Sheryl Crow “Adopts” Hometown Teachers
Nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow returned to her hometown of Kennett, Missouri, to surprise the teachers at her alma mater, Kennett High School, with a $21,600 donation for classroom supplies.
During an all school assembly that was featured on The TODAY Show’s “Show Heart Today” series on Feb. 8, Crow announced that she was “adopting” all of the school’s teachers through AdoptAClassroom.org with a $600 donation each. Farmers Insurance® provided the financial backing as part of its Thank America’s Teacher? program, which has donated more than $2 million to teachers across the country since 2014.
Former teacher Sheryl Crow said:
“I know first-hand how much hard work goes into being a teacher, but I also know how big of an impact teachers have on the lives and futures of their students. Thanks to AdoptAClassroom.org and the financial support of Farmers Insurance, we were able to make a meaningful difference for the amazing teachers at Kennett High School while also showing viewers of The TODAY Show just how easy it can be to do the same for teachers in their own communities.”
Representatives from AdoptAClassroom.org and Farmers Insurance joined Crow and Jenna Bush Hager, a correspondent for The TODAY Show and a former teacher, to present each teacher with an AdoptAClassroom.org gift card for $600, which is equal to the amount that, on average, teachers spend out of their own pockets each year to ensure they have the materials needed to teach their students.
AdoptAClassroom.org is a national nonprofit that offers individual donors the ability to search, select and “adopt” an individual teacher, or donate to a general fund that supports teachers from higher-need schools.
Bob Thacker, executive vice president with AdoptAClassroom.org said:
“Most people are shocked to hear teachers spend so much of their own money each year to equip their classrooms and students. Thanks to the commitment of people like Sheryl, and the generosity of our corporate partners like Farmers Insurance, we adopted every teacher at Kennett High School. Our hope is to help all teachers throughout the country who still lack the resources for their students to learn and succeed.”
Farmers Insurance has a long history of supporting education and partners with AdoptAClassroom.org to facilitate donations to teachers from its Thank America’s Teachers program, which launched in 2014 to rally the country to show its gratitude for America’s educators who make a difference in their classrooms, schools and communities.
Kelly LaMar, managing lead of Thank America’s Teachers for Farmers Insurance added:
“We were thrilled to join Sheryl and AdoptAClassroom.org in recognizing the tremendous work of all the teachers and faculty at Kennett High School. Any of us can think of a teacher who made a difference in our lives, but today we’re able to make a difference in the lives of 36 special teachers and inspire everyone who watched at home to do the same for teachers across the country.”
To make a donation to AdoptAClassroom.org or find classrooms to adopt in your community, click AdoptAClassroom. Individuals are also invited to visit www.ThankAmericasTeachers.com to share their thank yous and to vote for their favorite teacher proposals throughout the year.
RBS Six Nations 2016 Interviews
The RBS Six Nations 2016 starts this weekend with England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy and France doing fierce battle for national pride on a rugby field. With many teams showcasing new look squads and new coaches competition looks to be intense as each team tries ot either build upon or forget about their recent World Cup Performances.
Check Out in depth Interviews below with Coaches and Captains ahead of the big kick off:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Premiere Pictures
Check out a full gallery of pictures from the London premiere for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, featuring stars Lily James, Matt Smith, Douglas Booth and Bella Heathcote.
Destination Star Trek Europe Celebrates 50 Years
Destination Star Trek Europe, the premier Star Trek fan event in Europe, will once again open its doors to thousands of Star Trek enthusiasts from across the universe for a three-day celebration of Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary. Set for October 7-9 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, England, Destination Star Trek Europe will pay tribute to the characters and stories that have inspired generations of fans, joining a year of celebrations in honour of this milestone year for the franchise.
Destination Star Trek Europe, under license by CBS Consumer Products, will offer fans the opportunity to meet cast and crew, explore interactive exhibits, learn about Star Trek’simpact on science, space and technology, and enjoy parties fit for a golden anniversary.
The legendary William Shatner (Captain Kirk), will headline the event and be joined byChristopher Lloyd (Commander Kruge), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Jonathan Frakes(William Riker), Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi), Alexander Siddig (Dr. Julian Bashir), Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax) and Nicole de Boer (Ezri Dax). Additional guests will be revealed in the coming months.
In addition to autographs, photos and panels, fans will be able to take command of the bridge on the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 or NCC-1701-D, investigate a Borg hive, take charge of a Klingon bird-of-prey, explore a shuttlecraft, and see original props and costumes in the Destination Star Trek Museum.
Tickets are now available at www.DestinationStarTrek.com
Event organizer, Mark Woollard has said:
“For five decades, Star Trek has influenced the world around us through its voyages to the Final Frontier. Destination Star Trek Europe will honour the series’ impact and celebrate its legions of fans that are inspired to boldly go where no one has gone before.”
Star Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2016. Born from the mind of Gene Roddenberry, the original Star Trek series debuted on September 8, 1966 and aired for three seasons — a short run that belied the influence it would have for generations. Launching the careers of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, the series also broke new ground in storytelling and cultural mores providing a progressive look at topics including race relations, global politics, the environment, and more. It spawned five more television series and 13 feature films spanning the course of half a century.
Beyond its impact on the entertainment landscape, Star Trek has also inspired some of the greatest minds steering the direction of our modern world and sparking the biggest technological advancements of our time such as the cell phone, universal translator, smart watch, tablet, sonogram, and countless other inventions. Those who cite Star Trek as an influence on their lives include Stephen Hawking, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Elon Musk, and countless others.
