Michael Stars, Charitable Rockstar

Los Angeles-based clothing company Michael Stars continues tradition of outstanding support to charitable organizations.

I’ve always been a colossal fan of the women’s casual couture t-shirt pioneer, but what drew Hugbacker to noticing their philanthropic endeavors was a recent post on their Twitter page about their participation earlier this month in the Bowling For Buddies benefit at Lucky Strike Lanes in Los Angeles. Spotting the words Best Buddies, my heart gave a small leap, as it’s one of our absolute fave organizations. (Click here for a piece we wrote on this awesome group in the past).

Digging a little further, we found that Michael Stars is a consistent and generous  contributor to a wide array of awesome causes, including Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation, Clothes The Deal, Partners In Health, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, and many others.

Rock on Michael Stars, and thank you…for giving us yet ANOTHER reason to love you!

Portland Brewery Steps Up, Releases Benefit Beer

Laurelwood Public House & Brewery, a craft brewing company in Portland, Oregon, has smacked one outta the park with a new beer release that brews up a difference.

A portion of the sales from all bottles of the company’s new Prevale IPA will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. To kick off the release, Laurelwood held a release party September 2nd at their Portland pub.

Huge props to owner Mike De Kalb, head brewmaster Chad Kennedy, and all the folks at Laurelwood for hopping up awareness for a great cause.  Cheers!

Shoes + Love = TOMS

Every once in a while a giving-back story comes along that’s so cool, innovative, and cockles-of-the-heart warming, that ya just gotta say, “Now that’s how it’s done.”

Founder, president, and Chief Shoegiver of TOMS Shoes, Blake Mycoskie

You’ve probably seen the TV commercial for AT&T featuring Blake Mycoskie describing the necessity of reliable cell phone service for running his company, TOMS Shoes, which donates one pair of shoes for each one sold. Speaking of which, we may as well clear something up right off the bat: his name is not Tom, it’s Blake. TOMS is Mycoskie’s derivation of “shoes for tomorrow,” meaning “we sell a pair today, we give one away tomorrow.” Back to our story… 

A former contestant on CBS’ The Amazing Race, (placing third with sis Paige), Mycoskie was vacationing in Argentina in 2006 when he met a group of social workers there to do a shoe drive. Mycoskie volunteered to tag along during the last week of his holiday, and was life-alteringly taken with the kids in the village who were in desperate need of good shoes, evidenced by the cuts, sores, and scabs from walking barefoot every day for miles. He then thought about the “it” shoe of the moment in Argentina, the rope-soled, slip-on, canvas alpargata. (Think no-lace espadrille). Mycoskie’s entrepreneurial brain began its natural brew, bubble, and churn process to devise a way to address the situation. Based on the One for One business model–sell one, give one away–TOMS Shoes was born. Check out this video of the Chief Shoegiver himself recounting how it all went down:

So why did the Southern Methodist University dropout decide to start a for-profit business instead of a full-fledged charity? Because he wanted something that would be sustainable; something for which he wouldn’t have to rely upon donations from others. Something that could allow the company to make the donations itself instead of depending on donors who may not be able to do so for whatever reason. (Case in point, the crappy economy took a tragic toll on charitable donations this year, yet TOMS continues to thrive. Woo-hoo!)

The thirty-two-year-old serial entrepreneur–TOMS is something like the fifth company Mycoskie has created–has been featured in everything from the L.A. Times to Huffington Post to Vogue. Not only was he invited to sit on a panel at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative Meeting, Mycoskie was introduced by the former president as “one of the most interesting entrepreneurs I’ve ever met.” Embraced by everyone from bohemians to fashionistas, TOMS Shoes now collaborates with retail giants such as Ralph Lauren (for their rugby line) and Whole Foods (eco-friendly footwear).  

