew Carey, with the blackest man in the world, Snoop Dogg, hosting the same show. We live in a wonderful and cool time.

Snoop Dogg on The Price is Right – Funny video clips are a click away

Harry Potter’s Rupert Grint Taking It Easy

andPOP Staff — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:07:14 +0000

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Rupert Grint is taking it easy after the Harry Potter franchise, and he’s spending time trying to find his next role.

He tells the Mirror, “I have not been in too much of a rush to do anything really. It has been nice to catch up on a few things and have a bit of freedom. I did a film earlier this year called Comrade, a Second World War movie set in Norway – that was pretty cool. Apart from that I have just been relaxing.”

However, Rupert is spending some time giving back. Just Jared Jr. reports,

“Rupert joined the fam, who lost their mother a few years ago, at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter earlier last month, where they enjoyed a few Butterbeers at Hog’s Head, and accompanied them to Ollivander’s wand shop at Hogsmeade. The special was a part of ITV’s 2011 Noel’s Christmas Presents special.”

Yet another example of why red heads are not necessarily evil.

Nicki Minaj Turns Into a Doll

Natalia Buia — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:48:08 +0000

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The people that brought us Barbies for the past 50 years, are the same people who will soon bring Nicki Minaj to toy shelves across the world.

Mattell has announced they will create a one-of-a-kind replica of the pink haired rapper for charity. The Hollywood Reporter says that starting next Wednesday, bidding for the doll will begin at $1,000.

The proceeds will all go towards Project Angel Food, an organization that provides food for people affected by HIV and AIDS. This isn’t the first time the charity has auctioned off famous dolls. Janet Jackson and Rachel Zoe are stars that have turned into one-of-a-kind Barbies.

It will be really exciting to see what kind of eccentric outfit the Nicki doll will wear. Billboard claims they will post a photo of the doll sometime later today.

Ke$ha Becomes Humane Society Ambassador

Natalia Buia — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:34:09 +0000

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If there’s one thing Ke$ha loves more than glitter it’s animals.

Known for riding elephants in music videos and wearing feathers onstage, the pop singer jumped at the chance to become the first global ambassador for the Humane Society.

In an interview with MTV, the starlet said with her new found role, she hopes to raise awareness on shark finning and cosmetics that test on animal.

“I take this opportunity incredibly seriously because we are ALL animals. One of the main underlying sentiments of my music is to respect all living creatures just as they are.” the Animal singer said in a recent statement.

It seems Ke$ha gets a bad rep for being the ultimate party girl, when in reality, she spends a lot of time and energy into organizations including the Human Rights Campaign, where she just designed a t-shirt for charity. Ke$ha shows as much love for humans as she does for animals. Back in May, she donated 1,000 pounds of pet food to a local shelter after floods devastated her birthplace of Nashville.

Miley Cyrus Makes A Difference in Haiti

andPOP Staff — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:25:40 +0000

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Miley Cyrus is making a difference in Haiti by helping the Starkey Hearing Foundation hand out hearing aids.

“This second mission to Haiti was just as impactful to me as the first one,” said Cyrus. “I grew up around music and couldn’t imagine what it would be like for my siblings and me, if we couldn’t hear the magic of music. It’s had such an influence on my life, that I just want everyone to enjoy sound as it was intended.”

Miley is proving she is grounded and has a caring side.

50 Cent Wants Lady Gaga, Bieber and Usher Endorsing Energy Drink

andPOP Staff — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:43:55 +0000

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50 Cent is trying to get Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Usher to endorse his energy drink to help aid hunger relief in Africa.

50 is committing profits from his Street King drinks to provide food for one billion kids in the impoverished continent by 2016.

And 50 is confident he can pull it off.

He says, “It sold out, the first 4,000 shipments in stores in like, 50 states, is sold out… and I was being conservative, because of the actual pre-orders, I was actually able to feed 2.5 million today and I already have interest expressed by other a bunch of people like Usher, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Drake… so we’re looking forward to building bigger and better things.”

Shakira’s New Charity Mission

andPOP Staff — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 21:36:21 +0000

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Shakira has a new charity mission to help the YMCA education programs for Hispanic youths in Miami.

