Academy Award-nominated actress, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Hathaway, and Lifetime Networks are set to be honored at Cracked Xmas, the 11th annual fundraising event benefiting The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The event will be held on Sunday, Dec. 7 at The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

Weaver, who has never hesitated to take roles that positively defy stereotypes and help bridge the gap between the straight and LGBTQ communities, will receive The Trevor Life Award. The Trevor Life Award annually honors an individual who, through his or her example, support, volunteerism and/or occupation, is an inspiration to LGBTQ youth. Actress Anne Hathaway of “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Devil Wears Prada” will present Weaver with the award. Past recipients include Ellen DeGeneres (2007), Debra Messing and Megan Mullally (2004) and Rosie O’Donnell (2003). Weaver’s roles in the films “Jeffrey” and “Infamous” demonstrate her support of diverse, inclusive films that convey messages of equality to broad audiences. Moreover, Weaver’s performance as Mary Griffith in the upcoming Lifetime original movie, “Prayers for Bobby,” drives home a message about the harmful and potentially life-shattering effects of intolerance and homophobia.

“I feel grateful and humbled to be honored with the Trevor Life Award, and to be recognized as an ally to the LGBTQ community,” said Weaver. “I hope that films such as ‘Prayers for Bobby’ will send messages of compassion and acceptance to all people, and compel them to create safer, all-encompassing environments for our young people.” 

Lifetime Networks, a leader in women’s television that consistently produces and distributes relatable and diverse programming for its audiences, will receive The Trevor Hope Award. The Trevor Hope Award annually honors a company or organization that, through its policies, initiatives and other efforts, demonstrates a commitment to LGBTQ causes and is a prominent, public example of corporate acceptance of individuals regardless of sexual orientation. Past recipients include Clear Channel Communications (2007), HBO® (2006) and Wells Fargo (2004). Lifetime Networks’ groundbreaking, original movies such as “What Makes a Family,” “The Truth About Jane,” “A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story” and “Prayers for Bobby” send messages of hope and encouragement to LGBTQ youth across the country.

“We are truly honored that The Trevor Project is recognizing our diverse, inclusive programming slate and our commitment to sharing stories that generate critical conversations and open doors to understanding and acceptance,” said JoAnn Alfano, executive vice president, entertainment at Lifetime Networks. “We believe in the mission of The Trevor Project and are proud to include real and positive representations of the LGBTQ community in our shows and original movies.” 

“We are delighted to honor Sigourney Weaver and Lifetime Networks, since they both demonstrate the courage and conviction to break the barriers of stereotype and intolerance,” said Charles Robbins, executive director and chief executive officer, The Trevor Project. “Sigourney Weaver and Lifetime provide inspiration to young people and families who will see films such as ‘Prayers for Bobby’ and understand the importance of celebrating diversity and life.”

Cracked Xmas annually brings together top entertainers to help raise the financial resources necessary to fund The Trevor Project’s programs and services. Selma Blair, Leslie Jordan, Wanda Sykes and the cast of the Tony Award-winning rock musical, “Spring Awakening,” are among guests scheduled to appear.

About The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is a non-profit organization that operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. The Trevor Helpline, 866-4-U-TREVOR, is a free and confidential service that offers hope through its trained counselors. The Trevor Project also provides lifesaving guidance and vital resources to parents and educators in order to foster safe, accepting and inclusive environments for all youth, at home and at school. The organization was founded by three filmmakers whose film, “Trevor,” about a gay teenager who attempts suicide, received the 1994 Academy Award for Best Short Film (Live Action).

CLICK HERE! To learn more about The Trevor Project!

As part of Polar Bears International’s Project thermo-STAT, Duhamel encourages viewers around the world to take actions that can reduce carbon footprints; impacting the future of polar bears

Actor Josh Duhamel traveled to the shore of the Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, where polar bears assemble annually to await the freeze up. He joined elite polar bear scientists Dr. Ian Stirling and Dr. Steven Amstrup, members of the Scientific Advisory Council of Polar Bears International, a non-profit organization devoted to worldwide conservation of the polar bear through support of research and education.

“I’m blown away by the beauty of seeing these awesome creatures up close and personal,” says Duhamel. “I wanted to see the effects of climate change and confront the contradictory claims about polar bears first-hand. The plight of the polar bear is a symbol of what’s going on globally.”

