From NY Daily News - (posted on Thai Board - September 16, 2001)
By GEORGE RUSH and MITCHELL FINK
The biggest stars are helping to save lives this week -- and famous New Yorkers are doing their part, too.
Kathleen Turner pitched in to assist harried staffers at St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village. Wearing black jeans and a blouse, she acted like a dispatcher, making sure badly needed supplies got to the right departments.
"Stuyvesant High School is in desperate need of work boots, towels, blankets, underwear and extra clothing for the volunteers," she said.
Marcia Gay Harden, who won an Oscar this year for "Pollack," wore an American flag on her backpack Wednesday as she walked down Fifth Ave., handing out leaflets encouraging people to remember the victims by stepping outside with a candle at 7 p.m. yesterday.
Daniel Day-Lewis tried to give blood on Tuesday. Running into a long line of other donors, the Oscar winner got busy lugging boxes of ice. "We hope to go back and give blood when we can," said the actor, who lives in SoHo. "But for now, this is the most useful thing I can do. This whole situation is so awful, it cannot be described in words."
Others offering to donate blood included Tara Reid, Valerie Harper and Edward James Olmos (who was told he couldn't because he'd recently been to Peru and Mexico).
'Wiseguys' Lend a Hand
"The Sopranos" crew has been doing its part, as well. James Gandolfini joined volunteers in the West Village. Co-star Al Sapienza helped load body bags until 4:30 a.m.
Board members of the Creative Coalition, including William and Alec Baldwin, Peggy Noonan, Jane Alexander, Steven Collins, Hector Elizondo, Richard Masur and Joe Pantoliano, met yesterday to launch an art-therapy program for children and the sale of remembrance bracelets engraved with the names of attack victims.
Steve Buscemi, a former firefighter, was spotted near ground zero.
Denis Leary, who started the Leary Firefighters Foundation in Worcester, Mass., after his cousin was killed in a 1996 blaze, has set up a separate fund, the Leary Firefighters Foundation for New York's Bravest. Leary is also giving part of his winnings from a celebrity segment of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" to the charity, which will additionally benefit from a Sept. 30 hockey game in Worcester featuring Leary, Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland and Scott Wolf.
Donations to the New York branch can be made to Leary Firefighters Foundation for New York's Bravest, 1697 Broadway, Suite 906, New York, NY 10019. Or call (212) 541-4377.
Musicians are lending their voices. Paul Simon and Mandy Patinkin are among those due to perform tomorrow at a 4 p.m. memorial service at Riverside Church. The Backstreet Boys, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Earth, Wind & Fire have also pledged money from their concerts this week.
Model Karen Duffy was seen bringing clothes to St. Vincent's Hospital.
A Gift From J.Lo
Bronx-born Jennifer Lopez is donating $25,000 from her concerts next week in Puerto Rico to the Red Cross. "She's a New Yorker," said a friend. "She wouldn't feel right performing unless she made some kind of contribution."
Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson is establishing "The 911 Fund" to help counsel children affected by the World Trade Center disaster. The first donation, of $10,000, came from designer Tommy Hilfiger.
A spokesman for Ferguson, who was in New York on Tuesday, said she was "devastated" after learning of friends who'd perished at the firm of Cantor Fitzgerald, which had given her Chances for Children charity office space on the 101st floor of 1 World Trade Center. None of Ferguson's staff was there on Tuesday, but found among the rubble was one of the charity's Little Red dolls.
David Bowie took to his Web site (www.Davidbowie.com) to brief his friends on what he's been seeing in his adopted city.
"New Yorkers are a resilient and fast-thinking people," Bowie reports. "In this way, they really do resemble my own Londoners. They came together quickly in massive community support and silent determination. There has been no overpanicking. Over the next few days, that calm may surely turn to anger. But today, there is just numbness, a horrible silence."
Rob Lowe donated blood in Santa Barbara, Calif., Thursday and taped a public service announcement for the Red Cross, which also received $25,000 from Victoria Principal.
Whoopi Goldberg, who grew up in Chelsea, is in L.A., but plans on organizing a "Comic Relief" concert for families of the victims.
Thanks to Courtney !
***