via dailymail.co.uk

What do you get when you combine one music legend, a horde of celebrity-worshippers, super-diva expectations; with a philanthropy focus on the side, and a little dash of self-deprecating humor to top it all off??  Why Sir Elton John of course! 

Every year the music legend hosts an annual White Tie and Tiaras ball for the hottest celebrities to come out and donate to his charity for AIDS.  But Sir Elton is no meek mouse when it comes to commenting on the guests he invites to his luxurious soiree, who this year included Bill Clinton, Liz Hurley, Agyness Deyn, and Kelly Osbourne.

According to The Guardian, he writes in his personal diary, “Naturally, everyone could afford just to hand over money if they gave that much of a toss about Aids research- as could the sponsors.  But we like to give guests a preposterously lavish evening, because they’re the kind of people who wouldn’t turn up for anything less.” 

But Sir Elton’s witty sarcasm about his lifestyle does not only end there… He continues to comment on the fortunes that are spent for new celebrity dresses and a magically transformed ballroom: “Once we’ve subtracted all these costs, the leftovers go to my foundation.  I call this care-o-nomics.”

It sure is refreshing to see a celebrity who is doing positive things, but still doesn’t take himself too seriously!

Today is the national kick-off day for Do Something 101! Millions of children across the nation live in extreme poverty and are far from having the means to afford supplies they need to get through a new school year.

Gorgeous pop starlet and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks is a busy girl. Hot off her single, No Air, with Chris Brown, a self-titled album, and being on tour with her American Idol family, Jordin makes the time to raise awareness for students in need by as Do Something 101’s official spokesperson.

Its time to make a difference, from now until August 31st, you can drop off school supplies in your local Staples store and we’ll take it from there and make sure they get into the hands of needy kids. You can also donate $2 at Staples with 100% of the proceeds benefiting local teens.

via Discovery Kids

Blond-haired, pigtailed, and pint sized, nine year old Bindi Irwin is going retail. No, she’s not developing her own clothing line like the rest of Hollywood. The adorable Austrailian daughter of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin is getting her own doll!
Set for release in stores in September, this 25cm talking Bindi Irwin doll isn’t your average playmate. Dressed in khakis and sporting binoculars, she says things like, “Crikey, let’s go help wildlife!” and “You can make the world a better place.” Accessories include everyday pets like a cockatoo, a wombat and a python, you know, just your average domestic animals.

Following right in her father’s footsteps, a portion of the doll proceeds will go to help fund efforts to breed endangered species and rescue animals. Barbie has nothing on Bindi.

David Arquette via Alex Wyman, Getty Images for America's Second Harvest

You can see David Arquette in the upcoming summer comedy Hamlet 2, where he plays the live-in tenant turned boyfriend of Catherine Keener in one of his most comedic roles yet. And when he isn't making films he's spending his time in all the right ways as a true Celeb Gone Good.

Arquette recently joined America’s Second Harvest to kick off the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program at the Venice Boys and Girls Club last Wednesday. The program makes it easier than ever to feed the 18 million low-income children from going hungry over the summer months by providing free, nutritious meals to them when school is not in session.

"When you talk about hunger, you don’t typically think about America, but there are hungry Americans- people who live in insecure food environments. They don’t know where their next meal is coming from," Arquette told CGG exclusively. "Most of these families have at least one parent working in these households, so it’s not as easy as if they were waiting for handouts. They are working and struggling."

And Arquette wasn’t the only Celeb who showed up to help out Second Harvest. Numb3rs actress Diane Farr was on the scene to help pass out lunches. She told us, “Hunger in America doesn't look like what you might imagine. Well dressed and cared for kids are hungry, who obviously have parents who are trying to do all they can for their clan. It's kinda more heart-wrenching than I imagined.” And According to Jim actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley told us, “My heart goes out to kids who don't know where their next meal is coming from, much less what they'll be eating nutrition-wise. People who have the facilities to help these kids need to know funding is there if they just apply for it.” 

America’s Second Harvest is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the U.S. Through its system of more than 200 member food banks, America’s Second Harvest annually provides assistance to over 25 million people in need- including nine million children and nearly three million seniors. The program also annually distributes more than two billion pounds of food to support feeding programs at approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies.

Diane Farr via Stephen Boitano, Getty Images for America's Second Harvest

via MTV

For those of you who haven’t met Ryan Sheckler, and by met we mean through your TV every Tuesday night at 9 on MTV, it’s time to tune in. Not only will it guarantee a nice glimpse of his washboard abs and adorable smile, but Ryan, the 18- year old X Games Champion, is much deeper than skateboarding, surfing, and girls.

The Life with Ryan star is set to host his first celebrity golf tournament on July 29th at the Trump National Golf Course in Palos Verdes, CA. With a star studded lineup of participants including Mr. Rebecca Romijn Jerry O’ Connell, bad boy turned good Kevin Federline, Hills alum Brody Jenner and Audrina Patridge, not-so-mini Verne Troyer, Playboy’s Kendra Wilkinson as well as soccer goddess—Mia Hamm and BMXer David Mirra, it’s going to be a successful one.