Having now given away over 150,000 pairs of shoes in Argentina, South Africa, and Ethiopia, TOMS is on a runaway train to touching lives all over the world. Check out this video of the company’s first-ever shoe drop to Argentina:

So how are they able to turn a profit without advertising? Simple, according to Mycoskie, who declares that everyone who sports a pair of TOMS becomes something of a marketer for the company. TOMS-wearers now have “the story” and are eager to pass it on. Hence, no million-dollar Super Bowl ads are on the horizon, funneling a would-be advertising budget into manufacturing more shoes to give away. (Shoes which, we should point out, are all brand new and correctly sized for the kids, as opposed to previously-loved, four sizes too big hand-me-downs).

Tiny TOMS

In case you’re imagining Mycoskie to live in a splurgiferous Beverly Hills mansion, think again. Although he does live in L.A., it’s hardly a mansion. Nor is it a house. Rather, the St. Nick of shoes makes his home on a boat. “I live a very simple life,” says the low-key, high-energy shoe dude. “After starting TOMS and traveling all over the world and seeing the environments that people are living in, I realized that you don’t need much to be happy. Some of the happiest people I’ve ever met live out in the jungle, in rural Argentina and South Africa. And so it’s really caused me to want to simplify my life. I have a very nice boat but it’s a boat and it’s small and it’s simple and I don’t keep many things on it.”

Mycoskie also notes that when you make a TOMS purchase, you’re not just buying shoes–you’re joining a movement. This highlights one of the supreme genius angles of TOMS: the community factor, which makes it ridiculously easy to help someone. The consumer gets something cool, and a child in need somewhere gets something even cooler. Rock on, TOMS!

Check out the TOMS website for shoes, t-shirts and other awesome goodies:  www.tomshoes.com

GUY’S BIG HEART: Fieri Takes Charitable Efforts “Outta Bounds”

One might argue that the sushi portion of the menu at Guy Fieri’s restaurant, Tex Wasabi’s, gives a glimpse into the persona of the celeb chef: the man digs rock music, fast cars, and sports. Hence sushi rolls named Dark Side of the Moon, The Carburetor, and The Philly Eagle Roll. But as I discovered upon chatting up the man beneath the retro bowling shirts, backward sunglasses atop trademark spiked blond hair, and menagerie of tattoos, there are more layers to the Food Network star than to the Vidalia onions used in his Beer-Battered Onion Rings.

                                  Photo: Press Democrat

Forget Matt Lauer. The real question is, Where in the world is Guy Fieri? Between his duties as host of four Food Network television shows, appearances at a barrage of festivals and events, co-owning five restaurants, being a husband, father, and active leader in his hometown of Santa Rosa, CA, the 41-year-old Fieri, who rose to media fame via his win on the second season of The Next Food Network Star has no shortage of items on his plate, be they grilled, smoked, sauteed, or flash-fried. Lucky for Hugbacker, though, we were able to snag 30 minutes of his time one morning just before he headed out to tape some voice-overs.

HB:  So you’re a tad busy these days. What’s it like when you come home in between gigs?

GF:  It’s always great, lots of activity. Being on the road half the year, coming home can be like coming into a NASCAR pit. We have the opportunity for so many things, whether requests for donations, autographs, chefs’ coats to sign, requests that come in through the website. And because I think I’m seen as such an everyday guy, I get invited to a tremendous amount of weddings and birthday parties too. It can get a bit crazy, but I always want to at least correspond in some way.

With a young fan last month at the Great American Music & Food Fest in Mountain View, CA

                       Photo: Fans of Guy Fieri

HB:  You’ve got a ton going on in terms of charitable efforts, and from what I’ve learned, you’ve been big into giving back way before the Food Network thing happened. I read somewhere that you’ve been quietly donating to the community for years.

GF:  Well you know what? I love it. If I was to the point where I didn’t have to work, philanthropy would be my biggest interest.

HB:  You’re way into it, then.

GF:  Oh yeah. I was always raised to share with others. That’s just the way my parents were–you help out. We’ve been going to Mexico as a family for years and there’s an orphanage there that my parents have been helping out for a long time. For the past couple of years I’ve been cooking a benefit dinner down there too at a local restaurant; we raised money for the school system. It’s been awesome to be able to help out.

