Charlie Sheen to Donate $50,000 to Match Brennaman’s Reds Fund Project

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Last week’s match between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh’s Pirates captured the hearts of fans everywhere thanks to Marty Brennaman’s charitable efforts.

The amount broadcaster had pledged to shave his head if the team won ten consecutive games. He added that the haircut would be done publicaly if fans could collect $20, 000 for the Reds Community Fund, which is ‘dedicated to improving the lives of youth.’

Actors Martin and Charlie Sheen were both present on Friday for the head-shaving event. They visited Great American Ball Park to support the Reds and to celebrate Martin Sheen’s birthday. Upon hearing that Brennaman’s drive generated $50,000 for the organization, the younger Sheen vowed to match that amount. Martin is a Dayton native, and Charlie has been a Reds fan since his childhood.

“The City of Cincinnati has opened its arms to me so graciously and I’m compelled to give something back,” Sheen said. “If this contribution points one kid in the right direction, then we’ve done our job.”

 

Hans Zimmer Composes Song for Aurora Shooting Victim Charity

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Hans Zimmer, the composer famous for his unbelievable movie soundtracks in films such as Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Black Hawk Down, recently released an eight minute song to honor the victims of the Aurora shooting last week. Zimmer composed the music for all three of Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies as well.

On Facebook, he posted:

“’Aurora’ is dedicated to those who lost their lives and were affected by the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado. I recorded this song in London in the days following the tragedy as a heartfelt tribute to the victims and their families. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Aurora Victim Relief organization.”

After mere days, ‘Aurora’ has already become the #1 song by Zimmer downloaded on iTunes. It is available for $1.29.

Reviewers around the country were blown away by the composition.

“Every emotion you can think of was put in this beautifully crafted music that Hans Zimmer provided; anger and sadness intertwined so beautifully. My thoughts are still out to the lives that were taken away. I hope you find peace wherever you are. As well as to the families whose lives are now shattered. My heart and soul go out to you,” one wrote.

 

Style Saves’ Charity Fashion Show

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Back to School Style

Miami Beach is getting ready to host one of the hottest events of the year- but this time for a good cause.

Later today, the SOHO Beach House is launching the Style Saves’ 2nd Annual Summer Fashion Show fundraiser with the help of both male and female swimsuit models.

The event, which features four designer fashion shows, an open bar and a DJ, works alongside the Miami Foundation and local retail stores and boutiques, with the goal of providing South Florida children with new clothing at the beginning of each school year. The effort believes that the outfits will boost children’s self-confidence and help them succeed both personally and academically in school.

The runway show, accompanied by Grey Goose, Moet Chandon, Peroni and Vita Coco cocktails, will exhibit looks from iShine365, Papi, Atrium and Trina Turk. An online auction by Charitybuzz will also be open to guests online via iPads.

Last year’s project, with help from Big Brothers, Big Sisters, provided fifty underprivileged students with new back-to-school styles. This year’s goal is to reach 100 students.

Warren Buffett Lunch Auction Brings In $3.46 Million for Glide Foundation

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Warren Buffett’s week-long charity lunch auction raised $3.46 million for the Glide Foundation of San Francisco this year. The online bidding nearly tripled the price during the last thirty seconds of the event, bringing the price up from $1.23 million, Ebay revealed.

Glide is an organization that provides meals for those in need, and runs a church in Tenderloin district as well. Proceeds from the auction are donated to the foundation each year, while the winning bidder and seven companions join Buffett for lunch at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in NY.

Since its inception 13 years ago, the lunch auction has raised over $14.6 million.

Buffett, a self-made billionaire and the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., has pledged a great portion of his wealth to charity. He was introduced to Glide by his first wife Susan Buffett, who passed away eight years ago.

“I was suspicious when I heard my wife raving about this place in San Francisco,” Buffett shares. “What I witnessed was an institution and an individual that really gave up on nobody,” he said, referring to Rev. Cecil Williams, the founder of the organization.

“They took the people that the rest of the world had forgotten, people who’d given up on themselves, and they felt that every human being had a potential,” he added.”

 

Lady Antebellum Visits Small, Tornado-Stricken Indiana Town

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On March 2nd, a devastating tornado struck a small southern Indiana town, damaging homes and buildings and destroying the local school.

Led by senior Ty Griffin, students from the Henryville Junior-Senior High School participated in an online contest to bring Lady Antebellum to play at the town. Not expecting to win a real visit from the Grammy Award-winning band, the teens were thrilled when the act arrived to surprise them with a private, prom-style show at the downtown arena in Louisville.

According to singer Hillary Scott, numerous high schools applied on behalf of Henryville, including several from Northern Wisconsin and even Henryville rival Silver Creek High School from Sellersburg, Indiana. She added that Silver Creek was the band’s original pick, but the students there gave up the win in support of Henryville’s bid.

“That was just such, honestly, an encouraging thing to think that those high schoolers, that generation, they’re that helpless, they want to help each other that much,” Scott said. “It was definitely an easy decision.”

 

Redlands Symphony Dancing with the Stars Gala Raises $40,000 for Charity

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The 27th annual Redlands Symphony Dancing with the Stars gala just drew to a close, with over 400 supporters participating in the charity auctions and numerous other activities. Organizers have shared that the event raised around $40, 000, which will be used to support the Redlands Symphony Orchestra’s music education programs, as well as the regular season.

