Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Celebs stepping up to help Haiti

There are so few class acts in the celebesphere that I feel compelled to underline their good deeds when the occasion presents itself. 

Sandra Bullock has donated $1 million to Haiti relief, following the lead of George Clooney and Brangelina. That is some serious dough. These are examples of celebs stepping up to the plate when called to do so by devastating events. They have the means and influence to make a difference and some use these wisely. 

I've always liked Sandra Bullock. She's a gifted comédienne and strikes me as a person with integrity which is so rare in show business. She's also a bona fide celebrity, not one of those fame whoring faux celebs who are too numerous to count.

George Clooney and Wyclef Jean are also organizing a telethon to air this Friday evening at 8 pm across multiple networks to collect funds for several non-profit aid agencies on the ground in Haiti. They've gathered a few of their famous friends to help out.

Events such as the Haiti earthquake certainly put things in perspective. It's a reminder that the world does not revolve around celebrities and their latest movie/TV show/conquest/divorce/plastic surgery, etc..., and that other people on this planet are merely surviving or doing critical work toward the betterment of humanity with no publicist to advertise them, no makeup artist to beautify them, no stylist to dress them and no agent to represent them. 

It also calls into question our values as a society. We readily acquiesce to entertainers and athletes being paid ludicrous amounts of money while doctors, teachers, firefighters, police officers, aid workers, etc... are paid a pittance. 

It's a good thing loaded celebs are stepping up. Frankly, we've given them that responsibility. They're the ones with the serious coin, and that's our doing. 

For my Canadian readers, if you'd like to contribute to the aid effort for Haiti, the following organizations have been recommended by the Department of Foreign Affairs:

Canadian Red Cross www.redcross.ca
The Humanitarian Coalition – www.thehumanitariancoalition.ca
Unicef Canada www.unicef.ca
Doctors Without Borders https://msf.donorportal.ca

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