By Tim Saunders on
A pledge to walk one of the biggest man-made structures in the world, a successful celebrity auction, a tour of far away places, and a donation of time and energy were just some of the ways celebrities gave to the poor, the sick, and those unable to spend time with their families this Christmas.
Singer Olivia Newton-John met with the founders of Welsh breast cancer charity In The Pink over Christmas to discuss fund raising opportunities, and revealed her plans to walk the length of the Great Wall of China in April. Proceeds from the walk will go to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre in Australia, and the 59-year-old breast cancer survivor will also donate items to In The Pink to auction later in the year.
Meanwhile, socialite Kathy Hilton organized a charity auction over Christmas, featuring a selection of items donated by some of her famous friends. Mel Gibson's jeans, Tom Cruise's sunglasses, and an Ocean’s Thirteen script signed by the movie’s stars, including George Clooney and Brad Pitt, raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“Christmas is my favorite time of the year,” said Hilton, mother of Paris Hilton. “I have worked with Make-A-Wish before, and I wanted to do something really special. Hopefully… I’ll make it an annual event.”
Robin Williams, Lance Armstrong, Kid Rock, and Lewis Black were also busy over the festive season, and joined current Miss USA Rachel Smith on a 14 show tour with the USO in Afghanistan.
The shows were well received by soldiers from all nations, stationed away from their homes and families this Christmas.
“Afghanistan is sometimes called the forgotten war,” said one soldier who watched the shows. “We don’t get a lot of attention here, and conditions are pretty miserable. So it means a lot.”
The USO organized 52 celebrity tours in 2007 – which included over 300 shows.
And in Los Angeles, Jennifer Love Hewitt joined her new fiancé Ross McCall, as well as Melissa Joan Hart and Melissa Gilbert, to dish out dinners to the needy at the Los Angeles Mission.
“I have made it a point to come to the Los Angeles Mission at Christmas,” said the 28-year-old actress. “There are so many hurting people on the streets of our city, but when I’m here I get to see the smiles of the children and the great food for everyone. I come to give something back, but invariably I get more blessings than I give.”
Copyright © 2007 Look to the Stars
