Duet Between Warren Buffet and Jon Bon Jovi for Charity

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The Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy got some surprise entertainment this week as Warren Buffet and Jon Bon Jovi joined together for a duet. The Berkshire Hathaway chairman pulled out his ukulele on Tuesday to sing Bette Midler’s song, “The Glory of Love.” Mr. Bon Jovi, when getting ready for the duet, admitted that, “I’m more nervous now than I’ve been on stadium stages.”

Their performance was intended to emphasize the main points of the private meeting about charitable giving. The lyrics began, “You’ve got to give a little…” Mr. Buffett, with a net worth estimated at $44 billion has encouraged many other wealthy families to give away most of their fortunes to charity.

Jon Bon Jovi, similarly, has done a great deal of charitable work. He heads the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation which offers food and affordable housing to the needy.

Ryan Zimmerman Honored with the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

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Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals third baseman, is going to be honored with the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. This award is presented each year to the major league player who best shows the character of the Hall of Famer – both in his playing and off of the field.

On July 6th, Zimmerman will be honored before the Nationals game against Colorado. He’s being honored for his charitable work with his ziMS Foundation which raises money for multiple sclerosis.

One night a year, Zimmerman is given the stadium to raise money for his charity by hosting a yearly event at the Nationals Park. The event raised more than $300,000 last year.

Zimmerman will actually be the first National or Expo who is being given the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. The award is handed out by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity at Columbia University.

Elton John & Tennis Joining Together to Fight AIDS

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Smash Hit from 2010

If you enjoy tennis, Elton John or assisting foundations that combat AIDS, then you may just be in luck. On October 16th, the 20th annual night of Smash Hits tennis to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force at the Peterson Events Center in Pittsburgh.

In addition to the concert by Sir Elton John, there will be 43 Grand Slam singles championship player in attendance including Billie Jean King, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and Andy Roddick. As Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said when announcing the event this week at City Hall, “We’re really excited about this and we look forward to welcoming fans from all over the country and the world this October. It’s another opportunity for us to showcase our great city, specifically around a sports event. This is clearly a sports town.”

As World Team Tennis commissioner Ilana Kloss joked, “The most interesting thing you’ll see is Elton John playing tennis. He does play in a pro-celebrity set to kick off the evening. … He has a huge forehand, but I always joke with him, saying it’s a good thing he’s got a music career as a backup.”
After Elton John shows the audience his tennis moves, the event will include five sets of tennis: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Watch out for ticket sales starting July 16th. And seats are limited with a capacity of about 7000.

KC Natives Return to their Hometown for Charity Event

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This past weekend, as the crowd anticipated the initial clash between the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals, they were entertained first by a group of Big Slick celebrities hosted by KC natives Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis and Rob Riggle.

The three celebrities hosted the Little K Wiffle Ball Game, which, alongside a celebrity poker tournament, party and auction, supports the Cancer Center at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Teamed up with other celebs, including Jon Hamm and David Koechner, the three funnymen ‘slugged it out’ on the field against athletes both local and professional.
The annual event was established by Riggle and his fellow hometown icons a few years back.

“I’m a parent, and if you’re a parent and you come to Children’s Mercy and you see the work they’re doing, you’re hooked. It got to me,” Riggle said.

 

Firefly Gala for the Good Shephard Rehabilitation Network

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Almost 450 guests attended a recent black-tie-with-a-twist (sneakers are welcome!) gala that was held for the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania on June 2. The gala raised $260, 000 for the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Unit. This unit is the only one in Lehigh Valley for pediatric rehab, allowing children across the country to get specialized care when they need it, regardless of their ability to pay.

The garden party included a firefly theme, arranged by co-chairs Jim Miller (former CEO of PPL) and his wife, Gail. When guests arrived, they were able to purchase keys for two lock-box prizes of Susan Bella Jewelry. The group was entertained by InFusion while enjoying Sodexo-prepared hors d’oeuvres.

In the beautiful dining tent, those in attendance heard a moving speech from Megan Brislin, whose two children received card at the Pediatric Unit. Dinner included beef and salmon and there was dancing and dessert afterwards.

New Platform Newsflash Helping Charities

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Now, there is another, creative way to donate to charities. Dreamkind has just announced that is it launching a new platform that is designed to offer current events in a fun and engaging way.  Every weekday, players will be competing against each other to answer timely questions. The questions will appear at noon EST from Monday through Friday.

Every day, players will pick a charity and they will be playing for this place; Dreamkind will also make donations to the charities designated by the top performing players.  As Dreamkind President Jay Schiffman explained in a press release, “In addition to being a fun trivia game, Newsflash also provides players with a fast and fresh new way to stay on top of the news. If it’s a trending topic, it will be in Newsflash. Each day we feature questions on the latest stories from the worlds of politics, entertainment, sports, business, technology, and national and world news.”

While playing the game each day, players will also develop their knowledge level and skills. Every question in the game will be accompanied by a brief news story, allowing players to stay informed while they have fun and raise money for charities.

Take a look at Newsflash today. http://dreamkind.com/newsflash.

