'Miami' & 'New York' Hit The Charity Circuit

One lucky fan will this year have the opportunity to visit the set of CSI: Miami, courtesy of the Motion Picture Industry Charitable Alliance.

This October, Lights! Camera! Auction! will be auctioning a visit to the set of Monday's most watched show to benefit the Westside Children's Center and the Ronald McDonald House of British Columbia. Other featured items include visits to the sets of 7th Heaven, Desperate Housewives, Gilmore Girls, and Lost, among other TV shows. Lights! Camera! Auction! last year auctioned a visit to the set of CSI. The event will taka place in Los Angeles.

On the New York front, Hill Harper (Dr. Sheldon Hawkes) recently participated in the 2nd Annual Rap-It-Up/Black AIDS Short Subject Film Competition. The event, which was created to raise awareness regarding HIV and its impact in the African American community, received over 200 screenplay entries by individuals from all over the country. The two winning entries will be turned into short films and broadcast on BET later this year. Harper acted as one of the judges.

"As an actor, I know the tremendous power and influence a film has on its viewers," the actor said. "After reviewing the many thought-provoking entries, I look forward to seeing the winning films' potential impact in changing someone's sexual behavior or outlook on HIV/AIDS. Because of that, I'm proud to have been a part of this overall effort to educate the community about the devastating effects of this deadly disease."

In addition, one fan recently had the opportunity to purchase a lunch date with Harper and a visit to the set of CSI: New York through eBay. The lucky fan will have the opportunity to either visit the main set of the show in Los Angeles or fly to New York and see the cast and crew shoot on location. The auction winner will also have the chance to meet some of the other stars and take home a copy of the shooting script filming on the day of the visit signed by Harper. Proceeds of the auction will benefit the Larchmont Charter School.

Fore more information on the Lights! Camera! Auction! October benefit, visit the charity's official website. Head over to BlackNews.com to learn more about the RIU/BASS film competition.

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