Daily Good Gossip

Michelle Obama To Present Taylor Swift With Charity Award

First Lady Michelle Obama will make her first-ever appearance at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards to present Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Taylor Swift with this year’s The Big Help Award in recognition of her extensive philanthropic endeavors, including her work with tornado and flood survivors in the United States.

This year’s Kids’ Choice Awards, to be hosted by Will Smith, will be telecast live on Nickelodeon Saturday, March 31, at 8 pm (ET/Tape delayed for West Coast) from USC’s Galen Center in Los Angeles, Ca. The Big Help Award recognizes individuals who take actions to better the world and whose significant impact on their community has inspired kids to do the same.

“Taylor’s dedication to helping others has encouraged her fan base to do the same, and this is the very core of what The Big Help is, inspiring others through action,” said Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Chief of Staff, Nickelodeon Group. “We are honored that First Lady Michelle Obama, a past recipient of The Big Help Award will be presenting this formidable and inspiring artist with this much deserved honor.”

First Lady Michelle Obama received The Big Help Award at the 2010 Kids’ Choice Awards in recognition of her leadership in championing healthier lifestyles for kids through her Let’s Move! campaign. Earlier this year, Mrs. Obama appeared in a special episode of Nickelodeon’s hit series iCarly in support of her Joining Forces initiative to support military families.

Among her many charitable works, Swift is dedicated to raising funds and awareness to benefit those affected by natural disasters. Most recently, Swift took the unprecedented step of opening the last dress rehearsal of her Speak Now Tour to fans as a fundraiser for victims of the deadly tornadoes that tore through the Southeastern region of the U.S. The event raised more than $750,000, with 100% of ticket sales going directly to help tornado victims via the “Speak Now … Help Now” Fund established through the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Swift’s ongoing charitable work includes partnerships with Make-A-Wish Foundation, St. Jude Medical Center, Habitat For Humanity, TJ Martell Foundation, The Red Cross and its international and regional affiliates, The Salvation Army, Nick’s Kids, and the Victory Junction Gang Camp, as well as libraries, schools and educational initiatives around the country.

Nickelodeon’s The Big Help is a prosocial initiative that empowers kids to take positive actions on issues that are important to them. The goal of the campaign is to launch a kid-led movement, focusing on key issues like health and wellness, education, community service, and the environment. This is the fourth consecutive year The Big Help Award has been awarded to a celebrity who embodies the spirit of the Nickelodeon Big Help initiative. Previous winners include last year’s recipient Justin Timberlake; this year’s presenter of the award, First Lady Michelle Obama in 2010; and Leonardo DiCaprio in 2009.

Kids can pledge to make a difference in their community by going to www.nick.com/thebighelp/. The Big Help site will show them how to take positive actions that will directly affect their communities.

No stranger to Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards, Swift has been nominated four times and is the recipient of two blimp awards, for Favorite Female Singer (2010) and Favorite Song, “You Belong with Me” (2010). Swift also appeared in the 2011 HALO Awards as one of the celebrities paired with an extraordinary teen who shared his passion for community service and giving back.

A six-time Grammy award winner, Swift was also named Billboard’s 2011 Woman of the Year, and is the reigning American Music Awards Artist of the Year, as well as both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year. Her Speak Now album has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide and she is Billboard’s current Top 200 Albums Artist (all genres).With the release of her (now 5x-Platinum) Speak Now album in 2010, Taylor sold more albums that year than any other artist in any genre of music. She made history on the Billboard Hot 100, charting a record-breaking 11 songs from one album in a single week.

Source: www.looktothestars.org

Daily Good Gossip

Michelle Obama Talks Health With Kid Reporter

Scholastic News Kid Reporter Topanga Sena, age 11, of Orlando, Florida recently sat down for an exclusive interview with First Lady Michelle Obama when she was in Orlando, Florida, wrapping up her Let’s Move! second anniversary tour.

Sena, who was one of two Scholastic News Kid Reporters to interview President Barack Obama last summer, asked the First Lady about the success of her Let’s Move! Campaign, the demands of being the “First Mom” and the question that many have considered- if there was one unhealthy food you could make healthy, what would it be?

