Matt Damon, a constant force in support of the OneXOne charity foundation, was unable to attend the 2nd Annual Gala Fundraiser for the organization last night in San Francisco due to a family emergency. A rep for the event, which Damon had been scheduled to host, told E! News that “He wouldn’t have missed this otherwise.”

Nevertheless, the event did go forward as planned – with celebrities like Charlize Theron, Jeremy Piven, David Arquette, Josh Groban, and Mia Hamm in attendance.

The evening featured a keynote address by Vicki Escarra, CEO of Feeding America, performances by Josh Groban, Carlos Santana, and the announcement of a new partnership with Charlize Theron’s African Outreach Project. Check out some pictures from the event below.

On Wednesday, May 20th, actors Jason Mewes, Andrew Keegan, Kate French and many more will head down to the Key Club in West Hollywood to attend the Surfrider Foundation’s inaugural Blue Note Karaoke Experience.

Unlike traditional karaoke, at Blue Note you get up on stage and sing with a live band!! Basically the coolest idea ever!

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people.

To learn more about this groovy event, visit EmergencBlue.com!

Want another reason to attend? You can take a spin ’round San Francisco in Solazyme’s Jeep Liberty diesel SUV powered by 100% Soladiesel™ biodiesel derived directly from algae. To find out more, check out the official site here.

Last night in San Francisco, an A-list crowd gathered to honor the late actor and help bring in the green during an annual benefit for Newman’s charity camp, The Painted Turtle, for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Over 2,500 people showed up, including Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Danny Glover, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Billy Crystal, Sean Penn, Casey Affleck, Joaquin Phoenix, Bruce Willis, Danny DeVito, Bonnie Raitt and Rita Wilson.

In a pre-recorded message just prior to his death on September 26th, Newman talked to the crowd about his camps. “What I was trying to do was acknowledge luck,” Newman said in the clip, which was narrated by Jack Nicholson. “If you acknowledge it, you have to do something about it—something for the less fortunate.”

via USAToday

After the planting, Stone rocked out at the Wilbur Theatre. “It’s a good fit. I get to play some shows and also raise awareness about a project I’m excited about,” he said.

“Dig It,” the Timberland-sponsored multi-city eco initiative, is brining artists and activists together to celebrate the environment and music (what could be better than that combo?). Yesterday was only the first of these tree-planting, song-loving events.

Want to catch one of these cool concert/Earth-care playdates? There’s still time to play in the dirt: Stone & co. will be in New York on Saturday, LA on October 11, and in San Francisco on October 18.

Can you feel it in the air? Earth Day is soon approaching and the green celebrations are popping up all over the place. If you live in New York it’s a no brainer…the Go Green Expo is the place to be. But what about all the eco-heads on the West Coast? Must they celebrate all by themselves? I DON’T FRIGIN THINK SO!!!

Universal Studios Hollywood is throwing an “Eco-Fair” on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fair will feature over 30 “green” displays, including a “hands-on” lesson from the folks at Bell’s Bugs on the vital impact reptiles and insects have on the environment, and a booth from La Knitterie Parisienne where you can pick up some organic knitting yarn made from soy, hemp, bamboo and corn.

Also, make sure to bring your recycled, soy-based ink marker because The Office star Melora Hardin and Lauren Koslow from Days Of Our Lives will be autographing eco-friendly bags and passing out energy efficient light bulbs.

Finally, in the spirit of Earth Day, Universal Studios Hollywood will offer free parking for hybrid vehicles, or for people who donate at least one product to the hazardous waste disposal drive sponsored by the City and County of Los Angeles. SEXY!!!

To find out more visit the Universal Studios website and get your Earth Day green on.

Solve this math problem: take a dozen or so musicians, add one super green city and multiply it all by three days of good old fashion summer fun. What did you get? If you came up with the Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival then you’ve got it right! 2 gold stars!

The first ever Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival will be held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on August 22-24 and will feature some of today’s hottest musicians. So far the roster includes: Beck, Wilco, Widespread Panic, Primus, Radiohead, Tom Petty, Jack Johnson Manu Chao, Ben Harper, Steve Winwood, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Drive-By Truckers, Cafe Tacuba, Devendra Banhart, Regina Spektor, Cold War Kids, and Nellie McKay.

