Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
L-R John Easterling, Olivia Newton-John, Michael Caprio (Wellness Walk 2019)A few hours from now – Sunday morning in Melbourne, Australia – thousands of Aussies will take part in “Olivia’s Walk for Wellness’ bringing love and light to those with cancer. Continue reading “Olivia’s Walk For Wellness Benefiting the ONJ Wellness Center”
I’m so proud of my husband, Michael Caprio, for raising over $25,000 at today’s Wellness Walk & Research Run for important wellness programs at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Center in Melbourne, Australia.
We lost Michael’s mother earlier this year to leukemia, and ten years ago we faced my own cancer journey when I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma (I’m great now).
In addition to her countless awards and accolades for her music and film work, Olivia’s lasting legacy will be this Center she has not only lent her name to but helped build from day one.
If cancer has touched you or someone you love, please consider donating to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Center by heading to https://www.onjcancercentre.org
CBS Sunday Morning profiles 4-time Grammy Award winner Olivia Newton-JohnActress, author, and singer Olivia Newton-John, 71, is battling breast cancer for the third time.
“I’m happy. I’m lucky. I’m grateful. I have much to live for. And I intend to keep on living it,” she tells “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King in an emotional interview at her Los Angeles home.
Olivia Newton-John with miniature horses Harry & WinstonOlivia talks about her diagnosis two years ago and how, while the pain was at one point unbearable, her spirit remains unshakable.
She also shows off several of her iconic costumes – including the famous black leather jacket and pants from the finale of GREASE – that she’s auctioning off soon with proceeds going to fund wellness programs at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center in Melbourne, Australia.
By the way, if you or anyone you know has been touched by cancer and would like to help Olivia’s world-renowned center in Australia, this week the organization is holding its annual Cancer Walk & Research Run fundraiser next Sunday.
My hubby is down there and he’ll be walking not only for Olivia but also for his mother who we lost to cancer in May this year. You can sponsor Michael’s steps by clicking here.
God knows I love me some Olivia Newton-John.
This is what you call a portrait of courage and grace. Watch below.
This thoughtful and insightful interview by 60 Minutes Australia with pop music icon, Olivia Newton-John last night in Australia.
In addition to being a fan, I’m lucky to count Olivia as a friend. She was very supportive during my own cancer journey, and this in depth interview highlights some of the work she’s done on behalf of those affected by cancer.
The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center not only treats the bodies of cancer patients, but the mind and spirit as well with wellness programs like meditation, yoga, art and music therapies and more. Over the past decade, Olivia has helped raise over $200 million to make the center a reality.
She also discusses other aspects of her life: her husband, John; her daughter, Chloe; “the pants” from Grease; and yes, the disappearance of Patrick McDermott over a decade ago.
It’s a really good, balanced look at a superstar who’s has remained centered and clear-eyed about who she is and what she has to offer a changing world.
Her new album, written and recorded with Amy Sky and Beth Neilsen Chapman – LIV ON – drops October 7th.
And here’s a “web bonus” from 60 Minutes Australia:
 |
| Olivia Newton-John (R) and nephew Emerson Newton-John (L) |
I had the pleasure (hello – wine involved, how could it not be pleasure?) to attend a media event this week where Las Vegas headliner and music icon Olivia Newton-John hosted the launch of Pink and Blue for Two wines, now being sold at the Flamingo Las Vegas’ Center Cut high-end steak house and at the hotel’s boutique store.
Everyone knows I’m a wine lover, and I have to say – I had the Chardonnay and it’s excellent.
With proceeds from sales going to support the PB42 campaign and the wellness programs at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Center in Australia, you might assume the wine (being a charity wine) is a “secondary” or “less than” wine from Meadowcraft Winery. But it’s very, very good.
There’s also a Merlot for red wine lovers. And ONJ picked them out herself.
Co-hosting the event was Emerson Newton-John, Olivia’s nephew, who founded Pink and Blue for Two. The charity campaign encourages men and women to take part in breast and prostate exams as a way to catch possible cancers early.
For folks who can’t get to Las Vegas, you can order the wine online (for a great cause) by hitting this link.
All photos by Denise Truscello
 |
| Olivia Newton-John with Tom Meadowcroft of Meadowcroft Winery and Emerson Newton-John |
|
| Hubby Michael and I with Emerson and Olivia |
Queerty just posted my interview with Olivia Newton-John about her new show “Summer Nights” at the Flamingo Las Vegas.
Olivia chats on her new show, her support for marriage equality, and her personal passions for health and wellness.
Here’s just a bit:
You were one of the first major celebrities to speak out in support of marriage equality in Australia. Are you surprised at the momentum the marriage equality movement has had in the past few years?
I think it’s fantastic. Not surprised, because I think we’re all becoming more educated and more aware. Just about every family has a gay member, I think. It used to be swept under the carpet, but not anymore. I think that as the awareness grows and the love grows, it will be accepted more and more. We’re very lucky that we have this in the free world. There are those in other countries who can’t be who they are.
Have you ever been concerned about sharing your opinion about important issues like marriage equality, breast cancer awareness or the environment?
