The Hollywood Pledge: Terrell Owens
The Hollywood Pledge: Terrell Owens
During my hiatus, I had the great privilege of working on the Hollywood Pledge. In a nutshell, it’s Hollywoods response to Warren Buffets Giving Pledge and encourages celebrities to ‘give back’ and interact with fans while encouraging them to get involved and spread the Love.
Celebrities who have already taken the H’wood Pledge include Sean Penn, Hugh Jackman, Denzel Washington, Ricky Martin, Jason Taylor, Adrian Peterson, Dwight Howard and his arms, and Terrell Owens.
The launch party for the initiative was held on June 4 at a private home in Beverly Hills. Blake Lewis (American Idol season 6) spun and performed legendary beat-box sounds next to the infinity pool, while inside, invited celebrity Pledges filmed PSA’s for their causes.
And this is where I take a moment to thank Terrell Owens. Because it’s not just about taking the Pledge, it’s about acting the Pledge. While numerous media outlets are praising the celebrities for getting involved, I feel fortunate to have witnessed Love in action. During the event, while T.O was filming his PSA for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, there was a young boy sitting quietly in the corner, not saying a word but you could tell a simply hello from one of his sports hero would change is life. Unprompted, TO stopped the filming, walked over to the boy, knelt down, shook his hand, and posed for a photo. Needless to say, this young boys life-who is a patient at the Children’s Hospital-was changed for the better.
And that’s what I mean when I say give back. Give back love and change the World. It’s simple. We don’t need to ‘raise awareness’ about cancer or any disease, we are all aware, what we really need to do is simply raise the love towards those who are suffering.
Be love.
As always, thanks for reading~
delinda@athlebrities.com
The Best Thing About the Lakers Win?
The Best Thing About the Lakers Win?
I’ve been getting a lot of flack for not being a Lakers fan…as you all know, I cheer for character, so it was hard for me to watch Dwight Howard lose to Kobe Bryant and Gasol. My distaste for the Lakers also stems from the behavior of their fans. Sorry people, but I’d like to hear just ONE Lakers fan give props to an opposing team-any opposing team…but I have yet to see that happen. Instead I witnessed the ‘amazing’ destruction of police cars, burning trees, broken windows and looting in celebration of the Lakers 99-86 victory over the Magic…
But…there are some good guys on the Lakers and perhaps the non-violent and sane Lakers fans will use their passion productively and support Jordan Farmer and his foundation?
Farmar’s gearing up for two days of fundraising to benefit a variety of charities supported by his foundation including Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA, Seeds of Peace Camp, Peres Peace Center Basketball Clinics, and others. The inaugural Jordan Farmar Celebrity Golf Classic and Gala will be held on July 19-20 In Los Angeles…the Gala will be Sunday evening at Ten-Ten Wilshire in L.A. and the Golf Classic will be held on Monday at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California.
At the Gala guests will get to mingle with Jordan and a plethora of invited hotties and celebrities while enjoying the usual party swag- awesome food, music, and auction items to include unique sports memorabilia and event packages…the following day, athletes and celebrities will golf for the greater good. For those interested in a night of fun I highly recommend you purchase a ticket to the Gala because they are only $100.00 and it will be a sell-out. You can’t even go to a Lakers game and get out of Staples Center for less than that, so why not cough up a few bucks to party with some Lakers and their celebrity fans? (For ticket information, call the Jordan Farmar Foundation at 310 473-5445 or visit the website.)
Partial list of hotties invited to Jordan Farmar’s “All White Affair” include: George Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Earvin Magic Johnson, Rob Morrow, Mia Hamm, Flea, Kenny Lofton, Royce Clayton and Darryl Strawberry (Huh? He still around?), UCLA coach Ben Howland, and Lakers’ teammates Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Luke Walton, Trevor Ariza, Derek Fisher, and others.
Hope to see ya there…
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
How to Get a Celebrity to Your Event
How to Get a Celebrity to Your Event
Almost everyday someone askes me: “How can I get a celebrity to attend my event?”