Ryan is very excited about his cause. "I have reached a point where I have the ability to give back," he said, "and I'm honored to have such a great response for this tournament from my professional colleagues and friends." X Games champion, designer, and active philanthropist—all in a day’s work for a teen heartthrob. 

via Huffington Post

Last week it was reported that the environmentally-minded Prince Charles has revamped his Aston Martin into a hybrid that runs on wine!

In his latest effort to support green living and reduce his carbon footprint, the Prince has converted his beloved 38-year-old sports car to run on fuel made from surplus English wine, according to the Huffington Post.

This move resulted from an annual review of Prince Charles' activities, and was partly due to the amount of Royal trips scheduled to him by the Foreign Office. The review shows that the Prince has already reached his personal target of reducing carbon emissions by 12.5% by 2012. As a result, he has doubled his goal to a 25% cut in emissions by 2018!

The act of converting his coupé played a small but effective role. "Charles only travelled two or three hundred miles a year in the Aston, but he wanted it to be environmentally friendly. It just happened that our bioethanol supplier makes the fuel from surplus English wine," said chief aide Sir Michael Peat.

via PETA

Remember when Mr. Big took Carrie on that ultra-romantic horse-drawn carriage ride through NYC's Central Park? Turns out, the ride may not be all that lovey-dovey for the beast of burden.

Alec Baldwin recently hosted the premier screening of Blinders, a documentary which gives viewers an inside look at the inner-dealings of the horse-drawn carriage industry. Director Donny Moss began to record the daily lives and living conditions of the horses pulling carriages around Central Park after a recent onslaught of horse injuries in the industry, according to PETA.

"From the stench inside the horses’ miniscule stalls, where horses sleep standing up in piles of their own waste, to the hostile streets of Manhattan, where horses live a nose-to-tailpipe existence, Moss doesn’t blink in documenting how horses live long after tourists’ 30-minutes rides are over," says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk of the documentary.

This is the 30 Rock star's lastest effort to promote a carriage-horse-free NYC, as he's a vocal leader in the a protest against the industry, upsetting many in the Horse and Carriage Association of New York.

Currently, a bill to ban the carriages from New York is being considered by the state Congress.

via exposay.com

Once again, Ben Affleck showed his poker prowess in Vegas at the World Series of Poker tournament -- but this time, it wasn't just for bragging rights. 

Affleck and Boston bud Matt Damon joined a host of celebrities for a pre-July Fourth Ante up for Africa tournament with all celebrity winnings going to Darfur charities.

While Damon was out of the running in minutes, Affleck outlasted all other celeb competitors.

Also ponying up $5,000 to participate at the tables: Adam Sandler, Ray Romano, George Lopez, Jason Alexander and prominent Darfur activist -- and star of  2008 Do Something Award winner Adam Sterling's Darfur Now documenatry -- Don Cheadle. The event, which Cheadle and poker pro Annie Dukes started last year, raises money and awareness for Darfur, where more than 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been displaced since ethnic warfare began in 2003, according to the U.S. presidential envoy to Sudan.

The tournament benefitted the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress’ charity, ENOUGH, as well as Cheadle, Damon, George Clooney, and Brad Pitt’s Not On Our Watch group.

"Hopefully we won’t be here in five years for Darfur," Cheadle said at a press conference, according to People. "This isn’t going to be solved one nation at a time. We need to bring this to the world. We’re actually doing a great job in this country."

As the tournament began, the prize pool totaled $418,000. Last year’s tournament earned more that $500,000 for the charities.

“Miley might live in Hollywood, but in her heart, she’ll always be our Tennessee girl.”

That's what country music star Jeffrey Steele said of the Disney golden girl -- who is likely to be a billionaire come her 18th birthday -- after Miley jumped on stage in a surprise salute to Steele's son, a 13 year-old local skateboarder from Franklin, Tenn., who died last year after an ATV accident.

The second-annual festival, which Steele started last year, was a benefit for The Alex LeVasseur Memorial Fund at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. All proceeds for the night supported the Memorial Fund’s scholarship fund, which focuses on inspiring and encouraging students to succeed academically and behaviorally through skateboarding, while remembering the life of Alex, who was an avid skateboarder.

According to People Mag, Miley asked Steele if they could perform "Simple Song", a tune written by Steele and originally recorded by Miley herself -- and coincidentally was the only song found on Alex’s iPod after he passed away

In addition, Steele and Miley also played a favorite of Miley’s, Steele's "Hollywood Girl".

CGG

Perhaps you remember a cable show launched a decade ago involving Joey, Jen, Pacey, and Dawson that told the chronicled the lives of teens in a small coastal town?

Well ever since the finale of Dawson's Creek five years ago, its cast members have gone on to quite a variety of career paths, from being nominated for an Oscar (Jen, a.k.a. Michelle Williams) to marrying the most famous (Scientologist) actor of our generation (Joey, a.k.a. Katie Holmes), to being one of the greenest actors CGG has ever come across! That would be The Skulls (and pre-Dawson's Mighty Ducks) star Joshua Jackson, who you can see in the upcoming film Battle of Seattle.

Click here for our exclusive interview on what Joshua is doing for his part to save the planet!

Here’s a hint: it starts with bio, and ends with diesel!