Archive for the Charities Category

Dustin Lace Black Honored In SoCal For Mentoring Gay Youth

Soldiering On
Posted by: Trent on June 14, 2009| 11 Comments

Despite the fact that explicit NSFW images and screencaps from a sex tape have made their way to the Internets earlier this week, Dustin Lance Black is not letting the drama bring him down or curb his work. DLB was on hand at the Sunset Gower Studios here in Hollywood, CA yesterday to be honored by Lifeworks for his volunteer efforts with mentoring gay youth. Here are a couple pics of Black at yesterday’s event:


Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black was honored at the Life Out Loud 4 event for his work in support of gay rights at Hollywood’s Sunset Gower Studios on Saturday (June 13). The event benefited gay youth-mentoring group Lifeworks . Earlier this week, three-year-old photos of Dustin , 35, surfaced of himself engaged in what appears to be risky sex with another man. “It is unfortunate that individuals and other outside parties are trying to profit from material which is clearly private,” Dustin said in the statement released to E! . “I have had the privilege to speak to people across the country, both gay and straight, on a number of critical issues including safe sex. More important than the embarrassment of this incident is the misleading message these images send. I apologize and cannot emphasize enough the importance of responsible sexual practices.”

It is plainly evident that Dustin Lance Black is not letting the sex tape scandal impede his present course of action. In light of the leak of the photos, what else is there to be done? He has addressed the matter and has clearly moved on. In the wake of a terribly embarrassing incident like this, DLB is handling the who matter perfectly.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

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Celebs Come Out For The 20th Annual ‘A Time For Heroes’ Carnival

Fun for a great cause
Posted by: Trent on June 8, 2009| 13 Comments

Celebrities of varying import made their way out to the Wadsworth Theater in LA yesterday for the 20th Annual A Time For Heroes Celebrity Carnival which benefits the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. As you can see, former Hills star Lauren LC Conrad and new Hills star Kristin Cavallari managed to bury the hatchet long enough to make appearances at the charity event … tho, the ladies were not photographed in each other’s close proximity:


Selena Gomez, rockin’ a new shorter ‘do, came to the event without her new friend Taylor Lautner (much to the other female attendees dismay, I’m sure) and Melissa Joan Hart was among the celebrity parents in attendance who brought along their little ones. For 20 years, the A Time For Heroes Celebrity Carnival has helped raise funds for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation which attempts to fund research for children suffering from AIDS. It may not seem like much but this annual event does much to raise much needed funds for this very important charity. Kudos to all the celebs who continue to make time for events like this.

[Photo credit: Splash News]

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Trent Reznor Helps Raise Over $500,000 For Eric De La Cruz

But he still needs our help, so please keep donating!
Posted by: Trent on May 23, 2009| 6 Comments

Here is some great news to impart on this lovely Saturday … Trent Reznor has announced on his official Twitter profile that his effort to inspire fans of Nine Inch Nails to donate much needed funds so that Eric De La Cruz can afford a heart transplant to save his life has been met with MUCH success. In only a few days, NIN fans donated over $542,000 dollars for Eric‘s surgery. The overall cost of his operation is close to $800,000 … so there is still a lot of money that needs to be raised. Here is the full text of TR‘s tweet update on how much money has been raised thus far and a re-posting of TR‘s letter about the campaign to raise funds for Eric De La Cruz‘s heart transplant:


From TR‘s Twitter: We have now raised $542,212 for Eric. I love you people. Thank you.

A Letter from Trent:

This is for something important. Eric De La Cruz is dying and needs a heart transplant. He keeps getting turned down for a transplant list because he’s on Nevada Medicaid, and there are no transplant centers in Nevada. We want to get involved and hopefully so do you, so we’re extending a hand. His sister Veronica (former Anchor and Internet Correspondent for CNN) has started a campaign to save his life.

Eric’s situation shines a bright light on a broken health care system, and his particular set of problems are being addressed on the political front, aiming for reform in addition to the need for immediate financial help to keep him alive TODAY. I think we can help with the latter.

