CHARTIABLE CELEBRITIES
Who knew a love story about an accident-prone penguin keeper and an “everyman” could serve as the catalyst to aid sick children?
Hard to believe, but it happened this week at a Knoxville, Tennessee movie theater. That’s where hundreds of fans gathered to greet Jessica Alba and Dane Cook during a screening of their new movie “Good Luck Chuck.”
Local residents paid $75 a piece to see the actors and attend the screening of the new comedy, which opens to the general public today. The fundraiser raised $260,000 for Variety of Eastern Tennessee, a charity benefiting children with severe illnesses and disabilities.
Knoxville’s mayor even went the extra step and proclaimed Tuesday “Jessica Alba and Dane Cook Day.” Incidentally, this is not the first time big name celebrities have descended on Nashville for a movie event similar to this one. According to executives at the Knoxville-based Regal Entertainment Group, the theater has also hosted benefit showings of “Talladega Nights” with Will Ferrell and “The Dukes of Hazzard” with Jessica Simpson and Knoxville native Johnny Knoxville.
SICK CELEBRITY WORKS ON GETTING WELL
Have you ever called in sick to work when all you were suffering from was the sniffles? Or worse… a broken heart?
If you answered yes, then you might not comprehend why Robin Roberts has decided to keep showing up for her job while she is undergoing chemotherapy. The “Good Morning America” co-host underwent surgery last month for breast cancer and was scheduled to begin chemotherapy on Thursday. (She was absent from work today.)
On Wednesday the former star athlete announced she would be undergoing her first round of chemotherapy as soon as she was done with her on-air shift.
“I’ll work as much as I can,” Roberts said. “Part of the reason I am coming forward is in case you tune in and it looks like Kojak is sitting next to Diane (Sawyer), you’ll understand why.”
You’ll recall that Robins was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of August, had surgery on August 3rd and returned to work 10 days later. The newswoman said her doctors deemed the surgery a success and determined that chemotherapy would be the most effective form of post-operative treatment. The chemo will be followed by radiation treatment. But Roberts has vowed to stay on the air regardless of how long the treatment lasts.
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