Posted on 03/04/2006 6:35:20 PM PST by Gomez
THE American Red Cross has come under fire over payments to publicists who recruited stars to add lustre to its image, even as funds ran short for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The controversy could not have come at a worse time for the charity: this Tuesday, it unveils a “celebrity cabinet” of personalities whose glamour will be exploited to attract money, volunteers and donations of blood.
Its critics are unhappy at what they call an inappropriate use of funds. “They’re hoping people will send them money on the basis of celebrity, as opposed to good works and effectiveness,” said Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, which monitors charities’ finances.
The Red Cross was reported last week to have paid consultants more than $500,000 (£285,000) in three years to recruit stars, pitch its name in Hollywood and promote its chief executive as the face of the charity.
A New York publicist receives $5,000 a month to lure celebrities and polish the charity’s image in Hollywood, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.
A company in California has been paid $114,000 to get the Red Cross included in story lines for film and television, and a Texas firm of image specialists won a contract for $127,000 to boost the profile of Marsha J Evans, the chief executive, a year before she left with a $780,000 severance package.
The Red Cross defends its spending, insisting monthly payments to the publicist Paul Freundlich have been cost-effective. “His efforts have made a huge impact on the American public in terms of increasing financial donations, volunteers and blood donations,” said Julie Thurmond Whitmer, head of the charity’s Washington office.
The row follows a censure by Congress for diverting contributions for the September 11 emergency to other uses and criticism last week from the Senate finance committee, which is investigating the charity’s slow response to Katrina.
Some of the media sniping seems disingenuous, however. How many news organisations would really have sent reporters to cover the Red Cross’s campaign to vaccinate 13m children in Kenya? They did when Jane Seymour, the actress, went along.
No money ever to the Red Cross from us and...no movie star, personality or whatever else they like to call themselves would EVER be a deciding factor for us in anything we wanted to do. We make our own decisions and are not led by the nose by these so called celebrities.
I was raised to ignore the Red Cross and support the Salvation Army. This came from family experience and I follow the tradition.
"Sorry, wrong thread!"
Not really. Those sentiments are valid in any thread!
The Red Cross is like United Way. Both organizations have tremendously high overhead costs, have had corrupt leadership in the past and spend a ton on self-promotion.
and here I was thinking they (the stars) were promoting the ARC out of the goodness of their hearts. Damn, another spell broken.
Celine Dion: "Let them touch those things for once. But I'll sue anyone who illegally downloads my music."
Like Ma Bell...its time to break it up...and it'll take an act of congress because of the massive power these iddiots have acquired. My suggestion...is that there be six of them. I'd have just one group for Texas and Louisiana by itself, one for the Pacific coastal region, one for the Carolinas, Florida, Alabama and Geo, and split the other 3 amongst the remaining states. Lets face it...the massive need for the Red Cross is the coastal regions...both Gulf and west coast. The only requirements in the interior of the country is flooding.
My Dad said the exact thing. In WWII, he said the Red Cross charged them for donuts and coffee but they were always free from the Salvation Army! I gave money to the Red Cross for Katrina relief, never again.
Nope. I knew this would happen, which is exactly why I did not contribute one penny to Katrina relief.
Actually, a pretty relevant comment.
Had an uncle who said the Red Cross did the same in W.W.II. -- charged the men for coffee and doughnuts. Creepy.
And how do the publicists get the celebrities to appear? Cash payments, or some other form of assorted expensive goodies....jewlery, first class tickets, private jet trips, etc.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,105381,00.html
Lockyer, the California attorney general, in a Los Angeles Times interview published Tuesday called for laws that would regulate celebrity appearance fees and require disclosure of appearance payments.
Tonken's lawyer agreed with Lockyer to an extent.
"I think [Tonken] is emblematic or symbolic of a system of fund-raising, both charitable and political, that's broken," attorney Alan Rubin said. "I mean, there are things obviously going [on]. The fund-raising system is broken. The political fund-raising system is broken."
Sources said Tonken was cooperating with authorities.
Investigators could expose many well known celebrities with embarrassing revelations and the possibility some had broken laws.
Financial records obtained by the Times showed that some stars may have received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, watches, free trips and cash for appearances at charity events.
One promoter told Fox News that the stars' gifts came out of money that should have been going to charity.
Among those who allegedly benefited was "Friends" star David Schwimmer (search), who supposedly got two Rolex watches worth more than $26,000 for appearing at a cancer-charity event. His spokesman was reportedly not commenting.
Camryn Manheim (search) of television's "The Practice" reportedly was rewarded with a $24,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and an around-the-world trip for her brother for serving as mistress of ceremonies for another fund-raiser. A friend of Manheim's told the Los Angeles Times that the actress thought the sponsors were giving her gifts for her appearance.
Suzanne Somers (search) and her husband reportedly received a business-class trip to London worth $20,000 after appearing at a cancer benefit.
The documents also showed that comedian Bill Cosby (search) agreed to be honored by a charity earlier this year for a $75,000 fee plus $10,000 in expenses. The event never happened and he was not paid.
Cosby's lawyer told Fox News that the comedian always asks for an "appearance fee" before attending a charity event, and then returns the money to the charity. His lawyers refused to turn over the names of charities Cosby had refunded.
Singer and actress Cher (search) allegedly will only fly to some events on a private jet. Tonken reportedly agreed to foot her roughly $60,000 airplane fee and also allegedly sent her and a friend to Europe. Her lawyers had not commented on the allegation.
Rod Stewart's manager received from Tonken $70,000 in travel expenses, including an upgrade on a $30,000 cruise, after the manager threatened to pull Stewart from a benefit at the singer's estate, the papers indicated. Stewart's manager would not comment.
Prosecutors would not name any celebrities involved, but stated that the investigation was ongoing.
Somebody should start a charities that suck list...
For starters, I nominate the Red Cross and United Way.
The same point that I discussed with my boys just today.
Instead of supporting worthless beaurocrats and shiftless out of work actors with my HARD EARNED money, I think next the diaster I will just burn it in my backyard grill
At least then I'll get that warm feeling again that I used to get giving to a worthy cause..
******LOL. Seriously though, I think we ALL learned a lesson here.
I cringe at the thought, that from now on whenever there is a big disaster, you are going to see a show with rich celebrities, asking people with little money to donate.
It's one of the bad legacies from 9/11. And it continued with the Tsunami and Katrina. All chances for rich celebrities to say, "I care more than you do."
I hate them all.
You do not have to do that. Among other relatively unsung heroes of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and many other disasters ... the Southern Baptists ... who have prepared [literally] millions of meals ...I am not Baptist; but, my understanding is that their volunteers are just that ... volunteers ... folks who contribute their own time and pay their own way to help with the effort to provide for folks whose lives have been turned upside down.
They have received far too little publicity for the wonderful things they have done. They were there immediately ... managed not to get tied up in red tape ... and were providing for others in many cases when their own lives had been turned upside down as well.
Three cheers for the Southern Baptists [and others like them] who have done yeoman's duty and deserve our gratitude.
no more.....
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