“French fries. I love French Fries. I wish I could eat French fries every single day,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. She went on to explain the importance of exercise and a balanced diet. “I tell my kids, if you’re eating right at home, then when you go out you can have fun. If you’re getting your exercise, you don’t have to worry about it. So I don’t believe in absolute no’s to anything because that doesn’t make life fun.”

During the February interview the First Lady also spoke about the progress she has seen in efforts to keep kids healthy and active in the United States, including legislation passed by Congress to provide healthier meals in schools and participation from restaurants and grocery stores that are providing healthier options. The entire video interview is available on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps site at www.scholastic.com/letsmove.

“Whether interviewing the President about the state of the economy or the First Lady about kids living a healthy lifestyle, the Scholastic News Kid Reporters bring a unique perspective to the issues and questions of the day,” said Dante A. Ciampaglia, Editor of the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps. “The Kids Press Corps puts current events, such as the 2012 Presidential race, into a context that is accessible and interesting to students.”

The interview with the First Lady is also featured in upcoming print issues of Scholastic Classroom Magazines, including Scholastic News and Junior Scholastic, reaching more than two million classrooms nationwide.

The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps is a group of 59 talented young reporters, ages 10-14, from across the country. For more than eleven years, the Kid Reporters have covered current events and breaking local and national news stories, including reports about entertainment, sports, business, politics, the economy, the environment, education and books. Their stories appear online at the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website and in issues of Scholastic News and Junior Scholastic magazines.

Source: www.looktothestars.org 

Daily Good Gossip

Michelle Obama Joins iCarly For Military Families

Nickelodeon and the White House are joining forces to bring awareness to ways kids can support U.S. military families with a special episode of iCarly, featuring the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, premiering Monday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Leading up to the debut of iCarly “iMeet the First Lady,” the stars of the hit series will appear at four screening events for military families across the country.

Nickelodeon will be hosting screening events at the following locations:

• Monday, Jan. 9 — Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in Miramar, Calif.
• Wednesday, Jan. 11 — Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn.
• Thursday, Jan. 12 — Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Fort Dix, N.J.
• Friday, Jan. 13 — Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria, Va.

“Having Mrs. Obama guest star on iCarly as part of Joining Forces, an initiative that supports and honors military families, was a great honor,” said Marjorie Cohn, President, Original Programming and Development, Nickelodeon. “Her appearance helps us teach kids how important friendship and support are to military kids and their families. Plus, not only was the First Lady completely at ease when acting, she also showed some serious moves when she joined the iCarly gang in a bit of Random Dancing!”

“iMeet the First Lady” will be preceded by a special dedication from the iCarly cast and Mrs. Obama to military families. Immediately following the premiere, Nickelodeon will debut a PSA that features ways kids can show their thanks and support. For more information, visit www.thebighelp.com.

Mrs. Obama watches iCarly with her daughters and chose to appear on the show because the lead character, Carly Shay (played by Miranda Cosgrove), is the daughter of an Air Force Colonel currently serving overseas in the military. In “iMeet the First Lady,” Mrs. Obama talks to Carly about her service to America as a member of a military family and thank her friends for supporting Carly during her father’s deployment.

In the episode, Carly and Spencer are excited that their dad is returning from active duty in time to celebrate his birthday and they begin planning a party to commemorate the occasion. Unfortunately, Colonel Shay is deployed again and must cancel his trip home. Carly is devastated when she learns that she won’t be able to spend her dad’s birthday with him. To cheer Carly up, the gang surprises her during their next iCarly webcast by transmitting a live feed to Colonel Shay. The webcast catches the attention of high-level government agencies and results in an unexpected visit from Mrs. Obama. Having seen the webcast, Mrs. Obama is moved by what Sam, Freddie, and Gibby did for Carly and commends Carly for being such a strong and supportive daughter to a father in the service. iCarly series creator and executive producer Dan Schneider makes his first cameo appearance on the show as a Secret Service agent.

Nickelodeon’s multi-platform offerings for “iMeet the First Lady” include highlights from the episode on Nick.com and the special will also be available for purchase in HD via iTunes, Xbox, Vudu, Samsung, PlayStation and Amazon, beginning Tuesday, Jan 17.