Benefit dinner at Palapa Joe's Restaurant y Bar

Photo: Fans of Guy Fieri

HB:  So it came pretty naturally to do so when you went into business?

GF:  I moved up here [to Sonoma County] with five thousand dollars, an old car from college and a pregnant wife. We got the first restaurant going [Johnny Garlic's] and one of the first things we did was make a decision to take a charity organization and give them the night. I met with the executive director of Kid Street Theater and invited them to come in and take the place over. We invited some heavy hitters, executives, chairmen, and asked them to donate eight hours of their time to Kid Street. We’re still doing it to this day. We sponsor baseball teams, soccer teams, and do that kind of night at least once a week now, with the organization keeping 25% of the proceeds. We had a middle school cheerleading team go to the national finals. They needed to raise $14,000 in two weeks, so I told them, look, you’ve got a captive audience here. Let’s do some gift baskets, a raffle. These people are here to support you anyway–let’s make it big. People really do want to help.

Stirrin' it up on the USS Enterprise

When the Next Food Network Star contest had wrapped, but the winner hadn’t yet been announced, Fieri got together with a local DJ, Brent Farris, and organized a dinner where Fieri invited some of his fellow contestants to come out and watch the show, with people paying whatever they wanted to attend. A silent auction was added to the mix, and over $25,000 was raised, and then donated to Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Sonoma County which provides support to neglected and abused children. 

It only makes sense that the man who seems to have a built-in micro-chip for crafting unique ways to give back, would come up with a totally new twist when it came to creating a vision for his own foundation. The Guy Fieri Foundation for Inspiration and Imagination is in the initial stages, but with projects tending to flourish when Fieri throws his colossal energy and contagious spirit behind them, no doubt it’ll be a Michelin-starred endeavor. 

HB:  Tell me about your own foundation. How did you go about creating it?

GF:  We were all in Mexico–my wife, parents, sister, the whole fam–and I said, I’ve figured out what I want my foundation to be about. I want to focus on inspiration and the imagination. And I know it might throw people because it’s not your traditional-type foundation that would maybe focus on a disability. But lots of young people, even though they might not have a disability, don’t have any inspiration or imagination. Think about all the kids that just sit at home, and they might have an idea brewing or an passion for something, but for whatever reason aren’t able to explore it. Maybe their parents don’t have the interest or the money to encourage them. So that’s what we want to do–create programs to generate opportunities for them, so they can go after it. We want to empower them, get them thinking outside the box. We’ve got big aspirations for it; we want to target NASCAR and get a lot of others involved.

Speaking of NASCAR, Fieri sponsored the Tommy Baldwin Racing car at Indy last weekend. His "Knuckle Sandwich" brand's logo adorns the hood.

 Photo: Brickyard 400

HB:  You were involved with the inauguration of Cook With Your Kids Day, [as recognized by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this past May]. What was that experience like?

GF:  Man, it was amazing, and truly a gateway for the foundation. It’s about letting kids make decisions, having them do something with their enthusiasm. It’s a straight-up initiative now, the second Saturday in May is Cook With Your Kids day. Let’s take it national.

HB:  Segueing into kids–yours–how do you and your wife balance all the craziness? Your schedule’s insane. [Fieri and wife Lori have two sons; Hunter, 13, and Ryder, 3.]

GF:  Well, let’s see. Okay, my analogy of the whole thing would be to compare it to an engine: both take timing, compression, balance…there’s this whole ballet, if you will. This whole thing has been like a synchronized blessing–one I never could’ve planned.

At "We Garden," the first edible garden at a state capitol. The food will be donated to the Sacramento Food Bank.

Photo: Wyatt Buchanan/SF Chronicle

HB:  And you’re passing it on to others, which is what it’s all about.

GF:  That’s it, you know? There’s nothing greater than to be able to provide. I’m so fortunate–family, career, the best friends in the world–I might as well do everything I can to perpetuate it. Plant some seeds.   

