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Bob Barker And Lily Tomlin Team Up To Save Billy The Elephant

Michael Parrish DuDell — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:25:03 +0000

Bob Barker and Lily Tomlin are putting a smile on my face this morning as they campaign against a new elephant exhibit under construction at the Los Angeles Zoo.

“How many elephants have to die at the Los Angeles Zoo before the zoo comes to terms with the fact that it is impossible to have elephants in a zoo and remain healthy and happy?” says Barker. “Other zoos – the enlightened, progressive zoos – have already discontinued their elephant exhibits. Sixteen elephants have died in the Los Angeles Zoo. About half of them died before they reached the age of 20. In the wild elephants live 65 or 70 years. In zoos the average lifespan, I have read, is 34 years. But at the Los Angeles Zoo, some elephants are dying before they reach 20 years of age.”

They are also trying to “Save Billy,” the bull elephant who has resided at the zoo for 20 years. Barker even offered $100,000 of his own money to have Billy moved to a wildlife sanctuary in Northern California.

“They not only die early in zoos,” added Tomlin, “The word ‘zoo’ is sort of elephant speak for Guantanamo. They are suffering and being tortured daily just by virtue of their confinement.”

Like many others, for years I was unaware of the cruelty that most animals suffer at the hands of the world’s zoos. To find out more, visit MercyForAnimals.org!

via: looktothestars.org

Wanda Sykes Designs Watch To Fight Teen Pregnancy

sara — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:56:02 +0000

100 Atlanta-area celebs and artists came together last Wednesday for IKEA’s “It’s About Time” charity auction to benefit the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP). Each celebrity or artist took an IKEA clock and turned it into an original timepiece. (What is it with celebs getting all artsy these days? I love it! I totally demand my own window treatment designed by Patrick Dempsey.)

Clock designers included a mind-blowing list of stars: Dr. Maya Angelou, Hank Aaron, Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin, Wanda Sykes, Ne-Yo, Ludacris, Big Boi, Martina Navratilova, and artists Paul Hagedorn, Maggie Hasbrouck, Gail Foster, Two Chix Lighting, Thomas Swanston, and Michi.

Fonda, the founder of G-CAPP, said, “This event will substantially support one of our most important initiatives and simultaneously raise awareness for the G-CAPP organization. I am excited about this innovative event as it will help our flagship program, Second Chance Homes, and address the issue of homelessness for teen mothers. I believe that this unique event will help fight against teen pregnancy in Georgia.”

G-CAPP’s Second Chance Homes Program provides housing and support for young mothers and works to help bring these mothers and their families out of the cycle of poverty.