Here’s what we’re offering – three options:

If you have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,000 to this cause, we’ll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/JA show of your choice. You and a guest can watch NIN and Street Sweeper Social Club’s soundchecks, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you’d like.

If you donate $300, you and a friend can join us for NIN and SSSC’s soundchecks and a handshaking / hug session before doors open at the NIN/JA show of your choice.

If you do NOT have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,200 to this cause, we’ll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/ JA show of your choice and provide 2 tickets (best available). You and a guest can watch soundcheck, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you’d like.

100% of the money collected from this will go directly to Eric’s fund.

I hope you’ll consider helping out with this.

Sincerely, Trent Reznor

What to expect from your VIP package:

Please keep in mind that we are playing this by ear and things will vary night to night due to the overwhelming response to this and the varying conditions at the venues. Be assured we are doing our very best to make sure your experience is the best we can provide, and thanks for your understanding.
With that said, here’s what to generally expect.

For all participants ($300, $1,000 and $1,200)
Be sure to arrive at the venue early enough to see the soundchecks. A complete list of soundcheck times is located RIGHT BELOW THIS POST. Sometimes soundchecks are shortened / cancelled due to issues beyond our control, We will have a meet and greet regardless.
NIN will soundcheck first for 15-30 min, then there will be a short break while SSSC sets up and soundchecks. You with then be escorted elsewhere for an informal meet and greet with NIN and members of SSSC. You are welcome to get autographs, take pics, hugs, etc.

At this point, the $300 people will be escorted back to the venue after the nin.com pre-sale people are allowed in but before the general public. If you are a $300 donator AND a nin.com pre-sale person, yes, you can go early.

The $1,000 and $1,200 donators will then be escorted backstage where they can attend dinner with the various crew and bands, see the general workings of the show from a production standpoint if desired and generally get the feel of what this kind of tour is like from behind the scenes (plus a high chance of a shirtless Dave Navarro sighting!)
Depending on the venue, you may be able to watch SSSC from the side of the stage. When NIN performs, we’ll offer you a choice of what we feel would be the best / most unique vantage points to watch from. We’ll provide beverages and you may be able to move to the front of house (mixing) position depending on the circumstances. You’re welcome to hang backstage after NIN’s show as well if you’d like, or we can find you a spot to enjoy Jane’s Addiction.
I’ve spoken with all camps on this tour and everyone is open and happy to help out and participate, so we really feel this will be a cool and unique experience for you.

Miscellaneous:
These offers apply to the Chicago show (obviously minus the Jane’s Addiction part.
These offers apply to the HEADLINING (read: NON-FESTIVAL) shows in the rest of the world. The exact specifics will obviously vary but the overall vibe will be similar.
We are offering a LIMITED amount of $1,000. ONLY donations for Bonnaroo – you must already have tickets (or buy them separate). The specifics will be different, as we have no soundchecks, etc but we will include a VIP pass and access to hang out in whatever situation we find ourselves in there. Specific details about this particular show coming soon.

Any fan of Nine Inch Nails knows how fiercely private the band tends to be … for Trent Reznor to offer up this kind of access to those of you who can afford to generously donate to help save Eric‘s life is truly very commendable. I, myself, was moved by Trent‘s plea and donated and I sincerely hope those of you who can afford to donate will do so as well. It is so humbling to see the power of people’s compassion and desire to help others in need. There is much more that can be done … so I urge you, again, if you can help out in any way — please do! Click HERE to make a donation on the NIN website or click HERE to make a donation on the De La Cruz family’s website. Every donation helps … please keep ‘em coming.