Not an easy question to answer, especially with the slumping economy …but from experience, here’s what I’ve learned…The most important thing is to be a registered nonprofit. Most, if not all, athletes and celebrities won’t touch you unless you’re registered. Unfair, maybe. But since 9/11 a plethora of fakers have popped up to ruin it for those who really are out to do good. There’s really no way around this unless, of course, your best friend is a baller and wants to back you. Which brings me to a massive black-eye in the celebrity charity world…athletes and their foundations. Although not exclusive to athletes, many feel the need to put their cousin or girlfriend in charge of their foundation…Oh god-where do I start? I once flew out of state to attend an event for which I was fully-credentialed for, and when I got there, the 20-year-old gum chewing Foundation PR bimbo handed me a general admission ticket and said ‘this is your credential’…after realizing all the lights weren’t on with this girl, I left with an incredibly bad taste left in my mouth about this particular ‘super-star’ athlete-why would he have someone on his payroll who couldn’t differentiate between a media pass and a general admission ticket? All I can say is leave it to the professionals people…I could spout off a list of celebrities/athletes who’s foundations, PR people, publicists and the celeb themselves couldn’t give a hoot about charity, yet put on an incredibly sincere public persona of a ‘giver’. But I won’t name names, they know who they are…it boils down to character and it’s fairly easy to determine who the good guys are after speaking with those in their camp. Birds of a feather remember?
Once you’re registered as a non-profit, and begin looking for a celebrity to attach to the event, the hard work begins. And don’t be shy. Do your research-find out who the celebrities’ agent, publicist and mangers are. Call them. Email them. Can’t find that info on-line? You’re not trying hard enough! The Internet is your friend…research…find other charities your chosen celebrity might be affiliated with and call them if you need to. The most important thing is to not be shy. Be persistent but polite too. If you get a “no thanks” leave it at that and move onto the next. Can’t find out who represents that baseball player you’d like to attend your event? Simply call the team and ask who his rep is! If you’ve got the passion in your soul to help others, someone will step up and help.
More help for those looking for celebrities to attend their events, comes from celebrity events planning companies. Admittedly, I have NO idea of the cost associated with using one, but I can tell you from experience, this may be the best way to go. And the best of the best is Hollywood Knights International.
After attending many, many events, I can say unequivocally, that Hollywood Knights International is one of the best run and most sincere “full-service celebrity events production and promotional firm.”
The company was founded by the Godfather of pairing celebrities with charities- David Mirisch. When David founded the company it was simply called David Mirisch Enterprises. And this was way back in 1973, long before anyone else was luring celebrities to the golf courses for charity. Eventually, David passed the reins to his son Michael, who took over the celebrity basketball team, renamed it Hollywood Knights and just like that, an institution was born.
Currently, the Hollywood Knights are making our troops happy during their annual USO Hawaii Tour, which runs March 16-22…prior to their leaving, I requested to interview them and as they scrambled to pack up gear for the USO Tour, they didn’t brush me off with a “Oh, we’ll talk when we get back” response, but rather-they were excited to share their love for giving-back with my readers.
The full interview can be read on LOOK TO THE STARS…but in part, I asked…
Michael: What was it like to take over as CEO? Growing up with such an incredible role model (David of course) must have been an amazing experience?
“My father is an icon and pioneer in the celebrity fundraising business. He pretty much invented this genre and at 73, he’s still producing events. He is an incredible role model and it’s been a blessing and my good fortune to have him as a father first and foremost, and also a business mentor,” he told me, “He continues to inspire me every single day. I became CEO when I officially took the basketball team under my wing and infused it with young talent that packed the gyms out with screaming fans.”
Current celebrities playing for HKI basketball for the USO Tour include: Aaron Carter (House of Carters); Frankie Delgado (The Hills, Bromance, Keeping up with the Kardashians); Josh Henderson (90210, Desperate Housewives); James Kyson Lee (Heroes); James Lesure (Lipstick Jungle, Las Vegas); Cody Linley (Dancing With The Stars, Hannah Montana); Venom (American Gladiators); Wolf (American Gladiators); and Aaron Yoo (Friday the 13th, Disturbia).
Michael continues: “The majority of the celebrities with whom we work are charitable people in general, and want to give back to the community. It’s not something you can fake,” said Michael, “Most of our events are not paid personal appearances where the stars receive a fee, so when you see a celebrity at a Hollywood Knights event, they are lending their name to the cause itself. We are so grateful to the countless celebrities that have year after year taken the time out of their busy schedules to support our events and the charities that are involved.”
