ANNOUNCING THE FINALISTS!
Christi Barth • Baltimore, MD
Charity to receive donation: Junior League of Baltimore
Desperate Housewives
(Gaby’s bedroom)
Close up of Gaby at her vanity, putting on a pillbox hat. She walks down the stairs in a prim suit, pulls on white gloves, and straightens the clasp on her triple strand of pearls.
Cut to Gaby banging on the GPS unit in her car as she pulls up in front of a sketchy, inner city school. "This can’t be right — Bree told me to meet her at a Junior League event. This looks more like a Junior Hoodlums meeting."
Gaby spots her friends under a big sign advertising the Junior League’s Health Fair. Lynette and Susan are in overalls managing check-in with other Junior League volunteers, and even Bree is wearing jeans with a kerchief over her hair. Gaby slams the car door and stalks over.
"What is this?" She pushes through the line, waving her clutch in the air. "I thought you asked me to help you with a Junior League event? This suit is vintage Chanel!"
Bree gives her a reprimanding look — "Welcome to today’s Junior League, Gaby!"
Cut to Gaby, jacket off and sleeves rolled up, helping children build a pyramid of fruits and vegetables, and laughing. A child says "You’re so beautiful, Mrs. Solis — you must eat healthy foods all the time."
Lynette and Susan giggle. Gaby shoots them a glare, pats the girl on the head and says, "Thank you, sweetheart." She turns to Bree and says "This afternoon is turning out better than expected..."
Judith Gates • Pacific, MO
Charity to receive donation: Tri County Senior Center
Cameron Hernholm • Dallas, TX
Charity to receive donation: CC Young
Mollie Hunt • Portland, OR
Charity to receive donation: Oregon Humane Society
The Simpsons
When Lisa Simpson finds a stray cat in her back yard, she wants to adopt him, but the fur flies with the family cat, Snowball IV.
Lisa takes him to the Oregon Humane Society. (Everyone knows that Springfield is in Oregon!) The director, Sharon Harmon, gives her a tour of the facility. Lisa is impressed.
A nice girl gives the stray a gentle check–up, blood tests for HIV and FLIV, and treatment for worms, fleas and mites. When finished, she calls someone to take him to his kennel. Lisa is amazed to find the white–haired lady in the green apron is animal advocate, Betty White!
As Betty grooms the cat until he shines, she tells Lisa that, like 1000 others, she is an OHS volunteer. She describes how, besides showing animals to potential adopters, volunteers play with cats, walk dogs, and help with special events.
Lisa is too young to be a volunteer, but she comes up with another way to help:
It’s Lisa’s birthday, and instead of presents, she asks for donations to the OHS animals. She collects cash, food, beds, and more toys than she can hold in her arms.
Marge drives her to OHS with the goodies. Betty White is there, gloves on, merrily cleaning out cat boxes. She and Lisa give each other a thumbs–up.
Lisa takes Marge into the cattery to see her stray but his kennel is empty. He has been adopted!
Terin Izil • Chicago, IL
Charity to receive donation: Darius Goes West
Glee
In this episode of Glee, Duchenne muscular dystrophy advocate Darius Weems visits America’s favorite singing high school, resulting in the students organizing a benefit concert and screening of the award-winning documentary that follows Darius as he leaves home for the first time on a cross-country roadtrip with his friends to have his wheelchair "pimped" on MTV’s Pimp My Ride. Darius will play a transfer student whose rapping talents make him a natural fit for Glee.
Initially, the club is resistant to Darius. Artie is insecure about having a second member in a wheelchair, especially a pimped out Lamborghini orange one with spinners, a Playstation, and subwoofers. Rachel fears Darius will steal her spotlight. Coach Sylvester, who habitually parks in the handicap spot, does a news segment on the selfishness of volunteerism, outrageously suggesting an every-man-for-himself mentality encourages evolution.
