Celebrity help
Wednesday 27 January 2010
Charity singles, telethons and big donations – many well known celebs do what they can to help people in need.
Celebrity help
Back in 1984, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure put together a charity supergroup called Band Aid. The band, which featured musicians like U2, George Michael, Duran Duran and David Bowie, recorded the single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The single managed to stay at No.1 for five weeks and sold more than three million copies!
Since then celebrities have made an effort to help those affected by a disaster:-
- In 2004, more than 30 musicians including Dizzee Rascal, Ms Dynamite, Daniel Bedingfield, Chris Martin and Sugababes joined together to re-record the 1984 Band Aid single to raise funds for Darfur.
- After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Norah Jones, Ben Affleck, Madonna and Leonardo DiCaprio took part in a concert to raise funds for those who were affected.
- In 2005, Jay-Z and P Diddy pledged $1 million to American Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Haiti appeal
The Haiti earthquakes have left 200,000 people dead, 194,000 injured and 1.5 million people homeless.
You can help those affected by the earthquakes by donating a little bit of cash to DEC and UNICEF. Take part in our debate and tell us whether you've done anything to help.
Celebrities are doing their bit too.
Everybody Hurts
Simon Cowell may be known for wearing high waisted trousers and making snide remarks on X Factor, but what he’s really famous for is being a musical genius. The mogul has managed to pull together a string of artists to sing on a cover version of REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’.
Get ready for this - Cheryl Cole, Joe McElderry, Alexandra Burke, Leona Lewis, JLS, Mika, Robbie Williams, Take That, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Susan Boyle and more, are currently in the middle of recording the single. The proceeds will be split between Helping Haiti and DEC.
A release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, so watch this space.
Hope for Haiti Now
Last week George Clooney and Wyclef Jean presented a telethon in aid of the disaster. The show, which was organised in just one week, featured more than 100 celebrities who answered phone pledges. Some of the stars on the panel included Robert Pattinson, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna and Taylor Swift. So far, Hope for Haiti Now has raised over £35 million.
Alicia Keyes, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Shakira and JT all performed on the night. The compilation album of their performances is now the no.1 iTunes album in 18 countries!
Here are some of the highlights from the show.
Oxfam auction
The auction of the year goes to Oxfam. The charity has set up an online auction on eBay to raise funds for its Haiti appeal.
Major celebrities have donated some of their own personal items to make sure it’s not just any old auction. Coldplay donated a jacket worn by Chris Martin and Arctic Monkeys contributed one of their guitars. Also on offer are VIP tickets to Glastonbury, jewellery signed by La Roux, a signed Florence and the Machine limited edition poster and more.
Get bidding! The auction ends on 2nd February.
Big donations
Don’t ever say that celebs aren’t generous. A whole bunch of them have donated their own money to different organisations to help the victims of the quake.
Brangelina were one of the first to donate. They gave $1 million (approximately £620,000) to Doctors Without Borders, an organisation that deals with emergency medical operations in Haiti.
Striker Thierry Henry donated £50,000 to Helping Haiti. “It is devastating to see such widespread pain and suffering. I'd urge all people to join the cause in trying to help the survivors rebuild their shattered lives," he explained.
Even P Diddy’s son helped out. Justin Combs, who just turned 16 years old, donated $10,000 of his own birthday money to Yele Haiti.