In an effort to alert the world that higher temperatures are having an immediate and negative impact on polar bear conservation due to global warming, Polar Bears International (PBI) launched project thermo-STAT (TM). The initiative was comprised of programs that involve a wide range of participants worldwide. Project thermo-STAT core components include the Arctic Ambassador Centers, the PBI website’s CO2 calculator and the Leadership Camp.

Known as the “Godfather of polar bear research,” Dr. Ian Stirling shared his latest findings with Duhamel about the decline in the polar bear population. The latest data shows that polar bear body weight has dropped 20% over the last 25 years. Polar bears are smaller and therefore at a higher risk of losing cubs during birth.

“I don’t see a lot around me to be optimistic about,” shared Dr. Stirling. “I have to believe that humans as a species will come to a global consensus that this is the most serious thing that’s happened in recorded history, and we must do something about it collectively.”

After touring Cape Churchill via Tundra Buggy and helicopter, Duhamel met with the Manitoba Minister of Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport, as well as Churchill locals during a celebratory event. Duhamel pledged to share simple steps with the world to make people aware of our global impact on the bear and their habitat, and recorded a public service announcement for PBI while on the Canadian tundra.

“In Los Angeles especially, we have got to travel more efficiently,” Duhamel said. “Reducing electricity as much as possible, and eating locally-grown, organic food are easy actions to take for most of us.”

CLICK HERE! To learn more about Polar Bear International!

Ben Affleck is talking to children and aid officials in refugee camps in war-torn eastern Congo in an effort to raise awareness of the conflict that has displaced at least 250,000 people. The actor has visited the Central African country four times since 2007 and also has made a documentary about its problems. 

“I’m not an expert in international affairs or diplomacy, but it doesn’t take that to see the tremendous suffering here,” he told The Associated Press on Thursday in Goma, the regional capital. “It’s not something that we as human beings can, in good conscience, ignore.”

Years of sporadic violence in eastern Congo intensified in August, when fighting heated up between the army and fighters loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda. Some fear the current crisis could once again draw in neighboring countries. Congo’s devastating 1998-2002 war split the vast nation into rival fiefdoms and involved half a dozen African armies.

“I’m really glad that more people are paying more attention to (Congo) now but I’m really saddened that it’s taken this uptick in violence to make that happen,” Affleck said. ”The primary reason I am here is to urge people to give money to the NGOs and charities doing hard work in eastern Congo on meager funds,” he said. “And if people out there have an existing relationship with a charity, to urge that charity to get involved in eastern Congo. To let people know, ‘Don’t just read the horror stories in the newspapers and turn off.’”

Affleck said he first became interested in Congo a few years ago, when Hollywood’s attentions began to focus another African crisis, Darfur. After doing more research on Africa, he was shocked to learn about Congo’s four-year war, during which an estimated 5 million people died.

“I thought a lot of people are advocating on Darfur. I’d just be a very small log on a big fire. I started getting interested in Congo and I thought, this is a place where I can have a really big impact,” he said. 

Decades of instability and conflict mean everyone in Congo has a compelling story to tell. And the country’s stunning landscapes _ rolling green fields, riotous fields of flowers, sparkling lakes and even a moodily smoking volcano _ deserve their own starring role. Would Affleck consider putting Congo on the big screen?

“It’s a big story,” he said. “I think you’d have to make it about one person, and their story, their journey through the political reality here.”

Qatar has teamed up with Robert De Niro and other founders of New York’s Tribeca Film Festival to host a similar annual event starting next year in this small, oil-rich Persian Gulf nation. The announcement is part of a broader trend of rival, wealthy Gulf countries launching high-profile cultural and sporting events to attract international attention and outside investment.

“The Tribeca Film Festival Doha is destined to become a major annual event in world cinema,” said Abdullah al-Najjar, the head of the Qatar Museums Authority, which is leading the effort from the Qatari side.

The oil-rich capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, launched its first film festival last year _ competing for attention with a similar event in its fifth year in the rival city of Dubai. The organizers of the Doha festival, which will be held for the first time in November 2009, said they hope it will build up understanding between Arabs and the rest of the international community.

“We hope that film will not only be used as a form of entertainment at Tribeca Film Festival Doha but play a role in bridging cultures closer together,” De Niro said in a statement issued Sunday announcing the initiative. “By learning each other’s stories, we can see how much we share in common as well as explore and better understand our differences.”

The festival in Qatar will be modeled after the original in New York City, which is going into its eighth year. The event will feature about 40 movies by both established filmmakers and newly discovered talent. The festival has also been designed to feature the local Qatari community, as well as broader Arab culture. Many countries in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, censor films and occasionally ban entire movies. It is unclear how censorship might affect the festival in Qatar.