The Colombian singer’s Barefoot Foundation has teamed up with her boyfriend’s soccer team FC Barcelona. Shakira’s boyfriend is George Pique.

Shakira said when announcing the partnership, “Hispanics in the United States have everything to gain. We have the talent, we have the will. I truly think that with more education and more sports, we can achieve the unthinkable. We can have the ball on our side of the court.”

Adele Gives Money To Charity and Loved Ones

Christian Allaire — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:30:57 +0000

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Adele gives her money to charity and loved ones, reports Contact Music.

The jazz and blues singer claims she does so because she knows what it is like to struggle.

The 23-year-old singer claims she has had a tough upbringing, so after skyrocketing to fame, she wishes to help those in need.

“The cash has started trickling in, but I don’t come from any money so I help people. I give money to charity and to friends and family,” she says.

Adele hopes to take a break from making music soon, though, and insists she won’t hire help once she is on vacation.

“I have an assistant but I do my own washing. My auntie cleans for me, but I love a good clean as well,” she says to Britain’s Glamour magazine.

“And when all these squillion pounds come in, I’m having a f***ing break so I won’t need any help… I don’t need assistance getting myself to the pub.”

Just another reason to love her – very humble and hardworking. She definitely deserves a break too, and every penny she earns.

Eva Longoria Learning Sign Language To Communicate With Deaf Fans

Christian Allaire — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:05:55 +0000

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Eva Longoria is learning sign language, reports CTV.

The ‘Desperate Housewives’ star, who just released her cook book ‘Eva’s Kitchen,’ is apparently learning sign language so she can communicate with her deaf fans.

Speaking at the 9th Annual GLAD Benefit Extravaganza, which was held in support of the deaf, Longoria said:

“I’ve had a lot of deaf people who have bought my book and I’ve been able to talk to them about what my favourite recipe is and what to cook.”

Because of personal experiences within her own family, the actress says she is is prepared to help people from deprived social groups and commit herself to various charities.

“I come from a diverse background of people with special needs, because of my sister, so I’m happy to bring my voice to this cause.”

Longoria’s sister, Elizabeth, has Down’s Syndrome and her parents are of Mexican descent. Longoria has had to deal with both discrimination against disabilities and minority groups.

“I always think it’s important to bring awareness to minority or a minority population and whether you’re Latino or black or a woman or deaf, it still falls into that category of needing support from people who aren’t normally around this type of population,” she tells Hollyscoop.

What a heart of gold. I love the activism and charity efforts that Longoria often engages in. She’s always been my favourite ‘Housewife,’ but now I have even more reason to love her.

John Rich Wins ‘Celebrity Apprentice’

Christian Allaire — Mon, 23 May 2011 14:50:44 +0000

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Country singer John Rich went all the way to winning ‘The Celebrity Apprentice,’ reports Billboard. Rich won $250,000 for charity.

Rich was up against actress Marlee Matlin on Sunday’s finale of the NBC reality show, but proved victorious.

Host Donald Trump said it was his toughest ‘Apprentice’ ruling yet. ”I’ve never had to go through something like this… You’ve both been amazing,” Trump told the pair before announcing his choice on the live portion of the program.

This season began in March with 16 contestants, each competing in business-oriented tasks around Manhattan to raise money for and publicize their favorite causes. The final challenge had called for competing promotional campaigns for a brand of soda.

Rich of the duo ‘Big & Rich’ won a $250,000 check for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Matlin had been playing for the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

‘Celebrity Apprentice’ will be back yet again next season. I personally wanted Star Jones to win this season – her ruthlessness was both admirable and entertaining.

Bristol Palin To Star In New Reality Show

Christian Allaire — Mon, 09 May 2011 18:45:35 +0000

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Great……

Bristol Palin, daughter to the infamous Sarah Palin, is set to star in a new reality series alongside her ‘Dancing With The Stars’ castmate Kyle Massey, reports Perez Hilton.

Palin and her son Tripp will be moving in with Massey and his brother Chris, from ‘That’s So Raven.’ The group will be filmed on the BIO show working for an unnamed charity.

