Golden charity around the Globe

When many of us think of the Golden Globe Awards, we imagine yet another award show designed to give celebrities an opportunity to dress up and bore us with seemingly endless speeches while they pay homage to each other. Were we ever wrong.
Over sixty years ago, a group of Los Angeles based journalists formed a non-profit organization called the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). In addition to creating programs and scholarships for future industry professionals, The Golden Globe Awards have enabled this organization to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to entertainment related charities, adding up to over $5.5 million over the past eleven years.
This year was a landmark for the HFPA when it donated over $1 million in support of charities around the world. The Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund in association with hurricane relief in New Orleans was one of the biggest recipients, receiving $250,000 from the fund alone. This amount was in the wake of the $250,000 they had already donated to aid tsunami victims from the 2004 disaster.
Other top 2005 recipients of the HFPA’s donations were the Film Foundation, which received $250,000 for restoration; the Sundance Institute at $75,000; Film Aid International at $50,000 for the Kakuma Peace and Reconciliation Series for Sudanese and other refugees in Kenya; Outfest, a library of bisexual, lesbian, gay and transgender films at UCLA at $20,000 and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, which received $20,000 to pay mentor costs for the 2005 Latino Producers Academy.
University and college film programs across the country were also among recipients of HFPA donations, one of them being the well known American Film Institute.
Kicking off award season in January, The Golden Globes are the only award show that honours achievements in both film and television. The ceremony is also seen as an early indicator for the Oscars. It may be because of this that the Golden Globes have been placed under severe scrutiny in recent years.
The HFPA have been accused of accepting lavish gifts from studios in the months leading up to the awards in hopes of buying nominations for their films or television shows. Also in question is the credibility of the journalists who require only four published pieces a year to qualify for HFPA membership, yet benefit greatly from perks such as all-expense paid trips to film festivals of their choice.
Even amidst the many accusations directed toward the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globe Awards are a ceremony that citizens and celebrities alike look forward to every year. It is hard to ignore the millions of dollars they have generously donated to organizations and charities around the world, and without them the future of entertainment may not be looking as bright as it does today.