The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2001 by De Niro, film producer Jane Rosenthal and her husband, Craig Hatkoff, in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. The festival’s initial purpose was to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan through an annual celebration of film, music and culture.

“In addition to the positive cultural implications, this initiative (in Qatar) underscores the enormous potential of the entertainment market in the Middle East and the strategic importance of the region to the future of the film industry,” said Hatkoff, a real estate investor and philanthropist.

Actress Gabrielle Union traveled to Ghana recently as part of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s mission delegation trip designed to help reduce the rate of breast cancer among women in the country. She also joined Ghana President John Kufuor for a dedication ceremony at the new HopeXchange Medical Center, a state-of-the-art breast cancer diagnostic and treatment facility in Kumasi. Nearly 70 percent of all Ghanaian women who have breast cancer don’t see a doctor until the disease is in advanced stages. Essence spoke to the extremely articulate Union about her trip abroad, how breast cancer has affected her own life, and why this issue is so important to her.

ESSENCE.COM: What was this experience, traveling to Ghana as part of the Komen for the Cure delegation, like for you?

GABRIELLE UNION: Traveling to Africa as an African-American, or just as an American, on the more “privileged” side of things is always an eye-opening, life-changing experience. It always puts everything in perspective for me.

ESSENCE.COM: Did you encounter any breast cancer survivors in Ghana? What was that encounter like?

UNION: I met at least 50-60 survivors, which was important because in Ghana, there are so many myths and rumors floating around saying that if you get breast cancer, your life is basically over. So it is important for women to see these survivors. Also, there are a lot of consequences for women in Ghana who are diagnosed with breast cancer. For instance, these women may have their husband leave them, their daughters may not be able to get married off, and they consider it a curse on the family. It’s thought of as something you did wrong, so we always included survivors to show that if you do have breast cancer, you can beat it and you can live.

ESSENCE.COM: You were there with President Kufuor when the HopeXchange Medical Center opened last week. How do you believe a facility like this will make a difference in these women’s lives?

UNION: We were able to tour the hospital prior to the celebration with President Kufuor. There are only two mammography machines for literally every 2 million patients. Overcrowding is the biggest understatement. I saw with my own eyes what they’re dealing with at one of the major hospitals in Ghana and it was unbelievable. What we deal with in terms of health care in the U.S. pales in comparison to what people encounter around the world, especially in developing countries. It really put the importance of a hospital of this caliber into perspective for any patient who needs long-term care to treat conditions such as AIDS, malaria or breast cancer. The HopeXchange Medical Center will make a huge difference in these women’s lives.

ESSENCE.COM: How did you get involved with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure mission?

UNION: I got involved in the breast cancer movement two years ago when one of my closest girlfriends was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She was underinsured and needed money for treatment and medications. I instantly became active in fund-raising to help her and then became passionate about making sure other people didn’t have to go through what she did. I wanted to make sure that people have the access to health care, support groups, counseling and whatever is needed as they battle this disease. Susan G. Komen then reached out to me and asked if I would become a Circle of Promise Ambassador. I jumped at the chance and eventually became a Global Ambassador. While I was just in Africa advocating for breast cancer, my aunt was diagnosed with the disease. So the fight continues…

The need to get the word out and help raise funds for research and treatment is definitely an urgent one. By going to Ghana and seeing firsthand that African women are suffering and dying at an alarming rate from the disease is terrible because I know if caught early, breast cancer is treatable and survivable. It just makes me want to help that much more.

ESSENCE.COM: What are some of the issues you believe Ghanaian women face when it comes to receiving breast health and breast cancer care?

UNION: The biggest thing is the lack of equipment needed to do things like mammograms, and there aren’t enough trained technicians to get out there and help people in the rural communities. There are tons of women that live too far to get treatment. We need to get the word out about early detection. In Ghana and other developing countries, by the time these women get to the hospital, their cancer is so developed and the mortality rate is high.

ESSENCE.COM: Why go all the way to Africa to help Black women affected by breast cancer?

UNION: Part of my work with Susan G. Komen for the Cure is with the Circle of Promise, which works with Black women in the United States. But I realized that, surprisingly, much of the numbers and statistics for breast cancer in the U.S. are very similar to countries in Africa. If we really want to call ourselves a sisterhood or brotherhood, then we have to recognize the plight of the women in Africa is our plight as well.

