Chandler, U.S.A. — A USA Today article has reported a telethon put on to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy victims brought in $23 million. The telethon, presented by the American Red Cross, aired on NBC earlier this month. Christian Weems, an active participant in community service efforts, made note of the generosity of her fellow Americans.

According to the news piece, New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi were featured performers during the telethon. Popular recording artist and star of the hit NBC television program The Voice Christina Aguilera was also featured. Matt Lauer of the station’s wildly successful morning show Today, hosted the event. Nightly News anchor Brian Williams also stopped by.

In addition to its featured performers, the article noted the telethon provided viewers the opportunity to take in a variety of musical acts. New Yorker Billy Joel, along with rock band Aerosmith and R&B artist Mary J. Blige entertained the crowd. Saturday Night Live alum and current television stars Tiny Fey and Jimmy Fallon provided comedic relief.

Christian Weems was heartened to hear of the telethon’s overwhelming success. She has a good deal of community service experience under her belt, including the organization of a relief effort following Hurricane Katrina. After that storm devastated much of New Orleans and its surrounding areas, she spearheaded a drive to make hygiene kits for citizens. The people of her hometown Chandler, Arizona, donated supplies that resulted in the delivery of 2,500 kits.

In statement about the most recent relief efforts, Christian commented: “What an amazing testimony of the goodwill of people and the positive impact we can have when we pull together during a time of crisis. Let us not forget that more help is still needed in many of the areas that were damaged most by Sandy and that these communities will need help for years to come.”

The article also highlighted appearances were made by actors Kevin Bacon, Whoopi Goldberg and Danny DeVito as well as comedian Jon Stewart.

In 2005, the broadcast company held a similar telethon to solicit donations for Hurricane Katrina victims. The article noted that show brought in $40 million worth of support.

Image Courtesy : Anton Oparin / Shutterstock.com

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Patina Miller, star of ’Sister Act: The Musical’, has announced that she will be leaving her lead role as lounge-singer-turned-nun Deloris Van Cartier on March 18, after more than three years with the production.

Based on the hit 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, ‘Sister Act: The Musical’ opened on London’s West End stage in 2009 with Patina Miller playing the lead role of Deloris who, after witnessing a murder committed by her gangster boyfriend, goes into hiding at a local convent, assumes a false identity under the name of Sister Mary Clarence, and inadvertently becomes the leader of the convent’s tone-deaf choir, who she transforms into a cultural sensation, despite butting heads with Mother Superior, played in the original film by Maggie Smith.

Miller’s stage performance drew rave reviews, earning her a 2010 Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. The musical was so popular among London theatre-goers that it even lured Whoopi Goldberg, who serves as one of the show’s producers, into appearing for a brief run as Mother Superior.

During her run in the summer of 2010, she told reporters that she was too old to take on the main role of Deloris again and that the role was in good hands with Miller. Goldberg returned to the show in October, shortly before it drew to a close in October 2010 after an 18 month run.

Shortly after closing in London, the producers announced that they would be taking the show to New York’s Broadway stage – and that Patina Miller would be coming with them. With a new supporting cast and a slightly revised plot and songbook, the musical re-opened at the Broadway Theatre on April 20, 2011 to positive reviews and further recognition for Miller as she won a Theatre World Award and picked up her first Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in the Musical.

During a promotional trek for the musical’s Broadway debut, Miller admitted that the schedule which came with playing Deloris was incredibly intense and that she had led very little in the way of a social life while in London. Nevertheless, Miller forged ahead with the role and spoke of her joy at being able to originate a role on Broadway at such a young age (Miller is 27).

She also saw her Twitter following grow to over 4,500 followers as the New York theatre community took to her with ease, and as she gained a reputation for being eager to use the social media platform to engage with both passionate new fans in New York and loyal old fans back in London.

However, after less than 12 months on Broadway, Miller has announced that she will be leaving ‘Sister Act: The Musical’, to be replaced by former Disney star Raven-Symoné. This will mark the first major stage role for Symoné, who has enjoyed a long-running acting career, but Goldberg and fellow producers are hoping that the musical will continue to thrive without Miller’s impeccable presence and, more importantly, her soaring voice.

There is still a while to go before anyone will know if Symoné is indeed the right replacement, with Miller due to deliver approximately twenty further performances before she hangs up her habit for good, at which point all Broadway eyes will be fixated on Miller as she strives to prove that she has what it takes to succeed without the security of her ‘Sister Act’ family. One thing is for certain: Miller will not be forgotten quickly. As she sings in the musical’s seminal song:

All that glitz and glamour / they’re all right no doubt.
But what are you left with / when the lights go out?

I’ll have my sisters with me still / I’ll have my sisters, always will.
And with my sisters’ love / no star above will shine as bright as me.

And as a sister and a friend / I’ll be a sister ’til the end,
and no one on this earth can / change that fact -

I’m part of one terrific sister act.

Image Courtesy of  Brecon [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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As nominations for the prestigious American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards are underway at www.herodogawards.org, Clark G, the world famous multilingual talking dog, has been named as the official spokesdog for the 2012 national campaign.

The Hero Dog Awards were created by the American Humane Association to celebrate the powerful relationship between dogs and people. Presented by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and broadcast nationwide on Hallmark Channel, the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards are produced by Emmy award winning MRB Productions.

The annual national competition searches out and recognize America’s Hero Dogs – often ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things, whether it’s saving lives on the battlefield, lending sight or hearing to a human companion, or just welcoming you home at the end of a hard day.

“Probably the most famous rescued shelter dog in the world, Clark G, who has over 95 million views on YouTube of the “Ultimate Dog Tease Video” is the perfect national ambassador for this year’s Hero Dog Awards,” says Robin Ganzert, PhD, President and CEO for the 135-year-old American Humane Association.

“We work to elevate the status of animals in society, in our homes, and in our families by recognizing the important role they play in our lives every day. Clark G’s devotion to his family – who he loves even more than bacon – demonstrates that powerful bond between people and animals that we embrace and recognize through the Hero Dog Awards.”

According to Clark G, “We’ve been very busy around my house lately! A whole bunch of people came to visit me, then we went to visit some other people. To top it all off we went to visit a bunch of critters who are looking for homes! People keep talking about the Hero Dog Awards.  I don’t know what that is yet but they say I will soon.” Clark G fans can “Like” and follow him at www.facebook.com/clarkgthedog .

Dogs may be nominated in eight categories for the Hero Dog Awards: Law Enforcement & Arson Dogs; Service Dogs; Therapy Dogs ; Military Dogs; Guide Dogs; Search and Rescue Dogs; Hearing Dogs; and Emerging Hero Dogs (the category for ordinary dogs).  Finalists in each of the eight categories will be selected by the public from the pool of contestants, and flown to Hollywood with two of their human friends to the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California on October 6, 2012.

There they will walk the red carpet, attend the show which will be broadcast on the Hallmark Channel, and will be recognized in a video tribute at the black-tie gala where the winning American Hero Dog will be announced.  Nominations close on March 26, 2012, and voting by the general public will begin on April 1, 2012.

Finalists in each category will be judged by a blue-ribbon panel consisting of both celebrities and animal experts, to determine the winning American Hero Dog. This year’s judges include Whoopi Goldberg, Candy Spelling, CBS’ Debbye Turner Bell, “America’s Veterinarian” Dr. Marty Becker, actresses Kristin Bauer Van Straten, Megyn Price, Edie McClurg, and Christie Brooke, Prince Lorenzo Borghese and many other notable names.

Complete rules and entry information can be obtained by visiting www.herodogawards.org.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/clarkgthedog

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