To make peace, Mr. Schuester shows Darius Goes West to his students. Moved by the film, everyone rallies together around the cause and holds a benefit concert for the Darius Goes West Foundation, which has raised $1.6 million for Duchenne muscular dystrophy research to date. The students work together to host a screening of the film, like 62 schools nationwide have done in real life, followed by a concert starring Darius and the glee club. The hugely successful event raises both money and disease awareness. The episode ends with a message from the cast encouraging the viewing audience to visit dariusgoeswest.org to host their own screening.
Alana Laudone • South Glastonbury, CT
Charity to receive donation: TBD
Hell’s Kitchen
Cooking for any amount of people in high pressure environment like that in Hell’s Kitchen is no easy task. But cooking for 100 and maintaining the highest culinary quality is a real challenge. Hell’s Kitchen should, without losing Gordon Ramsay’s fire of course, aspire to a "heavenly" goal in making one of its weekly challenges cooking for 100+ people at a local soup kitchen. The hopefuls would go out of their element, in a rudimentary and unfamiliar kitchen at the shelter, to create a resourceful, yet nutritious and delicious dinner for the attendees. There would be no lack of drama as the challengers fight for limited utensils and space in the kitchen. For an extra twist, a small group of chefs could be assigned to different kitchens in varying ethnic areas of a large city, with the requirement that they prepare a meal to suit the taste of the predominant ethnic group in the region. May the most tenacious win.
Jenny Levison • Brooklyn, NY
Charity to receive donation: Freedom to Marry
Glee
ACT ONE
Rachel’s dads announce they’re getting married — on the same day as the Show Choir Sectionals. However, since there’s no gay marriage in Ohio, the wedding is in Iowa. After losing an argument with her dads, Rachel tells Glee that she can’t perform at Sectionals.
ACT TWO
With Rachel out, Glee dissolves, until Kurt convinces Rachel to volunteer for Freedom to Marry, to win marriage equality in Ohio, so her dads can marry at home and Rachel can be at both the Sectionals and the wedding. Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality — and to promote the national conversation about why marriage equality is a civil rights issue — nationwide.
ACT THREE
Many obstacles: During rehearsals, Puck refuses to sing a love song with Finn. When Glee performs at a benefit concert for Freedom to Marry, Sue and Will are mistaken for gay and lesbian. Sue exploits the situation, while Will leads the guy on unawares. Rachel gets close to the other volunteers at Freedom to Marry, and her Glee friends get jealous. Finally, despite hours of volunteer effort, the bill fails, Glee is a mess, and Rachel is despondent.
ACT FOUR
When asked, Rachel organizes a benefit concert for Indiana marriage equality. When her dads realize she’s no longer volunteering for selfish reasons, but that she’s come to actually care about the issues, they plan an unofficial ceremony at home, where Glee performs — right after they win Sectionals.
Kathleen Masser • San Pedro, CA
Charity to receive donation: Angel Flight West
Two and a Half Men
Angel Flight West is a network of volunteer pilots who provide free transportation in private aircraft for people who need to access health care or other critical services.
In an episode of "Two And A Half Men," Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) meets Cheri, a gorgeous woman who works as an airline pilot. Cheri invites Charlie to accompany her on a "very special flight." Charlie of course interprets this as an invitation to romance in the sky. Instead, he arrives at the airport to find a singel-engine plane and Cheri waiting for him with a woman and her son.
In her spare time, Cheri is a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight West, and the "very special flight" is flying the pair to Palo Alto, so the young boy can undergo specialized treatment for an illness. The boy comforts an airsick Charlie and Cheri teaches him a lesson in compassion. Will Charlie make the leap from philanderer to philanthropist? Okay, probably not . . .
Joe Moran • New York, NY
Charity to receive donation: QSAC Inc.
Sarah Morrow • Newton, MA
Charity to receive donation: Diva Day Foundation
Caroline Rodgers • Matawan, NJ
Charity to receive donation: Habitat for Humanity and Heifer International
House: "Nailing It"
Dr. Cuddy decides to improve the hospital’s community image by asking the staff to volunteer at least one three-hour shift to build a Habitat for Humanity house. Some are enthusiastic but others resist, sparking tension between coworkers and couples. House resents the idea of "giving away" a house and making it a group project. "Why not just bus in a bunch of Amish people — they’d have the whole thing done in a day and still have time to milk the cows."
Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy is admitted with baffling neurological symptoms. The team’s investigations parallel their Habitat work — after working on plumbing, they try flushing the patient’s system with antibiotics. When they are installing the house’s electrical system, they consider whether the boy has epilepsy. The patient’s symptoms advance to meningitis and a small stroke when a doctor talks about shingling the roof. House berates him for playing Bob the Builder, then says: "Shingles — I think you’ve nailed it."
House says the boy could have shingles with brain involvement. Only people who have had chicken pox can get shingles, so when medical records show the boy was vaccinated, they’re at a dead end — until they discover the boy’s anti-vaccine mother faked his records to get him into school. The boy is treated with anti-viral drugs, the Habitat house is completed and House, who was the only volunteer hold-out, writes a check to Habitat worth exactly three hours of his time.
Rusty Salmon • Washington, UT
Charity to receive donation: DinosaurAh!Torium Foundation
Bones
Bones is called when a volunteer from the Dinosaur Discovery Site museum is confused about certain bones at a paleontological dig. Normally a site for small dinosaur bones and fish, the presence of odd bones that aren’t fossilized has the site paleontologist scratching his head until Bones determines that they are bones from a human and gives an estimate of how long they’ve been at the location. Going back to the museum, they find additional human bones that have been inadvertently collected with rubble to be screened. Bones spots the detail that indicates a murder. Bones and Booth interview all the volunteers (greeters, docent trail guides, prep lab people) and use the lab’s skills to determine details of the case. The dinosaur museum provides a back story as they determine that the main dig areas surrounding the museum have only been exposed during the last 10 years. Booth and Bones chase down previous volunteers and former site coordinators as well as the man who made the initial discovery and who benefited financially from the sale of the land to the city. They finally tie the murder to a discontented, envious relative who felt he should have been included in the property settlement. The victim is his wife who’d threatened to tell authorities she’d heard her husband planning to have the relative killed. Her absence had been explained as a bad marriage and that she’d decided to take off for Las Vegas, about two hours away, for a new life.
Greg Schlichter • St. Paul, MN
Charity to receive donation: Sierra Club — Minnesota North Star Chapter
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry runs into his estranged wife, Cheryl, shopping for a get-well gift for his hospitalized friend, Richard. Cheryl is impressed (and surprised) Larry would perform such a thoughtful act. Larry, desiring a way back into Cheryl’s heart, falls over himself expressing his miraculous, new-found sensitivity.
Larry asks Cheryl what’s she doing Saturday, as he may visit Richard, and perhaps she’d join him. Alas, Cheryl says she’s organizing a tree-planting ceremony with the Sierra Club. Cheryl, an ardent environmentalist, holds volunteerism close to her heart. Larry’s eyes widen, exclaiming Cheryl’s event is fantastic, he’s always wanted to plant his very own tree! Could he attend? Cheryl casts a weary look, but nonetheless pleased, tells Larry he’s welcomed. They part, smiling.
Larry confesses to his friend, Jeff, his nervousness about the ceremony, and his desire to impress Cheryl with his "super-philanthropy." With Jeff’s encouragement, Larry decides he must bring the largest tree, calling a landscaping company to deliver the most impressive tree.
At the ceremony, volunteers are assembled. Carl Pope, Sierra Club President, presides, thanking attendees. Larry assures a perplexed Cheryl his tree is forthcoming. Larry notices a young girl holding a scrawny stick she intends to plant. He questions her tree’s grandeur, annoying Cheryl with his ridicule of the girl.
On cue, an enormous forklift backs onto the scene carrying his gigantic tree. Larry fusses, drawing attention to himself as the grand tree’s donor. The awkwardness gives Larry’s character opportunity to, once again, elicit humor-filled dialogue.
Romney Snyder • Irvine, CA
Charity to receive donation: Working Wardrobes
The Office
SCENE 1:
The staff assembles in the conference room. Michael and Jim enter carrying a memo from corporate.
