Hugh Jackman Launches Coffee Company for Charity

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By DouglasPosted In: FamilyTagged: , , , ,

Dukale's Dream

In a recent interview, Hugh Jackman, a self-proclaimed “coffee snob,” discussed both his love for coffee and admiration for Paul Newman and his company Newman’s Own, which donates millions of dollars to charity.

Perhaps Newman’s Own served as an inspiration of Jackman’s new coffee and tea company, which raises money for charities in support of families, children and education. Throughout the interview, Jackman listed several reasons for his new project, including the importance of a good cup o’ Joe.

“If I’m buying it, I want a great cup of coffee,” he explained. “If you can have a great cup of coffee and the profits of that company are actually going back to different charities, I think it’s a win-win for everybody.”

He admitted that his interest in the field was not only a result of coffee indulgence. While on tour as an ambassador for World Vision, Jackman met an Ethiopian coffee farmer named Dukale. The man’s hard work struck a chord in the X-Men actor, and he began to picture simple projects that could greatly improve the lives of coffee farmers.

When he returned home, he teamed up with a Barry Steingard, a friend with more than two decades in the coffee and restaurant industries, to create a Laughing Man Worldwide subsidiary; Laughing Man Coffee & Tea. 50% of Coffee & Tea’s are sent to Laughing Man Worldwide, which donates 100% of its funds to charity.

Joe Anderson’s Donation Tips the Balance

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2012 Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest

We should all have friends like Joe Anderson of Benovia Winery in Florida.  On February 24th and 25th, the 2012 Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest raised money to donate to three charities that benefit children’s health care in the Southwest Florida area.  In total, the event brought in $2 million net.

Anderson Pledge

Joe Anderson pledged $100,000 and inspired many other bidders to continue making donations.  The event itself, in addition to the astronomical sums that it raised, was a place to enjoy.  The NFL Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders were there, dancing and encouraging auction goers; Cliff Williams of AC/DC was in attendance; and a Danica Patrick look-a-like was making the rounds.  The event, which took place at the Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club included professional auctioneer Scott Robertson, voiceover artist Chris Corley and NBC-2’s Kellie Burns.

As Steve Machiz, M.D., the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest founding chairman, said

“We exceeded our expectations again this year, thanks to our very philanthropic supporters. We netted $1.6 million last year. The trustees, dinner hosts, wineries, chefs and donors really stepped up to take this event truly over the top. I am always amazed by the generosity of the wonderful people attending Wine Fest.”

Helping Those in Need

Most of the proceeds from the event this year will go to the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Their neonatal intensive care unit will get nine new incubators called the GE Giraffe baby incubators.  These incubators mimic the mother’s womb and are vital for babies in intensive care.

The Edison State College will receive funds for its pediatric nursing program and the Florida Gulf Coast University will receive for its music therapy program.

Famous Dave’s Rib Tasting Benefits Veteran Museum and Heritage Center

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Famous Dave’s BBQ has teamed up with the Northern California Veterans Museum and Heritage Center (NCVM) to launch a charity rib-tasting affair in Redding, California. The barbecue restaurant and caterer’s Rib Team has won awards in over 500 competitions throughout the United States.

The event, which was held in the Trader Joe’s shopping center, featured the barbecue’s famous hickory smoked St. Louis spare ribs, Texas beef brisket, Georgia Chopped Pork and numerous signature sauces and flavors from Famous Dave’s. There were also barbecue and country roasted chicken dishes, BBQ sandwiches, burgers, salads and side dishes.

The event began mid-afternoon and ended when the ribs ran out, which a five-bone limit per guest. Famous Dave’s requested a $1.00 donation for each rib, or a ‘Buck-a-Bone’, and all the proceeds were donated to the NCVM.

“We always look forward to hosting these events where we are able to talk to our guests face to face while they enjoy our slow-smoked and flame-kissed ribs,” Famous Dave’s Chris Hazeleur said before the event. “This is a great opportunity not only for us to get to know our guests better, but for our guests to have the chance to taste our signature barbecue. We invite everyone to get sauced!”

Denver Bronco Safety Quinton Carter Making a Difference

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By M. MarksPosted In: PovertyTagged: , , ,
Quinton Carter

Quinton Carter

It’s always heartwarming to see famous people who are doing good deeds.  Denver Bronco safety Quinton Carter is one of these.  Last Friday, he joined other NFL players and celebrities for a two-week charitable trip to Uganda and Tanzania with Pros for Africa.  While there, they will dig water wells and offer hearing aids and food to people in need.

