and put it under somebody's tree unless you've missed that already. you can stay connected to us 24/7 on twitter. my handle is @ali velshi. from all of us on "your money" and at cnn we wish you a very happy holiday and new year. from hollywood to helping humanity, trading glitz and glamour, forgiving and grace. >> that's the great part of being in the position i'm in. we can actually make a difference and really, really help people. >> big stars. >> to be able to use that voice. it would be a pity if you didn't use it for some sort of good. >> big giving. >> i love this work. anybody that was given the gift that i was given by the american people, you'd be crazy not to do it.

hello and welcome to a cnn special presentation. "big stars big giving". i'm elena chou. as we celebrate the holidays this season we also remember this is the season of giving. just ahead we'll talk to some of the biggest stars of hollywood the world of politics and a man many call an international treasure. superstar jennifer lopez. it was a scare with her newborn baby thane spired her to help other children around the world. singing sensation tony bennett in a new york state of mind giving back to his hometown. focusing on the arts and teaching students how to lead both on and off the stage. funnyman will farrell and the golf tournament that changed not only his life but is changing the lives of nearly 1,000 cancer survivors. and former president bill clinton from the oval office to a global one. and what he says was one of the

happiest days of his life since leaving the white house. but we begin with jennifer lopez. as far as stars go, she's at the top. from jenny from the block to a judge on "american idol," j. lo does it all. but it was a health scare with one of her twins that inspired her to give back to all the women and children who are less fortunate. and just like she's done with her career, she's dreaming big. >> she's hollywood's triple threat. she sings, dances, acts. >> you did not just poke me! >> and now she's a judge on "american idol." >> you're going to hollywood! >> she's jennifer lopez. >> you're a mother, a philanthropist, an actress, a

singer, a dancer, a judge on "american idol." >> i'm tired. what i am is i'm tired. >> how do you do it all? >> i don't know. i don't know. one day at a time. >> the theme song of her life and also the maribel foundation, a nonprofit lopez started with her sister linda in 2008. it was a health scare with her newborn daughter emmy that motivated her to act. >> she had this lump on her head all of a sudden. and it was kind of soft and felt like water a little bit. >> what did you think? >> i didn't know what it was. i showed it to marc. i was like, if everything's not okay, i'm not going to be okay. and he was just like, i know, okay. you know like, yeah, like i know and i'm not going to be okay and none of us are going to be okay. so let's handle it. and we called the doctor in the middle of the night.

we had access to the best healthcare. we had all this privilege. and i realized that when i went home and i was lying there like 4:00 in the morning. i was like, what if i didn't have that? what if i was a mom just sitting there and there was something wrong with my baby? no mother or child should ever have to go through that. luckily for us it turned out okay. >> so lopez went to the world-renowned children's hospital los angeles and asked them, how can i help? >> you know like well there's a very new program called the telemedicine program. >> when they said telemedicine did you know white was? >> not really, no, i didn't. it's a technology basically where doctors from anywhere in the world can talk to each other. >> through video conferencing. >> somebody gets sick or somebody you love, a child, of course, is the most important. but even anybody. right away you're like, who's the biggest specialist in the

world? how can we find it? ? let's just get them healed right now. like what do we do? telemedicine is a big component of how you would find that person if you did not have the money to travel to that specialist which most people don't. >> right. >> the first telemedicine center sponsored by the mari berkz l foundation opened this year in puerto rico. panama is next. >> i don't think we could have done this if we didn't have that support. and i think that's the missing link that has really made our program possible. >> and because she's jennifer lopez, response osponsors like samsung and best buy come calling. then there's the other byproduct of fame. creating awareness. >> her celebrity allows people to come to us and say, hey, what is this? we get to say, oh, we're so glad you asked. >> i mean, that's the great part of being in the position i'm in that we can actually make a difference and really really

help people. >> are you cute? yes, he's like excuse me it's my closeup. >> this is not a vanity project for me. it's actually something that we really feel makes a difference. the same dreamer in me that wanted to sing and dance and do all that is the same dreamer in me that wants to do something amazing for the world. >> if you'd like to know more about jennifer lopez's maribel foundation or about telemedicine go to the maribel foundation.org. will farrell. he famously played president george w. bush on snl, spoofed the news business in anchorman and became a holiday fixture as an adult-sized elf. what many don't know is that ferrell is also giving back by focusing on just one special charity close to his heart. >> stop what you're doing and listen. cannonball!

>> on the big screen, and small. >> strategery. >> will farrell has won the hearts of fans everywhere by making us laugh. >> 10:00 a.m. santa's coming to town. >> santa! oh, my god! >> cracking jokes comes naturally to ferrell. but surprisingly, he just as easily shows a serious side. >> a quarter of a million dollars each time. >> on the set of his new movie "dog fight" we sat down to talk about cancer for college. a charity founded in 1993 by his usc fraternity brother craig pollard, a two-time cancer survivor. it awards scholarship money to young cancer survivors. ferrell is its unofficial goodwill ambassador. >> what kind of impact does that have? >> it has a huge impact. especially considering when you think about most of these families are just trying to

