1. Show Business and philanthropy issues have always gone hand and hand in my
career. Arriving in Los Angeles in the summer of 1973 (to begin my PhD. studies at
USC Schoolof Cinema), my first temp job was for ProjectHope and their famed
Circus of Stars/ Celebrity Elephant Walk. Putting Sonny and Cher up on pachyderms
(holding then Chasity) was a thrill I could share on those long, long distance phone
calls back to my folks in Yorktown Heights, NY.
When I was recruited by MTM Enterprises to leave school and join that beloved
television company, I was introduced to dozens of performers,each with some special
community interest or charity partner. Mary herself had already come out strongly for
Juvenile Diabetes research—which was in her personal health history—Betty White
shared her love for all animal causes; Ed Asner, the menschof every organization
who asked for his support; Valerie Harper who started Love Is Feeding Everyone with
Dennis Weaver; Gavin MacLeod,who gave me my first American Heart Association
Cookbook(I now send out dozens yearly).
Because I did Recording for the Blind on weekends, Mary asked me to help her
prepare for an audition audio intended for the Library of Congress Talking Books folks.
I remembershe read from the then-very popular “Watership Down” novel which had
charming but hard-to-read passages.Mary, the perfectionist,could not produce a
flawless tape and so our afternoon of hilarious out-takes did not bring Ms. Moore to
the ears of countless sight-impaired listeners. Still, RFB, now called Learning Ally, is
an amazing tool for those with print disabilities and many Hollywood “voices”have
shared their time creating memorable and inspiring readings.
Fifteenyears later, I was head of all MTM Public Relations and made sure every one
of our stars had something other than their series to talk about. Joined by the
legendary PR maven Patricia Kingsley, I broadened my world view and took on many
of Pat’s interests including her thrilling work with Dr. Helen Caldicott and Physicians
for a Responsible Society.How proud I was to see Pat’s roster of stars (Jane Fonda,
Lily Tomlin, Candace Bergen,Sally Fields…)line up behind so many important issues
including calling attention to the dangers of nuclear energy.
As MTM’s delegate to the Permanent Charities Committee,I helped Hollywood’s
“community chest” to allocate funds to a number of worthy causes.PCC, now called

2. The Entertainment Industry Foundation, is an original partner in the amazingly
successful“Stand up to Cancer” campaign as well as hundreds of smaller activities
that pair stars with good works.
A brief flirtation with Oprah Winfrey followed and though I cannot take credit for her
Angel Network generosity,I recall with pride the few chats we had about this
movementin its earliest stages. What betterway for beloved and well-compensated
persons to keep it real with their fans….?
William Morris was looking for someone to replace the various outside
publicists they had used over the years –though I just learned Bernie Brillstein was an
actual in-house publicist in the late ‘50s! Those of you who rememberme throughout
the ‘90s might smile to recall how I was challenged by Ovitz-mania and the various
Nikki Finke-style writers who covered our industry. Central in my best agency
memories are those generous sessions where we allocated LastfogelFoundation
monies to charitable endeavors. Also, I am thrilled to be the guy who suggestedwe
stop giving rich people holiday presents and start to make donations in their honor.
Who reading this post joined me when Bill Haber and his team from Save the Children
presented in the conference room? I rememberthe stimulated discussions afterwards
and the thoughts we all had about putting glitz and glamour behind for something
more substantial. I think we all have a “myth” of ourselves that fuels both our work
ethic and our aspirations for something greater. This part of the imagination is much
akin to the magical aspiration that motivates many talented persons,in front and
behind the cameras, the mics,the podiums and the stages.The dream of doing well
and being applauded matches nicely with the dream of doing good.
For all of my years with you, I remained one of the city’s top fund raisers for APLA’s
Aids Walk and I never beheld more $100 checks then when I counted your beautiful
responsesto my yearly appeal. I thank you most sincerely for that. Though not every
day brought such delightful bounty, I stayed at the agency through our groundbreaking
mergerwith Triad and then to celebrate our historic Centennial. At that point, with my
house paid off and no kids to put through college,I thought it time to move on.
Because my post-WMA contractor said I had to get a job and leave his work team
alone, I joined the Starlight Children’s Foundation and helped over a million sick kids
around the globe through wish granting and hospital entertainment programs.
Arranging celebrity interactions was my greatest joy and I can happily name you an

3. honors list of folks you’ve represented who did numerous and completelyanonymous
visits with chronically ill children and their families.Though she may not seem your
first choice, a young Britney Spears was our International Spokesperson.As a very
young performer,Spears spent much of her childhood in dressing rooms behind the
scenes and seemedto have a very real compassionfor the isolated and lonesome
children we served in chronic medical situations. A program to create Britney’s Teen
Lounges around the nation was the finest goal of those Starlight years.
I was next approached by the American Heart Association/AmericanStroke
Associationto create The Entertainment Group, where I have happily stayed these
past 15 years. My work oversees all our outreach to the celebrity world and I have
often engaged with WME folks to find clients who serve as our spokespersons. As you
well know, the touching humanity which performers bring to initiatives, is that special
spark that lifts our messages out of pamphlets and makes them living, breathing “calls
to action.” The Biz has become verysavvy in aligning with non-profits and you needn’t
just read Vanity Fair to know that famous persons like standing for something more
than their last movie.
While I am appreciative of this forum and the chance to be in touch with so many from
my formerlife, I cannot resist the opportunity to use the space to “peddle my
papayas….” If you or your high-profile client have a desire to help us on the subjectof
Heart Disease and Stroke, please be in touch. There is no health issue that reaches
more of your audience than ours and while this isn’t a competitionthe limited time in a
star’s life necessitates that they choose wisely in how to be philanthropic. Scratch
down one generation in your own or any client’s history and you will find our issues:
heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes, childhood obesity,stroke, smoking risks,
diet and exercise challenges…. I have spent a lifetime trying to meld the excitementof
our business with the soul-touching satisfaction of doing “mitzvahs.” I know first-hand
that what they say is true about Entertainment folks being generous.I’m hoping to see
you all soon again in some worthwhile endeavor that will make us each very glad,
awfully proud and deeplyfulfilled.