CLICK HERE! To donate to Susan G. Komen for the Cure!

Kim Kardashian is opening up her closet for a good cause. Kim’s outfits and accessories are up for auction on eBay. A portion of auction proceeds will benefit The Dream Foundation, the world’s largest “wish granting” organization for adults battling life-threatening illnesses. Here’s what Kim just posted on her website:  

Kim says, “I have a fun announcement to make to all of you and you get to hear it here first too! Starting Thursday, May 29th, at 7 PM Pacific Time, I am launching my first ever ebay charity auction. I love the Dream Foundation, and as a way to give back, I am offering my fans the chance to bid on some of my outfits, shoes, handbags, and much more, all of which will have part of the proceeds going straight to them. We have some things from Khloe and Adrienne too. We have the preview page up now at eBay, and I am calling this “Kim’s Closet“. You can get to the page now by clicking here ebay.com/kimscloset, and you can enter your email address to get a special notice when the auction is live. Part of the fun of eBay is getting a good deal, so in the spirit of bidding, I am starting everything at 99 cents with no reserve! I also just recorded a video talking some more about the auction and my personal connection to the Dream Foundation. Would love to see some of my fans also sell some of their items on eBay for the Dream Foundation too.”

CLICK HERE! To learn more about The Dream Foundation!

 

John Travolta and Kelly Preston brought a little bit of Hollywood to their hometown and even more money to the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County on Friday night. A VIP reception and film screening for the new animated movie “Bolt,” in which Travolta provides the voice of the namesake canine star, raised $55,000 for the local youth organization. Travolta announced the total on a stage just off the red carpet, and the figure prompted the hundreds of spectators in the Hollywood 16 parking lot to erupt in cheers and applause. Then Travolta smiled that Travolta smile, paused and added, “And just because I’m in a good mood, I’m gonna add another $10,000 to that.” The crowd went wild. Travolta and Preston then disappeared into the movie theater to join about 200 people who paid between $100 and $250 per ticket to see the animated dog comedy alongside the county’s most famous couple. The VIPs also included 40 local kids from the Boys & Girls Club, as well as the club’s director Jerry Lane, who stopped to collect his thoughts outside the theater.

During an induction ceremony at the United Nations in New York City, academy-award-winning actress and activist Charlize Theron has been named a U.N. Messenger of Peace and will work with the Secretary-General’s Unite to End Violence against Women campaign.The South African actress has worked to improve the lives of impoverished women and children, especially those with HIV/AIDS, in her homeland through her foundation, the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. She has also spoken out against sexual violence against women. In choosing Theron, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said she has used her “voice, compassion and special relationship with the public to create a better world.” At U.N. headquarters, Theron told reporters she is humbled by the appointment. She said growing up in South Africa, where violence against women is rampant, she cannot ignore the issue. Theron said change comes one person at a time, particularly through education.

“It starts with entering one rural community, one school at a time, and giving them the tools, the education, the understanding that raping a virgin does not cure HIV, that you cannot wash a condom and use it twice - these are things we take for granted in our everyday lives. When you are dealing with a country, especially in the rural parts of Africa, you cannot take anything for granted,” said Theron.

The United Nations said, worldwide, one in five women will become a victim of rape or attempted rape during her lifetime. At least one out of every three women is likely to be beaten, forced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime, and more than 80 percent of trafficking victims are women. Charlize Theron joins nine other U.N. Messengers of Peace, who advocate on different issues for the organization. Among them are actors George Clooney and Michael Douglas, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel. 

A charity concert designed to aid people made disabled by the May 12th earthquake is scheduled to be held on November 29th in the Bird’s Nest, also the first show to be put on there after the Beijing Olympic Games. Co-sponsored by the China Disabled Persons Federation and the China Foundation for Disabled Persons, the upcoming concert carnival is the fifth such welfare gala performance ever since it was launched five years ago.  A-list showbiz stars, including Jackie Chan, Li Yundi, Song Zuying and Li Yuchun will headline the concert. Chinese Olympic champions and disabled artists are also expected to appear. One of the biggest charity activities held each year ahead of the International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3rd, the carnival has previously raised more than 40 million yuan for charity purposes. The May 12th earthquake in southwest China’s Sichuan province claimed nearly 70,000 lives and left millions homeless. Among those who are still hospitalized, at least 6,000 have been diagnosed with permanent disabilities.

CLICK HERE! To learn more about the China Disabled Persons Federation

CLICK HERE! To learn more about the China Foundation for Disabled Persons (different from above)