[Source, Source]

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Trent Reznor Asks For Your Help To Save A Life

Help fund a heart transplant and hang out with Nine Inch Nails
Posted by: Trent on May 21, 2009| 24 Comments

Trent Reznor posted a message on the official Nine Inch Nails website last night asking fans for their help. Eric De La Cruz is in dire need of a $150,000 heart transplant and is, apparently, getting no help from the Nevada Medicaid system. TR decided to offer up intimate one-on-one backstage access to NIN at various tour stops along the NIN/JA 2009 Tour for those of you who are generously able to donate significant sums to help Eric fund his heart transplant. Here is the full text of Trent Reznor‘s message to fans as posted on the official NIN site:


A Letter from Trent:

This is for something important. Eric De La Cruz is dying and needs a heart transplant. He keeps getting turned down for a transplant list because he’s on Nevada Medicaid, and there are no transplant centers in Nevada. We want to get involved and hopefully so do you, so we’re extending a hand. His sister Veronica (former Anchor and Internet Correspondent for CNN) has started a campaign to save his life.

Eric’s situation shines a bright light on a broken health care system, and his particular set of problems are being addressed on the political front, aiming for reform in addition to the need for immediate financial help to keep him alive TODAY. I think we can help with the latter.

Here’s what we’re offering – three options:

If you have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,000 to this cause, we’ll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/JA show of your choice. You and a guest can watch soundcheck, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you’d like.

If you donate $300, you and a friend can join us for soundcheck and a handshaking / hug session before doors open at the NIN/JA show of your choice.

If you do NOT have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,200 to this cause, we’ll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/JA show of your choice and provide 2 tickets (best available). You and a guest can watch soundcheck, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you’d like.

100% of the money collected from this will go directly to Eric’s fund.

I hope you’ll consider helping out with this.

Sincerely, Trent Reznor

To find out more about Eric’s situation:
http://weloveeric.com/
http://www.veronicadelacruzonline.com/

Believe me, I know that it is really hard for some folks to part with significant sums of money in this economic environment. That said, I’m sure that any donation that you might be able to afford will go a long way in helping Veronica De La Cruz fund her brother’s much needed heart transplant. This is an issue of life or death. It is really damn commendable for TR to offer up his help in this way. I was so moved by his plea last night that I made my donation on the spot last night as I read this letter on my phone. Right there at the NewNowNext Awards I made my donation. I hope that you, too, can help out in any way you can for this great cause. I don’t know what I would do if I was faced with having to find a way to pay for a loved one’s heart transplant … it’s the least I could do to try and help ease that burden for the De La Cruz family. I hope you feel the same. If you cannot donate, please pass these links along to all of your friends on your blog, My Space/Facebook pages, Twitter profiles, etc. Click HERE for more information on Eric De La Cruz‘s situation and click HERE if you want to donate the sums required to be able to hang out with Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails backstage. I’m looking forward to posting that the required sum has been reached and that Eric will be able to have his heart transplant. Make those donations, y’all!!!

UPDATE: TR just posted on his Twitter profile that they have since raised over $260,000:

I am truly blown away by the response to this: http://store.nin.com/helperic – we are over 260K in less than a day! THANK YOU #ERIC

Great, great news! Keep the donations coming!!!

[Source, Source]

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Celebs Come Out In Support Of AIDS Walk New York

Estimates say more than 45k people participated, raised $5.6 million
Posted by: Trent on May 18, 2009| 4 Comments

Last Friday we saw pics of Hilary Duff switching on the lights at the Empire State Building in NYC in honor of the 24th Annual AIDS Walk New York that was scheduled for this weekend in the Big Apple. Today we learn that Hilary, her boyfriend Mike Comrie, actor Michael Urie and personality Carson Kressley were joined by over 450,000 people who trekked thru NYC to help raise 5.6 million for AIDS charities. Here are a few pics from yesterday’s AIDS Walk and some deets about the event itself:


The 24th AIDS Walk New York, the annual walkathon that raises money for local AIDS service organizations, took place in Manhattan on Sunday. Organizers estimate that more than 45,000 people attended, raising as much as $5.6 million. Many participants walked in honor of people who they had lost to HIV/AIDS: a brother, a sister, a friend. Monique Parker came to pay tribute to her brother Anthony who passed away in 2005 at age 45. She explained that it had become a tradition for her to attend the event. A number of family members and friends had joined her in her homage to Anthony. Minerva Velasquez came in memory of her sister Myriam who died of AIDS back in 1994, leaving two sons behind her. “It’s a celebration for me. We honor the good times spent together, especially the fun moments,” Velasquez said. “My sister was truly a very funny woman and I want her to be remembered that way. She never lost her humor until the very end.” Since its inception in 1986, the funds raised by AIDS Walk New York have benefited Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) – a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based organization that has been a leader in the fight against AIDS – and dozens of other tri-state HIV/AIDS service organizations. AIDS Walks allow service organizations to be accessible to anyone who is HIV positive, even people with little or no financial means, which helps local communities prevent the spread of the disease. Participants met at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday and braved the drizzle and wind in Central Park, right by the Sheep Meadow (south of 72nd Street) where the walk started. The opening ceremony featured actress and singer Hilary Duff, Carson Kressley (“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”) and Brooke Smith (“Grey’s Anotomy”). In addition, the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus – who greeted attendees with a “Welcome ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between” – were there to interpret popular songs such as the famous “Dancing Queen” by the band ABBA, which did not fail to cheer up the crowd before the beginning of the 6.2-mile walk. Participants started walking through Central Park at 10 a.m. all the way up to 110th street – Cathedral Parkway – and down Riverside Drive before finishing up back in the park on 72nd street. Volunteers were cheering walkers and giving out free refreshments and snacks all along the way. The crowd was very diverse: young, old, gay, straight, black, Caucasian, Latino and the general atmosphere was very friendly.

Because of the struggling economy, estimates on funds raised by this year’s AIDS Walk New York were set very low … the $5.6 million was a number that far exceeded what organizers were hoping for. Said Dr. Marjorie Hill, CEO of Gay Men’s Health Crisis: “Today’s powerful results show that tough times, indeed, will not break our stride.” Congrats, kudos and much thanks goes out to those folks who participated in yesterday’s AIDS Walk. Until a cure can be found, we must not slow our resolve to help raise funds and awareness to battle this deadly disease. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it … much love and respect goes out to the celebs who use their fame for great causes like this. It says a lot that folks would take time out of their bizzy schedules to participate in important events such as this. Please keep up the great work!!

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

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Kylie Minogue, Rihanna Do The DKMS Gala In NYC

Linked Against Leukemia
Posted by: Trent on May 8, 2009| 10 Comments

Kylie Minogue, who has made her way to NYC to (among other things) announce that she will be touring the US for the first time ever this Fall, was on hand at the DKMS Gala at Cipriani’s last night along with fellow songstress Rihanna, fashion designers Betsey Johnson & Vera Wang and more. Here are a few pics from the red carpet arrivals and from the party itself:


Kylie Minogue must have wished she had worn a pair of extreme heels as she stood next to striking singer Rihanna at a charity event in New York last night. For as she posed next to the 21-year Barbados born beauty, she appeared even smaller than usual. Rihanna wore a pair of 5inch high Louis Vuitton calf-length boots with a sculpted heel, along with a typically avantgarde outfit to the DKMS Gala benefit at Cipriani’s last night. But standing at an above average 5ft 8in in her stockings next to the 5ft tall Aussie singer, Kylie, 40, was always going to come off worst in the battle of heights between the pop divas. However, Rihanna didn’t have it all her way, as Kylie looked stunning in a black body-hugging jersey gown showing off a very svelte and youthful figure. While pop singer Rihanna sported yet another outre outfit from her new ‘look at me’ wardrobe. A metallic backless top with huge shoulders, and a plum-coloured tulip shaped miniskirt. She accessorised it with bling nails and an outrageously spiky ring … The pair were in attendance at a fundraiser for DKMS the world’s largest bone marrow transplant donor centre which uses it’s resources to fight against leukemia. On Monday night she attended her first big event since taking time out from her career when she walked the red carpet at the Costume Institute Gala. Dressed in a Dolce and Gabbana suit with huge puffed sleeves she certainly stood out among the assembles star power which included Madonna, and Kate Moss Yesterday, the Bajan singer went house-hunting for a Manhattan base and spent the afternoon looking at luxury apartments.