Joining Forces is an organization spearheaded by Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, who have been leaders in supporting our nation’s military families and advocating for their priorities. The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of our society – citizens, communities, businesses, non-profits, faith based institutions, philanthropic organizations, and government – to ensure military families have the support they have earned. Joining Forces was created to address the unique challenges and needs of military families that Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden have heard firsthand during meetings with military spouses, briefings with military leaders, and many visits to military communities at home and abroad, and through their work on military family priorities. Building on this groundwork, the initiative will focus on key priority areas – employment, education, and wellness, while engaging in a comprehensive effort to raise awareness about the service, sacrifice, and needs of military families.

Source: www.looktothestars.org 

Daily Good Gossip

Michelle Obama Joins Forces With NASCAR To Honor Troops

As part of their Joining Forces initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will visit Homestead-Miami Speedway as it hosts the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup finale, the Ford 400, and join NASCAR in honoring America’s troops and military families on November 20.

NASCAR, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden will recognize service members and military families from the local community at a special BBQ lunch prior to the race. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden will also invite a military family to join them as they serve as Grand Marshals for the championship race to lead the pre-race ceremony and offer the most famous words in racing: “Gentlemen, start your engines.”

“We are honored that First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will be joining us as we crown the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer. “Most importantly, we are pleased that they are both coming to Homestead-Miami Speedway to personally thank the men and women who sacrifice so much to ensure our freedom and allow us to enjoy events like Ford Championship Weekend.”

The crowd will consist of 5,000 active duty and retired military personnel and families and thousands of NASCAR fans. As part of the season-ending NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship race, NASCAR will rally its millions of fans at the speedway and online to serve military families through the holiday season by asking them to visit WWW.NASCAR.COM/Unites and JoiningForces.gov to find service opportunities and ideas to give back to those who serve our country.

At the launch of Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden’s Joining Forces initiative, Walmart and NASCAR developed a Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign designed to recognize military families for the sacrifices they make when our troops are called to action and to inspire customers and fans to recognize and support the needs of military families in their own communities. The PSAs feature NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and Parker Kligerman, are broadcast in 500+ Walmart stores and will air at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The PSA can be found here.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Ford 400 will be nationally broadcast live by ESPN and the Motor Racing Network (MRN) starting at 3:00 p.m. ET on November 20.

Read more: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/7354-michelle-obama-joins-forces-with-nascar-to-honor-troops#ixzz1domBUmwe

Daily Good Gossip

Celebrity-Signed Scooters Go Out The Door For Charity

Scooters signed by a host of stars – including Khloe Kardashian and the Black Eyed Peas – are up for grabs during Radio Flyer’s celebrity charity auctions this month.

Khloe and Lamar signed scooter

For the next five weeks, Radio Flyer is auctioning off Style N’ Ride Scooters featuring autographs from Hollywood’s hottest stars. All proceeds benefit the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which was created last year along with Let’s Move!, and is led by honorary co-chair First Lady Michelle Obama.

Jason Bateman signed scooter

Each week brings a new round of auctions. Among the stars who have signed scooters are Fergie, will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz, LL Cool J, Boo Boo Stewart, Jason Bateman, Charice, Quinton Aaron, Demi Lovato, One Republic, Mark Wahlberg, Kellan Lutz, Tyra Banks and many more.

Quinton Aaron signed scooter

The first round of auctions is open now, and can be accessed here.

Read more: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/7066-celebrity-signed-scooters-go-out-the-door-for-charity#ixzz1a2kU9zNY

Daily Good Gossip

Michelle Obama, Daniel Radcliffe Joining Forces to Thank Military Families 

Daniel Radcliffe and the First Lady joining forces?! How magical. Michelle Obama took time to hang out with children at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana's Summer Youth Camp and surprised them with a greeting from Daniel Radcliffe.
The First Lady got to work with the kids last week, helping them paint the backdrop for their upcoming production of "Annie." She then joined the families for a special viewing of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--Part 2," introduced by Harry himself! The movie screening was part of the Joining Forces—a national initiative to provide the support and opportunities deserved by all service women and men.
Source:www.dosomething.org