Carter was looking forward to the trip to Africa and expected to be joined by other NF players including Larry Fitzgerald, Vernon Davis, Tommie Harris and Santonio Holmes. In his unassuming manner he said,

“I hear Miley Cyrus is going to be there, so that’s pretty star-studded. I’ll feel like a regular person on the trip.”

Carter has been waiting for two years to be part of this charitable trip; he was unable to participate while in school at that time. Now, he was very excited to be part of something so special.

As he said,

“It’s the smiles. When you see those smiles, you just know you touched people. Seeing people cry because you touch them, it’s an unexplainable feeling.”

He continued, “I’m just doing what I can, the least I can do. It goes to show you the power that athletes and entertainers and people with influence have. Even if you’re not a big star – like I’m not a big star – but it’s crazy the influence I can have in a positive light on people.”

Carter is always amazed by the many opportunities that he has to change lives.  As he said,

“It’s crazy to me because it’s so simple and all it takes is some time. If everybody just puts in a little bit of time – a little bit of time – and a conversation, it goes a long way. You’ve just got to be focused and have some people around you that have that same common goal.”

Jack Johnson Supports the Kokua Hawaii Foundation

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Jack Johnson, singer, songwriter and former surfer, recently announced a new album to benefit a Hawaiin environmental charity called the Kokua Hawaii Foundation. The album, entitled Jack Johnson and Friends – Best of Kokua Festival, will feature live recordings from performaces of the last six years, including tracks with Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, Dave Mathews and many others.

Johnson also launched a Kokua Festival benefit concert in Hawaii last month, pledging the proceeds from recording sales to the cause, which works to promote green education in schools throughout Hawaii.

Lastly, Johnson will tour Hawaii alongside John Cruz and Paula Fuga, performing in seven intimate, all-acoustic gigs, also to benefit the Kokua Hawaii Foundation.

This is a video made by Jack Johnson and the Kokua Hawaii Foundation last year:

‘Storage Wars’ Staff Aids Charity Storage Auction

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This past February, a non-profit managed to raise $5,000 in five days with the help of the film crew and stars from TV show Storage Wars. Charity Storage launches self-storage auctions at U.S. Storage Centers throughout Southern California, and donates the money to local and national charities.

In short, storage operators choose a storage unit in which to collect the donated goods. Tenants, auction buyers, residents and businesses alike can all donate and receive a tax deductible receipt. Once the public auction takes place, the Charity Storage unit is sold alongside others, with the sales money forwarded to charity.

“This is a blueprint for how we hope the entire self-storage community across America will react to Charity Storage,” said Lance Watkins, co-founder of the organization. “It was well planned and well executed, and there were so many winners: US Storage Centers, charities and the industry in general. It’s a great way for self-storage owner-operators to give back to their local communities. This is just the start to what we hope will be a highly successful year.”

Westport Properties founder and owner Barry Hoeven is also the co-founder of Charity Storage and ‘Kure It’, a cancer research organization. He explained that the “Storage Wars” stars contributed greatly to the success of last month’s auction.

“The presence of ‘Storage Wars’ celebrities and their film crew contributed to the higher-than-usual bidding, as did the contents of one antique-filled unit,” Hoeven said. “But this was certainly a great illustration of the impact Charity Storage can have as we implement it nationally.”

Ronald McDonald House Charities Makes Huge Impact

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Ronald McDonald House Charities

The Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) has recently awarded nine grants that total $2.3 million to other nonprofits that work with children in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the US. The list of the organizations that received the funds, and the amounts that they received include: $627,637 to ReSurge International; $454,312 to Curamericas Global; $450,000 to IVUmed; $302,400 to The State University of Iowa; $200,000 to East Meets West Foundation; $179,800 to Lwala Community Alliance; $50,000 to Wyman Center; $43,600 to INMED Partnership for Children; and $23,000 to Surgeons of Hope Foundation

The funds that are being donated will positively impact on the health of mothers and children in a vast range of locations from Peru and Kenya to Nepal and Nicaragua.

As Alan A. Harris, M.D. professor of medicine, hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Disease, Rush University Medical Center and RMHC Board of Trustees member said, “Today, children face a range of health problems, from malnutrition to malaria, to HIV/AIDS, to surgical conditions and physiological issues stemming from peer pressure or abuse. While the barriers and problems vary by region, one thing remains clear: the need to help vulnerable children and create lasting change for them must continue to be a priority for those who can afford to help. RMHC grants help families by moving donation dollars quickly through to programs serving children around the world.”

