what is not fair about not knowing these people?
Bette Midler: In 1995, Midler founded the New York Restoration Project, a non-profit organization with the goal of revitalizing neglected neighborhood parks in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods of New York City. These include Highbridge Park, Fort Washington Park, and Fort Tryon Park in upper Manhattan and Roberto Clemente State Park and Bridge Park in the Bronx.
In 1999 the city planned to auction 114 community gardens for commercial development. Midler led a coalition of greening organizations to save them. NYRP took ownership of 60 of the most neglected plots. Today Midler and her organization work with local volunteers and community groups to ensure that these gardens are kept safe, clean and vibrant. In 2003 Midler opened Swindler Cove Park, a new five-acre public park on the Harlem River shore featuring specially designed educational facilities and the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, the first community rowing facility to be built on the Harlem River in more than 100 years. The organization offers free in-school and after-school environmental education programming to students from high-poverty Title I schools.
Tom Hanks - Hanks is a member of the National Space Society, serving on the Board of Governors of the nonprofit educational space advocacy organization founded by Dr. Wernher von Braun and was the producer of the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon about the Apollo program to send astronauts to the moon. Hanks also provides the voice over for the Hayden planetarium show at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
In June 2006 Hanks was inducted as an honorary member of the US Army's Ranger Hall of Fame for his accurate portrayal of a commander in the movie Saving Private Ryan. Besides his role in Saving Private Ryan, Hanks was cited for serving as the national spokesperson for the World War II Memorial Campaign, for being the honorary chairperson of the D-Day Museum Capital Campaign, and for his role in writing and helping to produce the Emmy Award-winning miniseries, Band of Brothers.
Jennifer Lopez: and her husband MARC ANTHONY have helped raise more than $100,000 (£55,500) for two Puerto Rican cancer facilities, after attending a golf event on the Caribbean island.
After headlining the three-day Presidente Latin Music Festival earlier this month (OCT05), the couple visited the inaugural Celebrity Cancer Golf Classic held at the Coco Beach Golf & Country Club in Rio Grande on the final day of the bash.
The proceeds raised will benefit the Hospital Auxilo Mutuo Cancer Center and Sociedad America del Cancer, according to MTV News.
Billy Crystal: In 1986, Crystal started hosting Comic Relief on HBO with Robin Williams, and Whoopi Goldberg. Comic Relief, which was founded in 1986 by Andy Kaufman sidekick Bob Zmuda, raises money for homeless men, women and children in the United States. The first live televised "COMIC RELIEF" program appeared on HBO in 1986, hosted by Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams. Forty-seven comedians appeared on that telecast, yukking it up and bringing in $2.5 million in pledges.