Vicky Mirisch, Director of Marketing/Public Relations for HKI, explained to me the most rewarding aspect of being part of the organization…“That’s an easy question,” she said, “Raising money to help people all over the world through events that incorporate celebrities, fun, and giving back to the community. There is a feeling of incredible satisfaction after every event we produce because we know at the end of the day countless lives are going to change for the better. There is that quote from Emerson that states: “to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, that is to have succeeded.” This quote hangs in our office and we read it every single day. It really sums it all up for us.”
Among the thousands of stars, musicians, and world-class athletes who have devoted their time and influence at Hollywood Knights International events: Frank Sinatra, Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson, Mariska Hargitay, Coolio, David Arquette, Michael Landon, Merv Griffin, Muhammed Ali, Joe Dimaggio, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Evander Holyfield, Mark Harmon, Matthew Perry, Tara Reid, Fergie, Backstreet Boys, ‘Nsync, Woody Harrelson, Bruce Jenner, Pat Boone, Mario Lopez, Wilt Chamberlain, Gladys Knight, Sugar Ray Leonard, Olivia Newton-John, Pamela Anderson, Shaquille O’Neal, Tony Hawk, Wayne Gretsky, Jimmy Connors, Mike Tyson, Buzz Aldren, Kevin Sorbo, Boyz II Men, Joe Montegna, Haley-Joel Osment, Judd Hirsch and Cylk Cozart.
Here’s just a sampling of what the Hollywood Knights have planned for this year: The Foothill Aids Project Celebrity Bowling Classic (April 09); Kiwanis Club of Simi Valley Celebrity Golf Classic (May); Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Celebrity Fishing Tournament (May); A.G.Spanos Golf Tournament (June); Cedars Sinai Sports Spectacular at the Century Plaza Hotel, California (June); Byron Scott Foundation Gala Dinner in Century City CA (August); The K.I.S. Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament (Oct).
For more info and a list of all events, please visit:
HOLLYWOOD KNIGHTS INTERNATIONAL
Hopefully, I’ve helped some of you out just a little bit? Remember, register as a non-profit; research publicists, agents, managers and PR firms; be persistent yet polite; and most of all, follow your passion. Whether you chose to hire a promotional firm to garner a celebrity, or do all the leg work yourself, it’s a difficult-yet attainable-task and if you remain tenacious, you will eventually land a celebrity or athlete to endorse your event.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Camilo Villegas at Wachovia, Athlete Engineered Skincare Products, AC Milan, Real Wins 31st, Kentucky Derby of Death, Kobe Bryant MVP, Courtside Hotness, Lebron James Crybaby T-Shirt, The Three Ronaldo’s, PETA Lashes Out at Hillary Clinton & Kentucky Derby
ON YOUR KNEES BOY
First-time PGA Tour winner Anthony Kim broke the 72-hole scoring record at the Wachovia Championship this past weekend by finishing 16-under par…awesome. But when Camilo Villegas dropped to his knees on the 15th green during the third round I just about exploded.
MISSION: SUPPLE SKIN ON NASHTY’S FEET
Mission, the first Athlete-Engineered Skincare line launched last week. Josh Shaw, MISSION Product’s Founder and President. “MISSION Product will revolutionize how athletes hydrate, nourish, restore, and protect their skin, whether they’re an Olympic hopeful, a running enthusiast or even a weekend warrior.” Why do we care? Because Steve Nash, among others, have joined the team at MISSION Product and are intimately involved in product innovation and development. “I’m really proud to be a founding athlete with MISSION Product. I use all of our first five products and they are outstanding,” said Steve Nash. “I am especially dependent on our foot gel, which helps re-energize my feet between the regular beatings they take on the court.” And, sales from the sunscreen, foot gel, lip balm, anti-friction cream, and others supports the charities of its athletes, including The Steve Nash Foundation, Oceana, The Mia Hamm Foundation, H2O Africa and more. Check em out.
AC MILAN ME
AC Milan beat Inter 2-1 on Sunday to open the title race with second-placed AS Roma winning 3-0. Inter’s lead has been cut to three points with two games left after Filippo Inzaghi and Kaka scored early in the second half for Milan, who move into the final Champions League qualifying place…and yeah, I know ya’all don’t care ‘bout the scores as much as you do about our emotional babes. “I’m so emotional, we’ve won, Fiorentina lost. We did what Inter should have done,” said Kaka, “They haven’t won the title and we’ve taken a step towards the Champions League. Now everything depends on us.”
