Matt Damon, Bono and Lebron James on Entourage
Matt Damon, Bono and Lebron James on Entourage
The greatest performance in Matt Damon’s career occurred on the season finale of HBO’s ‘Entourage.’ In the episode, Damon tried to convince Vince (played by Adrian Grenier) to use his celebrity status and travel on a mission to Ohio to help fight hunger among children for Damon’s ONEXONE organization…Vince couldn’t go but Damon wasn’t about to let him off easy… Showing true dedication to the charitable cause, Damon asked Vince to donate money in a sequence of phone calls and conversations that escalate at times to a heated exchange of words…Damon even hit Vince up via a conference call with Bono, who also hounds Vince into donating because it’s “for the kids.” Simply priceless.
Of course, this isn’t the first we’ve seen of Entourage supporting celebrities and their causes…most recently, Tom Brady appeared in an episode-and while he didn’t plug ‘his charity’ he was playing in a charity golf event. And I expect much more celebrity cameos for charity in the following months. Why? Because it’s become very trendy to be a ‘giver.’ Now, this doesn’t mean that the giving is insincere, it just means we’re going to have to examine what’s inside the heroes we worship in order to figure that out. Sure, it may be difficult to decipher who’s sincere and who’s in it for the glory, but if you do your research you’ll find that most celebrities and athletes who are in the spotlight for their generosity have been doing charitable work for years. Let’s take for example…um, I dunno, Lebron James? Lebron also dropped a cameo in the Entourage finale…which I find highly suspect. Coming from the man who said the only thing he needs to donate to his hometown is an ‘appearance’, I ain’t buying it for a second. In my opinion, Lebron doesn’t care about any cause except that which furthers his image. Athletes making cameos for charity is trendy, hence his appearance. But hey, if it brings attention to Damon’s ONEXONE organization then I guess it’s worth it.
Props to Entourage for stepping it up for the causes…they’ve even set up an ‘Entourage’ page with behind the scenes videos of the actors lending their voice to the cause. But massive props to Matt Damon for effectively getting his message across with a flawlessly funny performance.
This clip rolled at the end of the Entourage final, after Damon has hounded Vince for a check. Be warned, lots of CUSSING it in….
Here’s another clip of Matt Damon directing Adrian (Vince) Grenier as he shoots a PSA for ONEXONE while Jeremy Piven tries to keep the peace…as seen on HBO On Demand… again, lots of profanity…
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Celebrity Poker Events
Celebrity Poker Events
Just about everyone is playing poker these days, yet I’m still astonished that more people aren’t taking advantage of the most underused tool for celebrity encounters…yes, its called ‘celebrity poker’ and its called that for a reason.
One of the most well-known celebrity poker events is ‘Ante Up for Africa’. The annual event- founded in part by Don Cheadle- has raised thousands and thousands of dollars for charity, while giving poker players the opportunity to sit at the felt alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood. I’ve covered many such events- witnessing everyone from the casual poker player to the diehard card-shark walk away with the main prize after paying a ridiculously low entry fee. Most events keep the entry fee low because they want you to play and they want you to win…they don’t want the celebrity to win. Celebrities are there to raise money for the charities involved and to interact with the players.
Aside from winning cash, celebrity poker ‘pots’ are chock full of other goodies…for example, if you live in the LA area and want tickets to see the Lakers or U2 in concert, why not gamble a low entry fee (for charity) and poker-it-up at the AM570 Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament?
The AM570 Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament will be held Sunday, November 8 at the Hollywood Park Casino. Doors open at 6PM…$150 Buy IN, $75 Re Buy…celebrities are still being announced but so far they’ve got 15-year NBA veteran and ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ contestant, John Salley (above): former LA Dodger, Steve Garvey; WWF Diva and ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ runner-up, Torrie Wilson (above-right); and former NFL player, Christian Okoye. Hosted by Joe Grande…so what’s in the ‘pot’? CASH, tickets to see Kobe, the Boys In Blue Playoffs, the Clippers, Bruins vs. Trojans, tickets to see U2 in concert and much more…additionally one of a kind sports and music memorabilia will also be on-site for a special charity auction.
A great game of poker, the opportunity to meet sports legends, a chance to win CASH and many great prizes and most of all- this event will benefit several children’s charities in the community. Please visit the site for more info and buy your tickets soon, it’s expected this event will be a sell-out.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Hard Hats for Humanity
Hard Hats and Hotties for Charity?
Love this one…Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity is auctioning off autographed hard hats for charity… more than 70 hats have been signed and donated for the charity auction…bid on hard hats signed by such artists/humanitarians as U2, Ricky Martin, Justin Timberlake, The Jonas Brothers and more… while there are no “athlete” signed hard hats on the chopping block, I can’t resist anything Bono related, especially when I see him swinging a hammer and building a house. Ditto goes for Ricky Martin.
“I have had the chance to personally give the keys to several families moving into homes sponsored by the Ricky Martin Foundation in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, an organization I’ve been involved with for many years. I’ve been fortunate enough to see with my own eyes the difference a home makes in the life of a child,” said Ricky Martin. “Now, by simply bidding on an item in an auction, you have the chance to change lives and build hope.”
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles launched the online auction today at Clothes Off Our Back…the auction will run through March 6th at 5:00 pm PST with 100% of the proceeds helping to build more affordable homes in Greater Los Angeles. “Through our non-profit organization, Music for Relief, and our ongoing partnership with Habitat for Humanity we have had the opportunity to not only sponsor homes, but also to go and build the houses ourselves, and to meet the families that were moving into them,” said Dave “Phoenix” Farrell of Linkin Park. “We hope this hardhat auction will raise awareness for Habitat’s mission and help raise funds for families in need.”
The following is a partial list of celebrities who have autographed hardhats for the auction: 30 Seconds to Mars, Alejandro Sanz, Carrie Underwood, Chris Pine, David Archuleta, Enrique Iglesias, Gavin Rossdale, Governor Schwarzenegger, Green Day, Kate Beckinsale, Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Kellan Lutz, The Jonas Brothers, Josh Groban, Justin Timberlake, Kyle Howard, Linkin Park, First Lady Maria Shriver, Michael Johns, Miley Cyrus, Neil Diamond, Ne-Yo, the Pussycat Dolls, Ricky Martin, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Third Day, U2, Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron. A complete list of celebrity supporters of this auction can be found at the auction site: CLOTHES OFF OUR BACK.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com