Michael:
Corporate wants us to do something for the community; [sarcastically] thanks to Pam’s terrible suggestions we got nowhere with the conservation idea. We need a new idea to show we care.
Jim:
With unemployment so high, maybe the Scranton branch could do something to help people get jobs.
Angela:
We could host a suit drive for Working Wardrobes: collect business clothes we’re not wearing anymore and donate them for people who need suits for interviews.
Pam:
That’s a great idea. I could donate some of my pre-pregnancy clothes; don’t think I’ll be fitting in those again. Besides [feeling her belly] it’s definitely getting bigger!
Michael:
That’s what she said! [laughs]
[Jim throws a disapproving glance.]
SCENE 2: Day of the suit drive.
Michael (on—camera interview):
Why am I not donating suits? I’ll tell you why… [he stumbles for an excuse as Jim passes with an armload of suits. Instantly competitive, Michael won’t be outdone. He stands and exits his office.]
Michael:
I have an announcement: As the senior co-manager, I know you look to me to lead you. I did more than bring a suit; I’m giving the suit off my back! [Michael begins to disrobe to co—worker objections.]
Toby (shaking his head):
Michael, I’m pretty sure that’s not what they meant…
Jim (on—camera interview):
Was the drive successful? Think so... Am I surprised Michael’s still not wearing pants? Not really.
Maureen Sullivan • Chicago,IL
Charity to receive donation: St. Rose Center, Chicago
30 Rock
Liz Lemon enters Jack Donaghy's office to find him agitated and distracted. Donaghy just came back from an art auction where he lost a bidding war on a painting to first lady Michelle Obama. "She can raise her hand faster to outbid me because she doesn't wear sleeves," complains Jack.
Jack puts Liz on the task of finding more art from the artist. Liz discovers the artist is a member of St. Rose Center in Chicago, a service organization for developmentally disabled adults. Lemon notices St. Rose's website call for volunteers at a talent show they will run next week.
Liz tells Jack that the artist whose work Jack was bidding on is developmentally disabled and that St. Rose needs volunteers.
Pausing to consider the information, a big smile crosses Jack's face. "Outsider art!" he exclaims. "Do you have any idea how lucrative that is today, Lemon? What a tremendous investment! What will it take to lock it all up?"
Liz suggests volunteering to help produce the talent show. Jack orders her to collect writers, stagehands, makeup artists and actors and fly to Chicago to help put on the show.
Jack accompanies the volunteer group and meets the members and the nun who runs the program. The pros help make the show a huge success and Jack gets a meeting with the nun and her lawyer to negotiate the exclusive rights to all of St. Rose artist’s work.
Seated in the room is the nun and her lawyer, Michelle Obama.
Cody Switzer • Rockville, MD
Charity to receive donation: Goodwill Industries International
Rachel Talen • Chicago, IL
Charity to receive donation: Easter Seals
The Office
Michael, in a staff meeting, touches his fingertips together and says, "Walk with me." The staff stares blankly at him as he awkwardly repeats, "Walk with me." Bluntly, Stanley says, "No."
Smirking, Michael boasts about what they have done for charity by signing up the staff for Easter Seals’ "Walk With Me" campaign, in which participants raise money by walking or sponsoring walkers, with donations going directly to support Easter Seals services.
Michael, unprepared as usual, thinks he is raising money to save wildlife...the seals. Wanting to go "all out" for this event, he claims they are the major sponsors, gets the staff fired up, and convinces Dwight to dress up with him in an "Easter Seal" outfit.
Pam is quickly hushed when she tries to explain that Easter Seals is the lead non-profit provider for individuals with disabilities. "Pam, I don’t want negativity."
Michael and Dwight make everyone uncomfortable when they arrive at the event in big seal costumes, surrounded by children with autism and other physical and mental disabilities. The staff looks around, confused.
Later, we get a shot of Dwight sitting on the ground, looking into the sky, and twirling blades of grass.
Trying to be politically correct, Michael brilliantly crosses every line having to do with interacting with people with disabilities, complete with "that’s what she said" jokes.