I might be a little nervous, but it doesn’t stop me if it’s correct. I’m not really a political person; I don’t affiliate myself with any particular party. But I will get involved with an issue if I feel it’s the right thing to do. I’ve spoken out in Australia about ‘fracking’ where they are breaking open the ground to release natural gas which really endangers the water supply. It was a kind of dangerous area to tread in, but I knew that it was incredibly important to make people aware because I don’t think enough people knew about it. That was important to me. I cancelled a tour of Japan many years ago because of the killing of whales and dolphins in tuna nets, and I can’t believe it’s still happening. So, there are a lot of things that I feel passionately about. Sometimes I’m a little nervous about it but that doesn’t stop me — you have to have the courage of your convictions.
Read the full interview at Queerty.
|
| Olivia Newton-John talks to Sunrise about her Cancer and Wellness Centre |
Olivia Newton-John begins an early day full of press for the opening of the second and final phase of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre.
The Centre opened parts of it’s facility a year ago and now the entire hospital is open along with all the Wellness programs to help cancer patients and their families during the cancer journey with all kinds of alternative therapies and programs like massage, acupuncture, art therapy, music therapy and more.
This past Sunday, Olivia led over 2,000 attendees on a fund raising “Wellness Walk” that raised over $140,000 and tonight in Melbourne is a “Grease Gala” to help raise more.
While the government does contribute at some level for the hospital component of the Centre, the Wellness programs are paid for by private donations. So the effort is an ongoing one to keep those vital programs in place.
Here’s Olivia on Sunrise this morning talking about the Centre:
For more information about the ONJCWC, please visit www.oliviaappeal.com
And if you’d like to donate to the Centre, please click here. The donation pages for the Wellness Walk are open for another ten days.
A few snapshots from the 2013 Wellness Walk in Melbourne, Australia, benefiting the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre.
Click any of the pics for a larger view…
 |
| Michael Caprio, Madonna Melrose, Olivia and husband John Easterling |
 |
| Olivia and husband John leading the Wellness Walk |
 |
| Olivia Newton-John getting “physical” at the 2013 Wellness Walk |
 |
| Olivia doing press, press, and more press… |
 |
| It’s important to keep hydrated while exercising… |
 |
| Photo time in front of the Wellness Centre |
|
| Olivia with nieces Tottie and Fiona |
Speaking of health and wellness, how fantastic does Olivia look?
Via Vimeo:
Singing sensation Olivia Newton-John got physical and donned her exercise gear to take part in an event to raise money for a hospital named in her honour.
Attending the event with her husband, John Easterling, Newton-John led a wellness walk through the streets of Ivanhoe on Sunday to raise money for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Heidelberg, in Melbourne.
Addressing the crowd, Newton-John said support from friends and family helped her battle breast cancer in 1992.
“It’s important to support a person suffering from cancer with wellness. It does more than just treating cancer, it’s about providing care for the whole person body, mind and spirit,” Newton-John said.
“It shows people that there is a way to wellness through cancer. It is an amazing feeling to see a dream become a reality. This is the start of something wonderful.”
Newton-John performed her hit song Physical, to a sea of cheering fans dressed in green t-shirts marking the start of the 4km walk to the wellness centre.
Mayor Wayne Phillips said it was an honour to host the “down-to-earth megastar”.
“To have a person like Olivia so committed after her own troubles is just fantastic,” Mr Phillips said.
Newton-John cut a GREEN (not pink) ribbon to open the wellness walk and afterwards planted a remembrance pinwheel at the centre.
By the way, here’s the pic Olivia took from the stage of the crowd. Click on the pic to enlarge and get a sense of how big it really was:
And here’s Olivia crossing the Wellness Walk finish line:
Photos and Videos By Carbie © www.carbiewarbie.com
This Sunday, September 15th, in Melbourne, Australia, Olivia Newton-John will lead the 1st Annual Wellness Walk in a fundraising effort to benefit the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre.
As regular readers of The Randy Report know, my husband has been Olivia’s long-time publicist. Olivia is everything you hope she would be in person, and I am not shy in extolling her extraordinary virtues aside from her amazing talent but as a cancer “thriver” advocate.
She has dedicated years raising funds for the ONJCWC, with her focus on the Wellness Centre. The Wellness Centre component of this world-class facility helps bring comfort and non-traditional therapies into play with Western medicine approaches. The Wellness Centre provides massage therapy, art therapy, music therapy, meditation and a whole host of complementary programs to help those traveling their cancer journey.
As a cancer “thriver” myself, I know first hand how much these programs and therapies can help.
I don’t ask Randy Report readers often, but on this special occasion – the 1st anniversary of the opening of the ONJCWC – I’d like to ask, if you feel so inclined, to make a donation (however small) to the ONJCWC via the Wellness Walk this coming Sunday. Ten dollars, twenty dollars, whatever amount you may feel comfortable giving. My husband Michael is traveling there to take part in the event with Olivia and has set up a donation page under his name to make the process easy.
Michael sends this message:
Having worked with Olivia as her publicist for so many years I have watched everything she has done for the world and, being so closely involved with the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre since its inception – my goal is to help continue to raise funds and awareness for this place that is so near and dear to our hearts!
Please help and donate – every little bit helps and cancer impacts EVERYONE!
And thanks for being a part of The Randy Report.