Destination Star Trek Europe is organised by Massive Events, in association with Showmasters and Media 10.
Check out video interviews with the Star Trek cast from previous Showmasters events below:
10 Extreme Method Acting Performances
In preparation for his lead role in Stephen Frears’ gripping Lance Armstrong biopic, The Program, Ben Foster controversially admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs in order to gain a better understanding of their effects. To celebrate the film’s release on Digital HD from 8th February and on Blu-ray & DVD from 15th February, 2016, here’s a a look at actors who went to famously extreme lengths to portray a character…
Ben Foster – The Program (2015)
Ben Foster stars as Lance Armstrong in this suspenseful adaptation that depicts the true story of how the cyclist fell from grace after partaking in the most sophisticated doping program the sport had ever seen. In order to get inside the head of the former hero and truly understand the effects of doping Foster admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs. This is not the first time Foster has gone all out for a role as he previously ate handfuls of dirt to comprehend the hardships endured by Navy Seals for Lone Survivor and spent time living on the streets of LA for his small part in Rampart.
Adrian Brody – The Pianist (2002)
Losing 30 pounds and spending hours learning to play the piano for his role as Holocaust survivor Wladyslaw Szpilman wasn’t enough for Adrian Brody. He took method acting to a new level by giving up his apartment, selling his car, disconnecting his phone, and ultimately leaving his life behind in order to feel the same loss Szpilman felt. His actions cost him his girlfriend of the time but subsequently secured him an Oscar for best actor in 2003.
Robert de Niro – Taxi Driver (1976)
Robert de Niro’s portrayal of Travis Bickle, the disturbed insomniac taxi driver, in Martin Scorsese’s remarkable crime drama was nothing short of amazing. His strong performance can be linked to the fact that while prepping for the role De Niro actually got his cab driver’s licence. He worked 12-hour shifts for a month prior to shooting and claims that, despite his Academy recognition for The Godfather: Part Two, he was only ever recognised once.
Heath Ledger/ Jared Leto – The Dark Knight (2008) & Suicide Squad (2016)
Heath Ledger went to great lengths to prepare for the part of The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster smash. His incredible representation was a product of locking himself in his apartment for a month prior to filming, sleeping two hours each night, and never breaking character. Crew members worried for the actor and warned him that he had taken things too far. Jared Leto appeared to take a similar approach with his highly anticipated depiction of the character by sending his co-stars strange gifts including a live rat, bullets, and a dead hog.
Joaquin Phoenix – Walk the Line (2005)
While starring as Jonny Cash in James Mangold’s award winning biopic Joaquin Phoenix spent months learning to sing and play the guitar. He then went the extra mile by only responding to people if they called him JR, Johnny Cash’s real name. He claims to be embarrassed about the situation in hindsight but maintains that being called Joaquin on the set felt wrong. He continued down the method route while preparing for Casey Affleck’s I’m Still Here by convincing the world he had quit acting and gone a little bit crazy.
Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln (2012)
Daniel Day-Lewis is renowned for his method approach to his roles. He spent two months in a cerebral palsy clinic for My Left Foot, learnt to track and skin animals for The Last of the Mohicans, and spared no exceptions for Spielberg’s Lincoln. During production Day-Lewis spoke with a Kentucky accent on and off set, insisted on being addressed as ‘Mr President’, and signed messages to his co-stars as ‘Abe’.
Christian Bale – The Machinist
The producers of the film claim that Christian Bale dropped from about 173 pounds in weight down to about 110 pounds in weight to make this film. They also claim that Bale actually wanted to drop down to 100 pounds, but that they would not let him go below 120 out of fear that his health could be in too much danger if he did. His diet consisted of one can of tuna and an apple per day. His 63-pound weight loss is said to be a record for any actor for a movie role. He regained the weight in time for his role in Batman Begins
Hilary Swank – Boys Don’t Cry
Hilary Swank won an Oscar for her portrayal of real life female to male transexual Brandon Teena. Swank auditioned for the role by pretending to be from a small town in Nebraska and having won over hr director then apprently lived publicly as Brandon for a month prior to filming starting. Speaking about the extreme decision Swank said ”I told everyone that I’m not going to call anyone and I’m just totally unreachable for this amount of time because you just have to totally immerse.”
Joaquin Phoenix – I’m Still Here
In 2009 Joaquin Phoenix announced he was retiring form acting to launch an unlikely new career as a rapper. Initially dismissed as a silly prank the Oscar nominee then appeared to actually be having a real breakdown as he abandoned acting and attended TV talk shows in character to promote his strange new alter-ego. His erratic behavior and increasingly disheveled appearance had many fans and critics worrying for his mental heath. Until it was all revealed to be an elaborate performance piece for his Casey Affleck collaboration I’m Still Here.
Dustin Hoffman – Marathon Man
Dustin Hoffman has collected two academy awards and seven nominations due to his astonishing method acting work in films like Rain Man. However it was on the set of intense thriller Marathon Man that his dedicated approach drew an amused reaction from his iconic co-star Laurence Olivier. Hoffman is widely acknowledged to have suffered sever self- inflicted sleep deprivation to better portray his characters increasingly delirious and distressed condition. When Hoffman questions Olivier on how he was ale to deliver such a convincingly realistic performance without any similar preparation Olivier infamously replied “Try actng, dear boy.. It’s much easier.”