It was an absolute pleasure chatting with the larger-than-life chef, not to mention tons of fun. (Fun? Chatting with Guy Fieri? Go figure…) There’s SO much more that the man has brewing–great stuff involving kids, cooking, his foundation, and more. Check back to keep updated on this philanthropic rockstar’s efforts.

Rockstars of kitchen and stage: Fieri with pal Sammy Hagar

 Photo: Wireimage

And how better to end than with a clip from Guy’s hit show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. For those of you who’ve never seen it, we invite you to climb out from under your rock and watch Guy in action as he rolls into town and shakes up a local eatery. 

Get Your Strike On With Jenny and Jim!

Grab your bowling ball, shoes, some friends, the coolest bowling shirt you can find, and get ready to knock down some pins for autism! On Sunday, April 19th, Generation Rescue presents STRIKE OUT AUTISM at participating AMF Bowling Centers…a day of fun on the lanes for the whole family.

Actress and superfierce autism awareness advocate Jenny McCarthy and beau Jim Carrey both proudly serve as board members for Generation Rescue, an international movement of scientists, physicians, and parent-volunteers researching the causes of and treatments for autism. Jenny’s story of her son Evan’s journey through autism can found here.

The Strike Out Autism event will be held at 12 different AMF locations–check out the list of participating centers here. As always, any and every effort that seeks to raise awareness and understanding of autism-related disorders is a WINNER in our book.

ESPRIT GRAND OPENING BENEFITS RICHIE-MADDEN FOUNDATION

PHOTO:  John Shearer

Hats off to fun-n-philanthropic couple Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, shown here at the April 2nd grand opening of Esprit Santa Monica. Ten percent of the day’s proceeds were donated to the duo’s Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation. Nicole, currently expecting baby number two, said, “We’re very humbled. Esprit has been around for so long. I was wearing Esprit when I was a kid. It’s just so amazing that someone like Esprit is supporting something that we started.”

The clothing and lifestyle brand of Esprit has always been committed to social responsibility, passionately rallying support for community and environment worldwide since their beginning. Yours truly can vouch, having worked at their San Francisco headquarters for two years right out of college. Good times…great company!

AT&T Joins Forces With Share Our Strength to Feed Hungry Kids

Last month, we posted a story about Food Network chefs supporting Share Our Strength, a national organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America.

With their brand new campaign, Operation No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength is at it again, responding to President-Elect Obama’s call to end childhood hunger by 2015. Here’s how it works:

If you’re a texter (and who isn’t these days?), simply text the word “share” to 20222 on your mobile device to donate five dollars to Share Our Strength. The cool part: AT&T will match all text donations up to $100k!  Details here.

If you’re more of a hands-on-the-donation than fingers-on-the-keypad person, another way to donate is to hold a food drive. Between Jan 19th and Jan 31st, organize a food drive in your area to help kids in need during the coldest months of the year. For tips on how to organize a successful one, as well as a list of the most-needed foods, click here.

What better way to usher in the new year than to make sure a hungry child has a meal!

Links to a few Few End-Of-The-Year HUGS

Tom Hanks, Penelope Cruz, Zac Efron spread seasonal cheer: MSN Entertainment

D-Wade with the ultimate assist:  NBC Sports

Stephen Jackson makes holidays unforgettable for families: ESPN

49ers Mix & Mingle for PlumpJack

The PlumpJack Group, owners of a collection of food, wine, and hospitality businesses headquartered in San Francisco, rallied a group of 49ers to serve as celeb bartenders at Matrix in support of their “PlumpJack For Pink” campaign. The 7th annual event benefited the Northern California Cancer Center and had guests oohing and aahing over the array of high-ticket raffle prizes, packages, and bartending skills of their favorite Niners.

49er Linebacker Parys Haralson gets ready for the thirsty crowd

Hugbacker chatted with Hilary Newsom, PlumpJack’s Executive Vice President, about this event as well as other philanthropic efforts in which the Group is involved.

PlumpJack's Hilary Newsom with filmmaker husband Geoff Callan

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