Ebr717’s Weblog

In the recent months there have been a number of charitable efforts among celebrities. From the premiere of “Oprah’s Big Give” on ABC to Drew Barrymore’s one million dollar donation to the World Food Program, a U.N. body that delivers food aid to more than 70 million people in 80 countries, celebrities have been donating money to various charities. The recent premiere of “Oprah’s Big Give” features 10 contestants that compete to see who van give money away the most effectively, describes People.com. It is just one example of celebrities in the past few months donating funds.

Drew Barrymore made the announcement of her donation on an episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” describes an MSNBC.com article. With rising food and energy prices, the agency is in need of donations. “I’m able to make this incredible donation — this has changed my life,” Barrymore said on the program. “But I encourage everyone to give.”

Other celebrities that have been linked to donating to foundations include Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. According to People.com, Pitt and Jolie, gave a total of eight million dollars in charitable donations in 2006. The eight million dollars was donated to organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and the Global Aids Alliance. Those figures don’t include 2007 during which Pitt’s Make It Right foundation raised five million dollars.

It is admirable of celebrities to donate their money to charities and foundations in need. From a public relations standpoint, these acts of kindness should be well documented in the media. This type of media attention not only sheds light on the celebrity but also benefits the charity and foundation. In general, any charitable donations of such large magnitude should be recognized by the media, celebrity or not.