The top names in entertainment, including such names as John Legend, Amy Adams, and LL Cool J, are hosting Zoom fundraisers through Richard Weitz's "Quarantunes" series to raise money for coronavirus frontline initiatives.
Hollywood agent Richard Weitz, a partner at WME, told Cheddar on Friday that the idea for the charitable musical series came from wanting to make his daughter’s birthday special amid the pandemic.
“I was throwing a surprise birthday for my daughter Demi who was turning 17, and I hired a piano player from Chicago named Dario Giraldo who played Redhead Piano Bar," Weitz said. "I wanted to organize some fun on Zoom for Demi and her friends.”
His daughter was actually the one who encouraged him to turn the concept into a fundraiser to help support those on the frontlines and others in need.
“From there we knew we had a platform and my dad kept doing it and it got a little more traction and he invited more friends," Demi Wietz told Cheddar. " I was like dad we need to raise money for the people in need right now, for charities, for organizations, for hospitals like we have this platform and we should do something with it, so we turned it into a charity benefit concert,”
The concert series, which streams over the videoconferencing platform, selects a different organization to support each week and has already raised almost $1 million to help aid workers on the frontlines
Last week, the Weitzes teamed up with Jake Wood, CEO and co-founder of Team Rubicon, a nonprofit that helps reintegrate veterans back into civilian life and already raised more than $500,000.
Woods said that the investment bank Goldman Sachs had been eager to support Team Rubicon’s efforts and during the Quarantunes event it donated almost $150,000 to the fundraiser.
“A couple weeks ago, a partner in the private wealth division at Goldman Sachs reached out to me and said, “Hey we’ve learned about this private concert series that’s going on and being hosted by this father-daughter duo in Los Angeles and we’d love to bring some of our clients into it and have the proceeds benefit Team Rubicon,’” he explained.
Team Rubicon has deployed more than 4,000 volunteers to the frontlines of the pandemic, staffing underfunded hospitals and running mobile testing clinics in major cities across the country.
The drama surrounding tennis star Novak Djokovic continues after he was deported from Australia over the weekend due to the nation's COVID-19 vaccine requirements. Djokovic was forced to leave the country on the eve of what was to be his first match in defense of his Australian Open title after three judges ruled in favor of his removal and revealed their reasoning for doing so. Adding to his woes, a law recently passed in France is putting his chances of defending his French Open title in jeopardy. The director of Marist's Center for Sports Communication, Jane McManus, joined Cheddar to discuss the ongoing fallout.
Alex Silverman, senior reporter covering the business of sports at Morning Consult, joins Cheddar News to discuss why the number of those betting on sports doubled in 2021 and what's next for the industry in 2022.
Alec Baldwin is facing a lawsuit from the family of a fallen marine, Rylee McCollum, for defamation of Rylee's sister Roice. The lawsuit claims Baldwin, who had donated to a fund for the family of Rylee, called Roice an insurrectionist for being present during the January 6 Capitol riots.
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is marking the 58th anniversary of its first print issue with the announcement of a new advertising mandate called Pay With Change. The magazine's annual print will now only feature brands who are helping drive gender equality forward, creating a sweeping call to action for the publishing industry. MJ Day, editor-in-chief of SI Swimsuit, joined Cheddar to discuss the goals of the new initiative.
Cost of living in the U.S. is getting higher and higher, as inflation pushes up the prices of everything from food to gas. According to a recent Ipsos poll, more than two thirds of people around the world are feeling the squeeze, and low income households are feeling it the most. Garrett Boorojian, Managing Partner at WaveCapital Partners, breaks down some of the factors driving cost of living and how to adjust your budget accordingly.
Sonia Thompson, inclusive marketing strategist and consultant, breaks down the need to retool the hiring process and how organizations can make for a better workplace environment.
Each year plenty of people decide to kick off their new year's resolutions by participating in what is known as "Dry January." Basically one month without alcohol. The practice has gained popularity as a way for social drinkers to take a break from booze for a bit. However, some people are making the decision to take it beyond January. CMO at Heineken USA Jonnie Cahill, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Vrai CEO discusses the process of creating lab grown diamonds, Entrupy CEO breaks down how the app uses artificial intelligence to analyze authenticity for luxury goods and sneakers; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'Red Elvis.'