“Bristol is the kind of personality BIO is drawn to. Her personal life has been playing out in the media for several years but this will be the first time she’s opening up her real life, with her and son and her friends the Massey brothers,” says Executive Vice President of Programming for A&E and the BIO Channel David McKillop.

Okay. Well, at least they are doing it for charity, so it’s not completely useless. But I think the charitable think to do here, Bristol, is to stop appearing on my television set.

Taylor Swift Turns Rehearsals Into Charity Event

Christian Allaire — Sat, 07 May 2011 15:30:01 +0000

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Only Taylor Swift could turn rehearsals into charity gold.

The country/pop star will give fans an early taste of her upcoming ‘Speak Now’ Tour for a very good cause, reports MTV News.

The singer announced on Friday that she will allow fans to buy tickets to the final dress rehearsal of her tour to benefit communities devastated by tornadoes in the South in late April. Swift has been preparing for her upcoming tour over the past five weeks at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, which will be the site of the ‘Speak Now … Help Now’ benefit.

“I was watching the coverage of the tornadoes backstage at rehearsals, and I wanted to do something for the families affected by the damage,” Swift told the Associated Press. “I’ve never opened a rehearsal to the public before, but I felt that inviting my fans to the last rehearsal for the Speak Now Tour would be a great way to raise money.”

The songstress added that the benefit will be different from her other live appearances, and she is still hammering out the kinks of the production.

“We will probably still be doing some fine-tuning to the show that night, since this will be a true rehearsal, but I feel like it is so important for me and my fans to help if we can,” she said.

Swift’s ‘Speak Now’ Tour is set to kick off May 27 in Omaha, Nebraska. The Grammy-winning superstar also just unveiled her latest video, ‘Mean,’ which can be viewed below.

What a sweetie, that Swift is. I’m sure she’ll raise a lot of money over this, as every fan that I know is an absolutely-100-per-cent-crazy-pay-any-price-for-tickets fan, so I’m sure she’ll have no problem selling tickets for this event.

Britney Spears To Host Charity Dinner

Christian Allaire — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:30:10 +0000

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Britney Spears will be hosting a charity dinner for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, reports E Online.

The pop star may be getting ready to kick off her Femme Fatale tour next month, but that doesn’t stop her from having a heart of gold.

Spears will be hosting a fancy dinner next week, titled ’An Evening of Southern Style’ on May 11 in Beverly Hills. The sit-down dinner at a private residence will benefit the St. Bernard Project, an organization that continues to help Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

The group has already rebuilt homes for more than 350 families with the help of 32,000 volunteers, but as we all know, there is much more to be done.

“I am so honored to be a party of this cause,” Spears said. “Louisiana will always be a part of my soul.”

Spears won’t be the head chef in charge, but her professional chef dad Jamie will be. Papa Spears’ menu will include Louisiana shrimp and grits, jambalaya and soft shell crab fish fry, among other things.

For tickets, visit stbernardproject.org. The United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area has agreed to match the first $100,000 in donations.

What a great cause and idea – just goes to show that Spears has a real genuine heart. Despite all her crazy antics and questionable fashion choices, she is a nice, normal, southern girl deep down.

The comeback queen kicks off her tour on June 16 in Sacramento, California with guest star Nicki Minaj. The 26-city gig finishes up August 13 in Toronto (which is when I will be attending, SO excited.)

Donald Trump and Jerry Seinfeld Feud over Barack Obama

andPOP Staff — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:22:33 +0000

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Yet another celebrity feud – this time it’s between Donald Trump and Jerry Seinfeld. Donald is pissed that Seinfeld pulled out of a charity event, and he has called him out in an open letter.

According to Page Six, Seinfeld was scheduled to attend a Sept. 13 event for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Eric Trump Foundation. However Seinfeld has pulled out over remarks Donald made regarding President Obama.

“I just learned you canceled a show for my son’s charity,” Trump wrote to Seinfeld, “because of the fact that I am being very aggressive with respect to President Obama, who is doing an absolutely terrible job as our leader.”