“Music changes lives,” explained Paul V. Ideker, President and CEO of Redlands Symphony. “We put on professional concerts for kids to teach them all about music.”

He continued, “We have paid for school buses to bring in students to teach them about the beauty of music. Seeing children that respond to a full orchestra playing classical music is breathtaking.”

The gala, held this past Saturday night, began with two auctions; one silent and one live. A charity dinner and a ballroom dance contest were also highlights of the evening, both supporting the charity as well.

The auctions include items ranging from tires to restaurant gift cards, beauty and spa treatments and tickets to various events. There was a stay at the Mauna Kea Hotel in Hawaii; a trip to New York for two, including flights, hotel stays and several meals; a first class rail trip through Italy and tickets to a David Letterman show.

Dr. Jim Bennett, Cheryl Evans, Fire Chief Jeff Frzier, Kathy T. Maiberger, Shelli Stockton and Erik Laudenslager were all present at the Dancing with the Stars gala, much to their fans’ delight. The contestants’ families and friends all voted in the competition, donating one dollar per vote.

“In the last three years we’ve collected over $150,000 for the symphony’s causes,” Ideker revealed. “That’s just from the $1 votes.”

“It was a profitable night for music, kids and the Redlands Symphony,” said Dave VanLannen, a supporter. “It’s all about the kids.”

8th Annual Charity Dog Wash

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It’s a great idea. You get a clean dog, and needy people get the help they deserve.  For the eighth year in a row, the Lou Bachrodt Auto Mall will be hosting its charity dog wash on June 9th in Rockford, Illinois.

The way that it works is as follows. You bring your dog and enjoy a day of grooming for your four legged friend.  It costs $15 for small dogs, $17 for medium ones and $20 for the larger pooches.  They’ll be using warm water and they even offer nail trimmings for another $5.

In addition to the doggie baths, dog owners can enjoy a cookout, pet vendors who will be selling all sorts of wares, and rescue organizations.  The Kibble Korner Pet Food Pantry will also be on hand, taking in donations of dog and cat food and litter.

All money raised with the charity dog wash will be divided amongst three worthy causes. These include the Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, the PAWS Humane Society and the vet tech program which is at Rockford Career College.

It’s a great idea, benefiting dog owners and those in need, while offering a fun afternoon of sun, food and animal products!  For more information, be in touch with junedogwash@gmail.com.

Restaurant to Donate 100% of Profits to Local Charities

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A new restaurant, called Local Food and Friends, was just established in Kansas with a goal of using only local food, and donating 100% of the profits to charity.

“I did a lot of research and no one had ever tried a concept like this in the United States, so we wanted to try it,” said the owner, Dave Dreiling. “Each month, we’ll pay off all of our bills, then we’ll take what’s left and we think we can generate between $5,000 and $10,000 per month in an average month.”

Each month, the restaurant will support a different local charity. The first is Flint Hills Breadbasket, whose mission is to “minimize hunger and poverty through the distribution of available food and to nurture projects that will help alleviate hunger and poverty.”

Dreiling said, “The needs are really high for the Breadbasket this time of year. We’re very excited to be partnered up with them for the rest of May and all of June.”

Flint Hills Breadbasket’s Maribeth Kieffer said “We were absolutely surprised and we can’t say thank you enough.”

She added, “I think that they are doing a one-of-a-kind thing, starting something that will maybe travel throughout the United States.”

“We’ll happily open up what we’ve done and how we’ve done it. If someone wanted to do this in every community across America, I think it’s a great way of answering how social and how corporate can help solve some of our problems without trying to get the government to do it,” Dreiling said.

 

Businessman Buys Out Closing K-Mart and Donates Store to Charity

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Rankin Paynter, was on an errand to purchase goods for his jewelry exchange business when he saw the local K-Mart was closing. At the cash register, he asked what the store was planning to do with its leftover merchandise. Upon learning that they would be sold to ‘power buyers’, he became one himself, and donated the entire store to charity. He even rented a building to store the items, worth $200,000, until next winter, when they are to be donated through Operation Happiness.

What I see is people coming in my store, needy people sell their stuff,” Paynter, who runs Rankin Paynter Buying Center, said. “It’s bad nowadays. I just told the clerk let’s just give it away to charity.”

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Drew Brees, Matthew McConaughey and Kenny Chesney Team Up for Charity

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This weekend, New Orleans hosted the third annual Amazing Race charity event with Drew Brees, Matthew McConaughey and a special visit from country superstar Kenny Chesney. Chesney joined the actor and Saints quarterback in support of the Brees Dream Foundation and McConaughey’s Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, performing at the House of Blues to end the event.

“We’ve been in tour rehearsals for weeks now so it was great for us to get on stage and feel the energy and feedback from the crowd,” Kenny said. “Tonight was all about playing music to help celebrate this great event. People in this town love music and helping out their neighbor and I was glad to be a part of it.”

Kenny had several duet partners throughout the night, including Brees, McConaughey and a lucky fan who joined Kenny for “Somewhere With You” for $10,000. The Amazing Race is the Brees Foundation’s signature event, with all proceeds benefitting the two charities. Created by Drew Brees and his wife Britney, the organization, as well as the Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, works to provide care and education for underprivileged children and families in the area.

“Kenny has been a dear friend and always expressed interest in working with the foundation. This is such a wonderful way to end the race and his support means the world to us,” Brees and McConaughey said in a statement.