Bernadette Peters Announces Michael Wittenberg Center for Imagination

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bernadetteThe Michael Wittenberg Center for Imagination at the Center for Discovery was just announced by Bernadette Peters, The Center for Discovery and The Monderer Foundation. With CEO Patrick Dollard, Center for Discovery provides individuals with varying disabilities with educational, clinical, residential and social outlets and experiences.

As Bernadette Peters said,“The Center for Discovery has created a remarkable program–unique in the area–that supports the most severely disabled children and adults. Michael was deeply connected to the environment, good health, and the protection of all living creatures. With its focus on promoting wellness and health to expand life’s possibilities for a very vulnerable group of people, The Center for Discovery is the embodiment of Michael’s life passions.”

Carol Turchin Monderer, the CEO of The Monderer Foundation, said, “The Center for Discovery has one of the most current and innovative educational approaches distinguished by a philosophy that celebrates each individual’s abilities rather than his or her disabilities. The Monderer Foundation’s mission is to support multiply challenged children and adults. We are delighted to be involved in supporting The Center for Discovery.”

Patrick Dollard, Center for Discovery CEO, said, “We commend Bernadette Peters for her passion, and we thank her for lending her voice to support The Center for Discovery. Adults and children come here to learn of our responsibility to respect and care for ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our animals, and nature in all its forms. It is for these reasons that we name the heart of The Center for Discovery the ‘Michael Wittenberg Center for Imagination.’ The entire center gratefully acknowledges Bernadette Peters and The Monderer Foundation for their support of The Center for Discovery.”

 

70 Year Old Cancer Survivor Bikes 12,000 Miles for Charity

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Bob Lee is preparing for a solo, 12, 000 mile bike ride down the West Coast of the U.S. in an effort to raise both money and awareness for cancer, ALS research and hospice care programs.

The 70-year old cancer survivor discussed his upcoming challenge:

“The most challenging leg of my ride is asking for donations. We are off to a great start with the generous sponsors and matching fund mechanisms already in place but we need to accelerate our ‘call-to-action’; we need friends to donate now before I saddle up.

I’m not a ‘biker’ and I am not fundraiser, I am more of a peddler with a passion to help conquer disease and support those living with life-threatening illnesses,” Lee said. “This is a purpose-driven ride. The people fighting cancer and ALS, the hospice nurses, and all of the people who are collaborating with me on these rides- they are the ones who give me pedal power.”

The West Coast ride is the third and final part of Lee’s solo charity bicycle ride, which covers the perimeter of the United States. He hopes to raise $1 million once he crosses the finish line over the Mexican border. All donations will support three charities: the American Cancer Society, the Les Turner ALS Foundation, and the National Hospice Foundation.

Take Some, Give Some at the ATM

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In a brilliant new move in the UK, people who are at the cash machine can now donate money to charities while they are withdrawing for their own purposes.  More than 8000 cash machines on the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) group network are now able to accept donations. These donations can be as small as £1 and as large as £150 for eight specific charities.

RBS has put the figures in context, explaining that if only 1% of the people who make withdrawals included a £1 donation, they would be able to raise £6.5m a year.

This is actually just the first phase of what will be a massive government drive in the UK to boost charitable giving. The UK cash machine network plans to enable a hundred million cards to eventually be able to make donations through ATMs.

As Steve Lamshire, RBS senior community affairs manager explained, “Over 2bn ATM transactions were made in the UK last year; and 25% of those are made through our network, so it’s pretty obvious it is a regular part of most people’s daily lives. We know that finances are tight for many people, but if our customers do want to make a donation, we want to make the process as easy as possible for them.”

Making a donation will not get in the way of those who simply want to get to an ATM machine for cash and get out. The donations will either be a separate menu item at the ATM, or they will be a post-transaction option.

Huge Success with Coney Island Coasterthon

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Now here’s an interesting idea for charity. Central Amusement International, Luna Park’s parent company, hosted its first “Coasterthon” that awarded $24,000 to the charity of the person who could ride the Cyclone the longest.

Celebrating the Cyclone’s 85th anniversary a bit early, they welcomed nine nonprofit organizations to bring contestants for a chance to raise money and to have fun. Each charity was given one row on the Cyclone, and for every cycle the team completed the sponsors would donate a set amount towards the charity.  And, of course, Central Amusement International announced the grand prize of $24,000 for the group that stayed on the longest.

Valerio Ferrari, president of CAI, stated “We are thrilled to commemorate the incredible 85 years of the Cyclone with all of these wonderful charities who give back to the community every day.  The park confirmed that the nine participating organizations include: You gotta believe, Alzheimer Association, Special Olympics NYC, New York Cares, Sean Casey Animal Rescue, American Cancer Society, Give Kids the World, Wildlife Conservation, and Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP).”

The Cyclone, which opened in 1927, has been mimicked throughout the world with six exact replicas. The Cyclone on Coney Island includes an 85th foot tall hill with a 45 degree incline and speeds of 60mph.

It turned out to be a hearty group riding the roller coaster on Saturday, June 9th, as eight teams rode the same number of laps – 134.  The eight will end up splitting the $24,000 prize.  The winning charities included Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society Relay For Life, Give Kids The World Village, New York Cares, New York Aquarium, Sean Casey Animal Rescue, You Gotta Believe, and Youth Service Opportunities Project.