Easter Seals’ mission is eventually explained by volunteers at the event, and, along the way, Michael and his staff end up looking like the ones with disabilities.
Paula Van Ness • Sherman Oaks, CA
Charity to receive donation: Starlight Children's Foundation
Project Runway
Kids who are seriously ill miss out on some of life's biggest moments. One of the toughest is when teenagers miss their proms because they're in the hospital or even worse, they’re socially ostracized because they're "different" and have missed so much school that they have no real friends anymore.
Starlight Children's Foundation has a vibrant social network called "Starbright World" (SBW) where more than 3,000 seriously ill teens obtain social support from each other.
Lifetime’s Project Runway could get involved with Starlight-making some of these teens feel extra special-by creating unique prom dresses and providing hair and makeup consultations by L’Oreal and Garnier. Some of the girls will be in wheelchairs, others will likely want to hide disfiguring scars, and some will be bald because of the treatments they are undergoing. The designers will have a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to reach out with compassion, using their skills to help heal the spirits of these brave girls while their bodies are being healed by the doctors.
The show could sponsor a contest in which viewers vote for their favorite designer based on this challenge. Using mobile giving technology, each vote would generate $1 for Starlight. This on–air effort would culminate in the SBW kids joining their peers at a special prom which the designers would volunteer to chaperone. And it will undoubtedly create memories that will last a lifetime for the Project Runway cast and crew, as well as the kids and their families.
Sonya White • New York, NY
Charity to receive donation: Ossie Davis Endowment, The HOPE Program, New Life of NY
Shark Tank
In this episode of Shark Tank, the Sharks are not presented with investment opportunities but with volunteer opportunities by 3 different non-profits. The Sharks will be organized into three volunteer teams. For the length of the show, they will be observed as volunteers within these three organizations. If they have a "great volunteer" experience, the organization will receive a donation from the Sharks.
The show opens with the presentation of each non profit and the Shark volunteer assignment. Prior to airing the show, the Sharks can help develop the assignment with the organization’s staff. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the organization and its sustainability the presentation will not be made by the staff, but by current volunteers and a constituent of the organization. The presentation will help the audience understand why that volunteer offers service and the constituent (a young person, a poor New Yorker, etc.) will demonstrate why the organization is effective.
Throughout the show we will see how the Sharks interact with board members, volunteers, staff and constituents based on the specific project. Volunteer activities could include the Sharks in the board room organizing the gala, working with the youth to serve the homeless, or pitching an organization to a sponsor or potential donor. These activities would of course be shot over a set number of weeks, then edited for the purpose of the 1 hour presentations.
Arlene Williams • Sparks, NV
Charity to receive donation: Nevada Volunteers
Two and a Half Men
Who’s the least likely volunteer on television? Two and a Half Men’s Charlie Harper.
One night, though, Charlie spies a $100 bill beneath a bar’s neon sign. Reaching for it, he finds another hand reaching too. It’s a pretty girl Jake’s age, her eyes large and haunted. She wears a dirty red sweatshirt with butterflies. Her thin hand trembles. She grabs the money and runs. Momentarily stunned, Charlie follows, but she’s gone.
The housekeeper finds Charlie viewing a teen shelter’s website. He feels bad about the girl and wants to become a mentor. Berta scoffs — he’s not exactly the role model a teen needs. Jake backs Charlie, reciting "great" advice Charlie has given him in the past, proving Berta’s point. She slams the laptop shut. "Case closed."
Charlie and Alan cruise sordid neighborhoods looking for the girl. Charlie "spots" her many times. Exasperated, Alan storms from the car. They argue through the window, attracting police who suspect a drug buy. That’s when Charlie spies a dirty red sweatshirt and drives off in pursuit. The police chase begins.
Jake’s found something for Charlie on the Volunteer Match website. It’s a music workshop for runaway teens. Jake assures Charlie, if he sticks to what he knows — music, he can’t ruin any kid too much.
At the workshop, Charlie finds the butterfly sweatshirt, but not the same girl. She gave it away after buying a ticket home with the money. Relieved, Charlie sits by the new girl. They talk music into the fade.