RMHC has been helping other charities since 1974, trying to assist families and children in getting the care that they need.  They invest in longstanding non-profit organizations and assist with organizations that make large impacts.

As Susan W. Hayes, the president and CEO of ReSurge International said,

“More women are severely burned each year than are diagnosed with HIV and tuberculosis combined. Through this partnership, we look forward to providing sustainable medical care, resources and education regarding burns to communities worldwide.”

The Barefoot Foundation Founder Shakira Nominated for Charity Award

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Shakira, the Colombian singer and dancer beloved by nations worldwide, was recently nominated for a charity award in Spain.

The Prince of Asturias Concord award is presented to individuals “whose work has significantly contributed to fostering peace, the defense of human rights, freedom, solidarity, the safeguarding of heritage, or, in general, the progress of humanity.”

Previous recipients include Stephen Hawking, the renowned scientist, and J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series.

Shakira is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, as well as the founder of the Barefoot Foundation, having created its partner, the Pies Descalzos Foundation, when she was only 18 years old. This past year, the organization raised funds to build schools in Colombia and Haiti.

The Barefoot Foundation works to provide education to children across the globe. It supports practical and innovative education programs while promoting the importance of childhood education.

The organization believes that “Education is the key to a better world for everyone, not just underprivileged children. Education is not just books and facts; it is also social and emotional growth.”

The Barefoot Foundation “helps children exercise their basic right to an education, paving the way for their growth in society.”

According to their website, the foundation works “with boys and girls whose lives have been disrupted by violence and poverty hoping that someday we will no longer lose young human potential to poverty, malnutrition and violence.” They add that “Simply providing teachers and schools is not enough when children are faced with extreme poverty, so we work to ensure that they do not learn with empty stomachs and broken homes.”

Ex-Service Amputees Climb Kilimanjaro to Support ‘Pilgrim Bandits’

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John Sandford-Hart and Corporal Ricky Hatten at Kilimanjaro's Peak

On February 23rd, twenty seven men volunteered to climb Mount Kilimanjaro- the highest peak in Africa. And these were no ordinary men- four of them were ex-military and single leg amputees from Pilgrim Bandits.

The volunteers, including Lance Corp. Johno Lee, Corporal Ricky Hatton, Rifleman Chris Parks and former REME John Sandford Hart, not only sponsored their own trip, but raised additional funds for the charity as well. The Pilgrim Bandits Kilimanjaro challenge may have raised up to $15,830, with another similar event planned for later this year.

A charity of the New Forest, Pilgrim Bandits is an organization that aims to finance a number of challenges for amputee service men and women. The challenges encourage the amputees to push both their physical and mental abilities while raising money for additional ex-forces amputees to do the same. The events also promote awareness of the daily struggle amputees must cope with despite their impressive training and remarkable self-discipline.

Rhys Jones, an organizer who followed the expedition, said “Killi is the highest walkable mountain in the world, but it is a tough climb, a real challenge for anyone let alone someone with a prosthetic leg. It’s been a tough week for all involved and a real inspiration.”

Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation Is Born

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By JohnPosted In: EducationTagged: , , , , ,
Born This Way Foundation

picture from advocate.com

Lady Gaga just unveiled her latest venture – and it had nothing to do with a wacky outfit or outlandish head dress.  She is rolling out a new youth foundation with her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. Called the Born This Way Foundation, she launched her plan on February 29th, 2012 at the Harvard University Sanders Theatre.  The Harvard University Berkman Center for Internet and Society and the Graduate School of Education are teaming with Lady Gaga in this new venture.

The Born This Way Foundation is a nonprofit charity that plans to “foster a more accepting society, where differences are embraced and individuality is celebrated.’’ It has three pillars which include Safety, Skills and Opportunity.

The charity roll-out at Harvard was no small affair. Gaga was joined by Oprah Winfrey, spiritual leader Deepak Chopra and the US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at the launch.

She explained that

“The goal of the Born This Way Foundation is to challenge meanness and cruelty by inspiring young people to create a support system in their respective communities,’’ she said. “This is about changing . . . the school environment, and not putting the power in the hands of the teachers or the government.’’

She emphasized that it is not, exclusively, an anti-bullying charity, but much of the talk at the launch did focus on cyber bullying and other issues.

Oprah Winfrey explained her excitement about the new foundation. As she said,

“What is exciting to me is that thought leaders have gathered together as one force to ask why does bullying and violence and hatred against young people continue in our society and what we can do about it.’’

Time will tell how the foundation fulfills its mission. At the moment, it’s certainly a breath of fresh air and a venture that has promise, from one of America’s most popular and powerful superstars.