GEORGE CLOONEY - STARS COME OUT FOR PRE-OSCARS FUNDRAISER

STARS COME OUT FOR PRE-OSCARS FUNDRAISER

GEORGE CLOONEY, TOM CRUISE and KATIE HOLMES, CAMERON DIAZ, HARRISON FORD and JENNIFER ANISTON were among the Hollywood superstars who helped turned the sixth annual Night Before fundraiser into a $6 million (GBP3 million) affair on Saturday (23Feb08). Past Oscar winners and nominees for this year's Academy Awards joined the stars at the Motion Picture + Television Fund bash, which was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The $6 million raised at this year's pre-Oscars party brings the total amount of money raised since the event's inception in 2003 to an impressive $31 million (GBP15.5 million). Motion Picture + Television Fund chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg feels this year's (08) event was so star-studded because the recent Hollywood writers strike really helped movie celebrities see how their colleagues need financial help. Katzenberg says, "Many people in our industry have faced great challenges the past few months and the support and services provided by MPTF were critical to their being able to support themselves and their families."