OLMAF is taking it a step further by making the event as green as possible. First off, when you buy your tickets you’ll be given the option of donating $3 to the National Arbor Day Foundation to help reforest California. Or if you’d rather, you could donate $3 to help ‘green’ your ticket. These donations will be used to purchase (and then retire) pollution credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange. Once you’ve got your slot, leave that car at home and take advantage of the complimentary bike valet service. Yes, you heard me…bike valet!

The festival itself is like green heaven with almost all the products on sale being either recyclable or compostable. You can also win prizes just for recycling! The Outside Lands Recycling Store will be stocked with items you can “buy” with your used bottles and cans as currency. And finally don’t forget to bring your old cell phone to be refurbished and redistributed throughout other countries. Once you’ve done all your good deeds for the day you can sit back and relax in front of a fully solar-powered stage and watch your favorite musicians rock away!

Sounds like an event you HAVE TO BE AT? Tickets are $225.50 (plus fees) for all three days and go on sale March 30th. So scoot on over to sfoutsidelands.com to learn more and get your green on!

On January 12th, Dick Van Patten will join forces with PETCO and Van Patten’s own dog-food company, Natural Balance, to host his annual Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament in Palm Springs, CA.  A lifetime animal advocate, Van Patten will distribute the money raised from this event to various animal charities and rescue organizations throughout the USA. 

If you’re like me, you might know Van Patten as the dad in Eight Is Enough, but he’s actually had a huge career, including 600 radio shows, 27 Broadway plays, 7 television series and 30 feature films. And it’s because of his work in the entrainment field that Van Patten’s is being honored with the 301st Celebrity Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on the same day as the fundraiser. So to honor the man with the plan, I’ve written him a little congratulatory poem:

On January 12^th Dick Will Play

5 Card Stud with his buds in C.A

So skip gamblers anonymous

Cause this game you won’t wanna miss

And ante up to help those that are stray 

Jeez, I should have been a frigin poet!

This post comes to us from contributing field reporter, Amy Fritz.

Once again Global Green and the ecofabulous Zem Zoquin and Nadine Weil hosted San Francisco’s most glamorous green event, Gorgeous & Green, attended by some of Hollywood’s most beautiful and eco-conscious. Unlike events of late hosting “Green Hollywood” without heart, this event also had substance. Woven around a presentation of the impactful work Global Green is doing across the country, we heard from Stephen Jenkins (looking sexier than ever) talking passionately about politics and his latest efforts to further green his biodiesel tour bus and the equally hunky Jason Lewis sharing with us that he only buys green and organic products and is always looking for ways further green his life.

Both Stephen and Jason lambasted critics who say that the rocking green movement and continuing involvement by Hollywood’s A-list is a passing fad. Jason, says “That’s just stupid. With increasing awareness and more opportunities as individuals to live more sustainably without sacrifice, there is no going back. Stephen says “those critics will some day soon be embarrassed and ashamed of themselves. For the true leaders,”—like his favorite presidential candidate, Barack Obama—”instead of being fearful of change, rather see opportunities, especially in industries like Clean Tech and greening our lives and businesses”.

The main event was an inspiring and sustainable catwalk lead by the gorgeous and green, Josie Maran. Josie shared how she was inspired to create her pure luxury cosmetic line. “I spent long hours in make-up chairs and when I was made aware of the amount of toxins in cosmetics, I was horrified.” Josie Maran’s cosmetic line and other fine organic beauty lines adored by Hollywood, such as Duchess Marden and Jane Iredele, were distributed to the who’s who crowd of SF A-listers and eco leaders in the regal, yet LEED certified, Bently Reserve.

The fashion show featured fantastic looks from luxury green designers Behar Shapar, Del Forte Jeans, Lara Miller and Linda Loudermilk, among others.

Other celebrity guests in attendance included Jason Behr, Michelle Branch and Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco.

Photo credit: Stefanie Michejda

Celebrity partygoers attending in the past have included Leonardo DiCaprio, Edward Norton, Kate Bosworth, Orlando Bloom and other “surprise” guests. Will you be among them this year? Tickets are still available and if you’re ready to drop a pretty penny in the name of mama earth, then grab that organic granola, jump in your biodiesel, solar powered car and head on over to The Global Green website to reserve your place among those elite Hollywood A-Listers. Because after all, the best pairing for a glass of primo, biodynamic wine is some snuggle space next to a primo, biodynamic celebrity. Oh yeah, and tell them I’m still waiting for my VIP invitation. It must have gotten lost in the mail.