Yesterday we saw pics from the Empire State Building lighting ceremony that took place the night before, hosted by Kylie, to celebrate this DKMS Gala — clearly, Kylie is intent on taking the US by storm … well, trying to … well, again. To be honest, as excited as I am that Kylie is finally touring here in the US, I know she will never be a major star in this country. I know that Kylie is doing this mini Fall tour for the fans that she already has in this country. We’ve waited her entire career to see her tour this country … it’s about time :) I hope we get to see a lot more Kylie in the weeks and months to come. It’s gonna be a long Summer waiting for Kylie‘s first US tour to start … I can’t wait.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

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Kylie Minogue Lights Up The Empire State Building

US Invasion
Posted by: Trent on May 7, 2009| 8 Comments

Aussie popstress Kylie Minogue, who just announced that she will tour the US for the first time ever in her 20-year music career, was on hand in NYC last night to help light the Empire State Building in honor of the Coty Fragrances partnership with the DKMS Linked Against Leukemia charity campaign. Here are a few pics from last night’s lighting ceremony:


The lighting of the Empire State Building was timed with the 3rd Annual Linked Against Leukemia Gala which seeks to raise awareness for the DKMS organization, the world’s largest non-profit bone marrow donor center. When asked about her upcoming US tour, Kylie had this to say: “I’ve wanted to tour in America and Canada for years and know that fans have been waiting a long time for this. I’m thrilled that the opportunity has finally arrived.” No Kylie, the thrill is all ours :) And I’ll be seeing you in Oakland, LA and NYC this Fall!!

Remember, Kylie will be appearing on The Today Show tomorrow morning (during the 4th hour with Kathy Lee Gifford) on NBC. Make sure you tune in! Kylie is invading the US, y’all. It’s been a long time comin’!!!

[Photo credit: Splash News]

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Happy Earth Day 2009, Y’All

Go shorty, it's your Earth Day
Posted by: Trent on April 22, 2009| 7 Comments

Today is Earth Day, a time for the world to pause and reflect on the impact that we as a people have on our planet and hopefully work towards making things better … not only for today but from here on out. Even tho you may have never thought about your “carbon footprint” before or you’ve never been serious about thinking “green”, it’s never too late to start:


There are so many small things that YOU can do to make a difference today. The Earth Day Network is but one site that offers tips and suggestions on how you can get involved today … which means that you would be joining a reported 1 billion people around the globe celebrating in some way Earth Day today. Pink reader Itzia who hails from Viña del Mar, Chile sent me this very powerful Earth Day video from Greenpeace, which I urge y’all to watch:


Even if you’ve never thought about the environment before now, don’t you think today would be a great day to start? This is our home, y’all … let’s do our best to take care of it as best we can! Love your Mother, Happy Earth Day!!

[Source]

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David Beckham & Fellow Athletes Visit 10 Downing St.

Appear on behalf of Malaria No More
Posted by: Trent on April 20, 2009| 3 Comments

Athletes David Beckham, Andy Murray and Denise Lewis paid a visit to 10 Downing St. in London, England to remind Prime Minister Gordon Brown on behalf of Malaria No More of the UK’s promise to deliver 20 million mosquito nets to Africa by 2010 … and, apparently, the best way to do that was to show up lookin’ fine and shizz. Here is are a few photos from today’s photo op on Downing St. of the athletes and Prime Minister Brown and some info about their visit:


David Beckham and Andy Murray are usually more preoccupied with football and tennis nets, but on Monday they met UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London to discuss malaria nets. Along with former Olympic champion Denise Lewis, they went to Downing Street to remind Brown of Britain’s promise to deliver 20 million of the nets to Africa by 2010. The sports icons have been named as members of the leadership council of new campaign group Malaria No More UK and were helping to mark its launch. “For less than the cost of a football you can protect a family from dying,” said Beckham. “I urge the UK public to get behind the Malaria No More UK campaign to save a life and make malaria no more.” England and AC Milan star Beckham, who hopes to be in South Africa next year for the World Cup finals, posed for pictures outside No. 10 where the front door was draped in a malaria net. “For less than the cost of a football you can protect a family from dying,” he said. “I urge the UK public to get behind the Malaria No More UK campaign to save a life and make malaria no more.” World fourth-ranked tennis ace Murray said: “This is the first global charity I’ve been involved with in this capacity and it was an easy decision. “Malaria is completely preventable and stoppable but yet it still kills more children in Africa than any other single disease.” A year after making the pledge, Britain has delivered some 9.7 million nets to Africa, and a further 1.9 million are on order. Malaria No More UK wants to ensure the Government meets its promise in full as its share of a total of 100 million nets. Around 90 percent of the one million deaths from malaria each year are in Africa, where the disease kills a child every 30 seconds. A single net can protect a mother and child or brother and sister for up to five years. Malaria No More UK executive director Sarah Kline said: “Malaria No More UK is launching a mass campaign to help stop the suffering and death caused by malaria. Our first mission is to help reach the United Nations target of getting everyone at risk in Africa under a bed net by the end of 2010. We are delighted the prime minister has announced today that the UK is has already delivered 9.3 million nets of the 20 million pledged and look forward to seeing the rest delivered on time. We are calling on him to press other EU and G8 governments to deliver their share of the 100 million bed nets they promised last year.”

As you may recall, Ashton Kutcher donated 10,000 mosquito nets to Malaria No More in celebration of his Twitter War win against CNN to become the first user to attain 1 million followers. It sounds like Malaria No More is the charity du jour for the celebrity set … which is awesome because charities like Malaria No More don’t tend to get the same attention that some other charities do. It seems so simple but mosquito nets really do prevent the spread of the deadly disease. I’m sure the 20 million nets promised to Africa by the British government are much needed. Any sight of David Beckham is a welcome one but even more so when he uses his hotness for a good cause. If YOU would like to help Malaria No More, click HERE for more info on how to do so.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

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Hugh Jackman Drops In For A Promo Event In The UK

More daredevil hijinks to sell 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine', raise funds for charity
Posted by: Trent on April 16, 2009| 3 Comments

Hugh Jackman, who is currently in London, England to promote his new film X-Men Origins: Wolverine, stopped by the offices of The Sun newspaper to rappel off the building in a promo event to raise funds for the Help Our Heroes organization which lends aid to wounded troops. Here are a few photos of Hugh being a daredevil for a good cause:



X-MEN star Hugh Jackman joined Sun staff today for a daredevil abseil to raise cash for Help For Heroes. In a new nationwide ad campaign, the forces’ favourite paper challenged the nation “What will you do?” for our wounded troops. So it was only right that we did our bit to fundraise for the crucial forces charity too. More than 200 Sun staff made the 100ft plunge from the roof of our HQ in Wapping, East London, aided by a team of Royal Marines. And the 40-year-old Hollywood heartthrob – in London to promote his new blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine – was happy to take his place beside us. The rain-soaked bid raised £25,000 for the wounded troops’ charity. Aussie-born Hugh’s arrival had female Sun staff at knives with each other as they jostled for pictures with the star – named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine last year … Our abseil was one of more than 600 fundraising events registered so far since the campaign was launched two weeks ago. Backed by The Sun, Help For Heroes want to raise £20million to build a network of seven recovery centres where war-battered troops can rehabilitate, retrain and get their lives back. Abseil organiser Jim Holgate, Sun associate night editor, said: “Sun staff and our colleagues at News International wanted to show Our Boys and Girls across all the Forces that we are are fully behind them. “Help for Heroes is such a worthy cause. And who better to help us stage the event than the Navy’s Royal Marines? “It was a brilliant team effort on all sides.”

As you may recall, Hugh dropped out of a helicopter in Sydney, Australia earlier this month to promote his new film there. At least this time around, Hugh factored in a way to pull off a publicity stunt, promote his film AND help serve a good cause all at the same time. Can the man do no wrong?

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

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