“We don’t care that you broke your commitment,” he continued, “even though the children of St. Jude are very disappointed, and despite the fact that your manager clearly stated you are ‘truly a man of his word.’”

Adding insult to injury, Trump took a shot at Seinfeld’s NBC show, ‘The Marriage Ref,’ which Trump appeared on last year.

“What I do feel badly about is that I agreed to do, and did, your failed show, ‘The Marriage Ref,’ even though I thought it was absolutely terrible,” Trump wrote. “Despite its poor ratings, I didn’t cancel on you like you canceled on my son and St. Jude. I only wish I did.”

So this feud does have some merit, as it seems to be politically based. However leave it to Donald Trump to make it a childish pissing match. We side with Seinfeld.

Apple Employees Release a ‘It Gets Better’ Video

Christian Allaire — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:15:22 +0000

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Just another reason to love Apple.

Apple has released an ‘It Gets Better’ video on YouTube, aiming to seek equality for the LGBT youth and community. The video, which can be viewed below, has employees speaking of their upbringing and experiences where they’ve been discriminated and victimized for their sexual orientation.

I love when corporations do good, which Apple often does. A lot of today’s mega businesses are just out to make money, but Apple often takes the time to slow things down and focus on what needs to be done in society. They’ve focused on environmental issues, donated money to charity, and are now focusing on social equality. Props to them!

Common Opens Up His Studio for Charity

andPOP Staff — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:35:19 +0000

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Common is opening up his studio to raise $50,000 to help kids in high risk communities.

Common has partnered with Tonic.com on the initiative by launching a donation drive starting now to April 16, the day of the gala for his charity Common Ground Foundation.

“Our foundation has grown over the years, and is very dear to my heart just as much as my career,” Common said. “One of the things I always say to people is to ‘strive for greatness in any and everything you do,’ and the women we are honoring represent that and so much more.”

There are different levels of prizes. Fans who donate between $1 and $25 dollars can enter to win an autographed pic from the artist. The ballers who donate between $501 and $1,000 will be entered to win a phone call from Common and one lucky donor who donates more than $1,001 will be entered to win a chance to sit in on a studio session with the singer while he records his new album.

Not a bad deal!

“Songs for Japan” Album Released

Christian Allaire — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 16:10:35 +0000

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Songs For Japan has been released on Friday, March 25 - a compilation album to benefit the ongoing disaster relief efforts in Japan. The album is available for purchase worldwide on iTunes for $9.99, and 100 per cent of the proceeds go to benefiting the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Lady Gaga, Eminem, Pink, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry are among the many artists that appear on the album. In total, 38 artists lent songs to the album, including every and all types of music from country to rock to pop and jazz.

All acts appearing on Songs for Japan – and their labels and music publishers – have waived their royalties and proceeds from the worldwide sales to the Japanese Red Cross Society. The Japanese Red Cross Society will use funds from the album to support its ongoing relief efforts and recovery assistance to Japan’s most affected areas by the earthquake and tsunamis.

Here’s the track list for Songs for Japan, according to Apple:

1. John Lennon, “Imagine”
2. U2, “Walk On”
3. Bob Dylan, “Shelter From the Storm”
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Around the World”
5. Lady Gaga, “Born This Way”
6. Beyoncé, “Irreplaceable”
7. Bruno Mars, “Talking to the Moon”
8. Katy Perry, “Firework”
9. Rihanna, “Only Girl (In the World)”
10. Justin Timberlake, “Like I Love You”
11. Madonna, “Miles Away”
12. David Guetta, “When Love Takes Over”
13. Eminem (featuring Rihanna), “Love the Way You Lie”
14. Bruce Springsteen, “Human Touch”
15. Josh Groban, “Awake”
16. Keith Urban, “Better Life”
17. Black Eyed Peas, “One Tribe”
18. Pink, “Sober”
19. Cee Lo Green, “It’s OK”
20. Lady Antebellum, “I Run to You”
21. Bon Jovi, “What Do You Got?”
22. Foo Fighters, “My Hero”
23. R.E.M., “Man on the Moon”
24. Nicki Minaj, “Save Me”
25. Sade, “By Your Side”
26. Michael Bublé, “Hold On”
27. Justin Bieber, “Pray”
28. Adele, “Make You Feel My Love”
29. Enya, “If I Could Be Where You Are”
30. Elton John, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”
31. John Mayer, “Waiting on the World to Change”
32. Queen, “Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)”
33. Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody”
34. Sting, “Fragile”
35. Leona Lewis, “Better in Time”
36. Ne-Yo, “One in a Million”
37. Shakira, “Whenever, Wherever”
38. Norah Jones, “Sunrise”