And those silly AC Milan fans hung an interesting banner aimed at Inter Milan’s fans…I don’t think I need to translate it.
REAL GOOD
It would have been a great weekend to be in Spain. Real Madrid celebrated the teams 31st league title after a 2-1 win on Sunday. As thousands of fans converged on the famous Cibelas fountain in the Spanish capital, Real’s Raul climbed to the top of the statue and planted a hearty kiss.
MVP
Kobe Bryant, his wife Vanessa, and their daughters Natalia and Gianna also must have had a great weekend after the Lakers’ beat the Utah Jazz in Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals. And it looks like Kobe has just been awarded the NBA’s MVP award for the first time…or has he? The Los Angeles Times says “yes,” citing anonymous sources familiar with the outcome of voting by media members. They also reported that commissioner Stern will be in LA next week to present the trophy to Bryant. But…“We have not been told anything by the league,” Lakers spokesman John Black told The Associated Press.
Kobe rightly deserves the MVP award, so lets not even explore that issue. I dare say the celeb’s in attendance must feel the same way. Courtside hotness: Robert Downey Jr, Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Kevin Connolly (Entourage) and Denzel Washington…at least we know these guys were sitting courtside at the Lakers game and weren’t taking part in the Kentucky Derby of Death.
THE KENTUCKY DERBY OF DEATH
NBC earned a 9.5 overnight Nielsen rating for the race segment of its Kentucky Derby coverage, down 3% from last year’s 9.8. Thank god-I can only pray the ratings continue to drop and PETA opens up a can of whoop-ass on this bullshit and cruel sport. Big Brown won the race, but second-place finisher Eight Belles was euthanized following her less than perfect performance. Perhaps Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post put it best: “Thoroughbred racing is in a moral crisis, and everyone now knows it.”
Speaking of PETA, they are in fact opening a can of whoop-ass-on Hillary Clinton. In a USA TODAY cover story, Halladay & Cherner write PETA sent a letter to Hillary Clinton asking her to “condemn horseracing and chiding her for placing a bet on Eight Belles.” PETA wrote in its letter to Clinton, “I regret to say that your public support of horse racing—and specifically betting on Eight Belles—makes you culpable in her destruction. We cannot call ourselves a civilized nation if we allow any living being to endure such abuse.” PETA also wants Eight Belles jockey Gabriel Saez “suspended for what it says was excessive whipping” and PETA spokesperson Kathy Guillermo said that the group is also “calling for a ban on race training for horses younger than 3 and the mandatory use of synthetic track surfaces, considered by many to be safer.” Rest in peace Eight Belles, rest in peace.
CRYBABY
I will never order pizza from anywhere else except Papa John’s-even though they apologized for the distribution of “No. 23 T-shirts emblazoned with the word ‘Crybaby’ and the [chain’s] logo” during Cavaliers-Wizards Game Six Friday night. Priceless. The shirts reference Wizards babe Brendan Haywood calling LeBron a crybaby for complaining, “about hard fouls from Wizards players he thought were intended to injure.” To make up for ‘unintentionally’ reiterating the fact that Lebron is indeed a crybaby-Papa John’s said it will sell customers pizza’s for 23 cents and will donate the $0.23 from each pizza sold and an extra $10,000 to the Cavaliers Youth Fund.
RONALDO, RONALDINHO, CRISTIANO RONALDO
First of all, I think it’s important to clarify the Ronaldo’s out there. We’ve got Cristiano Ronaldo (L), the Portuguese hottie currently kicking the ball with Man-U; then we’ve got Ronaldinho©, the Brazilian beast from FC Barcelona (and NOT to be confused with one of the trannies that Ronaldo picked up) and finally, the trannie loving Ronaldo, the Brazilian AC Milan striker who is now in hiding after embarrassing himself by picking up hookers who ended up being transvestites. Ronaldo is denying it-but- according to rumors, his endorsement contracts are dropping him quicker than his wife should. Ronaldo was reported to have been dumped by phone company TIM, who declined to comment on the rumors but said they “are analyzing the situation.” His TIM deal is worth $4.8M and includes a clause that allows the company to “unilaterally end the deal if Ronaldo [is] involved in negative publicity.” Nike also reportedly is “reviewing a lifetime endorsement deal with Ronaldo worth around” $100M. Damn, poor guy, $104.8M and he didn’t even get laid…
As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.com