The great thing about today’s technology is that it can be combined with charity efforts on a global scale. I think this is a great cause and great concept – iTunes is one of the hottest markets right now, so why not use it for good? I know many young people who don’t exactly have the money to donate, but I’m pretty sure we all have money on our iTunes account, so this little bit can help in a major way.

Shakira Accepts Harvard Artist of the Year Award

Christian Allaire — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 03:56:11 +0000

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Grammy Award-winning singer Shakira was honoured by Harvard University on Saturday with its 2011 Artist of the Year award, according to CTV News.

The Harvard Foundation, the university’s centre for intercultural and science initiatives, honoured Shakira for her charitable contributions and “distinguished history of creativity,” said foundation director S. Allen Counter.

Shakira, who has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, accepted the award in person and challenged Harvard students to do more to improve education in developing countries. Shakira is a proud founder of the Barefoot Foundation, which aims to provide education and nutrition to children in poor-conditioned areas of her native Colombia. She is also a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador.

Previous winners of the Harvard award include Sharon Stone, Will Smith, Jackie Chan and Herbie Hancock, just to name a few.

It makes me glad when celebrities do good with their fame and use their notoriety to solve bigger issues. Not only am I a fan of Shakira’s music, but I am a huge fan of her as a person. If you have all that time and money to throw around, you might as well help solve a world crisis or two. Her hips may not lie, but those who call her ‘just another music star’ sure do.

Jake Gyllenhaal Spotted with Camilla Belle

Megan MacKay — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:42:59 +0000

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dSomewhere in the world Taylor Swift is having a MAJOR hissy fit!

Love and Other Drugs star Jake Gyllenhaal was spotted hanging out with actress Camilla Belle at a charity gala this Saturday night when things took a turn for the COZY!

“They were talking intimately and laughing,” an eyewitness says. “There really seemed to be chemistry, a connection.”

If the two end up hooking up, this would be the SECOND hottie Ms. Belle has stolen from country star Taylor Swift. It’s rumored that Joe Jonas dumped Taylor in a 27-second phone call to be with Camilla, only to break up with her as well months later. Taylor has penned many songs about Camilla’s man-stealing ways, including “Better than Revenge,” a fan favourite track off of her latest album, Speak Now.

Some choice lyrics:

“she’s not a saint and she’s not what you think/she’s an actress/ she’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress…she should keep in mind there is nothing that I do better than revenge.”

Ouch! We can’t wait to hear the song to come out of this one!

Halle Berry Opens Up About Her Traumatic Childhood

Megan MacKay — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:58:14 +0000

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The beautiful Halle Berry is best known for dazzling audiences on the big screen, but few know about her childhood battle with an abusive father in a violent home.

In an interview with CNN, Berry opens up about her past in the hope that it will bring the issue of domestic violence into the spotlight. Berry spent the beginning of her life watching her father physically and mentally abuse her mother before blossoming into the on-screen siren we know today.

“I’ve spent my adult life dealing with the sense of low self-esteem that sort of implanted in me. Somehow I felt not worthy,” Berry, now a mother herself, explains. “Before I’m ‘Halle Berry,’ I’m little Halle…a little girl growing in this environment that damaged me…I’ve spent my adult life trying to really heal from that.”

Berry dedicates an enormous amount of her time to the Jenesse Center, a shelter in Los Angeles that takes in abused women. She also renovates low-cost apartments to provide a new home to victims and their children as they get back on their feet.

Watch Berry’s interview on CNN here:

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2010/12/14/exp.am.intv.berry.cnn