survive something like this. >> ferrell got involved early on when he was just starting his career as a new cast member on "saturday night live." >> hey, saddam. >> monica, you never call me anymore! >> not knowing if i was going to be fired at any moment, i think i wrote a check for $50. that was my first donation. playing it very conservatively. >> not long after that, ferrell attended cancer for college's annual golf tournament. something he says changed his life. >> when i got to meet the scholarship winners and their families, that's when the whole thing really kind of hit me. >> so ferrell got to work, donating his time and money. >> how much did we raise? >> $300,000. >> wow! >> there's even this. sexy hot tan. selling 20,000 bottles of the suntan lotion, raising $100,000

for the charity. spending time with the kids, he says, is what inspires him to help. >> what do they say to you? >> yeah. they're kind of -- it's funny. it's a mix of some kids are completely awe struck and very nervous. and others are, they're like kind of try to prove to me like, "i know you're famous. i don't care". which is great. >> we'd still be a little garage-based charity giving out one or two scholarships a year if it weren't for him. just to be able to have these kids meet him after they've been through carnes and we've had so many of the parents of these kids come up and say, getting to meet will farrell at our event is one of the best days in their life. >> you do have a megaphone that a lot of people don't have. >> honestly i think that's the only thing fame is really good for in a way. my wife and i talk about the

fact that we've gotten to experience a lot of amazing things. and we've been to the oscars and the golden globes and all these fancy things. but that one night a year where we get to give out the scholarship checks is -- super seeds all of that. >> and if you want more information on cancer for college just head to their web site, cancerforcollege.org. coming up, will ferrell may have played george w. bush on snl but he's got this message for president clinton. >> i think about you every day. not every day but probably every other day. and just know i think you're the best. >> we speak to the former president on the tenth anniversary of the clinton foundation about a very special trip he'll never forget. >> they were chanting "i love you". >> i love those kids. cambodia, that was one of the happiest days i've had since i left office. >> plus from the stage to the school, superstar tony bennett. he helped open an arts school.

so why is someone else's name on the marquee? >> the school was called "the frank sinatra school of the arts". >> right. >> why? you could have put your name on the school. >> we'll have the answer plus his duet with lady gaga. ahead on "big stars, big giving".

"big stars big giving". when we first met up with him last year, we called justin bieber a kid helping kids. >> a 17-year-old music superstar donating his time and money to

help build schools in the third world. we caught up with him again this fall. >> i think it's great that we're all young people and we're helping other young people and we're encouraging other young people to help other young people. >> through donations of sales of his concert tickets and his new fragrance, bieber's support of pencils of promise has helped the nonprofit build 45 new schools just since we spoke to him last year. >> we got 21,000 right here! >> to date, justin bieber has helped pencils of promise raise more than $1 million. welcome back to "big stars big giving" a cnn special presentation. he's not a hollywood star but he's one of the best-known names on the planet. bill clinton, former president, founder of the clinton foundation. for a decade he's been using his influence to change the world. a new job, he says, that's changed his life, too. no matter where he goes,

president bill clinton is greeted like a rock star. the man many democrats call the best president in modern times is working to make the modern world a better place to live. >> you had it in your mind that you didn't want to spend the rest of your life wishing you were still president. >> that i was still president. i enjoy talking about what happened when i was president. i don't mind telling those stories. but you just need to keep doing something new. >> that urge to do something new inspired the former president to open an office in harlem and create the william j. clinton foundation. today the clinton foundation celebrates what it calls a decade of difference. >> 400 million people impacted in 180 countries. when you hear that do you think to yourself, wow, that's incredible or oh, boy, there's a lot more to be done? >> this little pill will save about 200,000 zblooifs driving

down the price of aids medicine and malaria medicine building up systems people can afford to run. people ask me are you doing as good now? i say i have to do a long time as when i was in government. but i can go places and do things. >> like this trip in 2006 when the former president visited hiv-positive children at an orphanage in cambodia. >> looking at these 300 kids, various ages, and you realize they've got an excellent chance to live a normal life. just because they got what here you would take for granted, it was overwhelming to me. cam bode yeah, that was one of the happiest days i've had since i left office. >> as the u.s. special envoy to haiti he's visited the country 29 times since 2009. his foundation has raised $23

million. establishing a mentoring program for entrepreneurs. then there's the clinton global initiative. >> we wanted to be better. >> since 2005, the annual meeting has drawn a wide range of people. 150 heads of state. 20 nobel laureates. everyone from bill gates to actors like matt damon. >> i try to bring people together who know things i don't who can do things i can't. >> 2100 commitments have come out of the clinton global initiative. when fully funded they'll be valued at $69.2 billion. >> you are so beautiful. >> working tirelessly to make a difference, traveling all over the world. >> 150 countries, more than that? >> amazing. >> i love this work. anybody that had the life i've had, anybody that was given the gift that i was given by the american people, you'd be crazy not to do it.

>> if you want more information on the clinton foundation, just head to their web site, clintonfoundation.org. ♪ i left my heart >> still to come, he may have left his heart in san francisco, but tony bennett's home is right here in new york. and so this is where he's giving back. >> you did this? >> yes. >> wonderful. >> trading the stage for fine arts schools for students and giving me a holiday gift i'll never forget when "big stars big giving" continues. oo-ay-ow. savings. savings. savings? progressive was the first to offer online quoting. you can do better. first to show comparison rates. ding! the "name your price" tool. oh! gosh, don't mind if i do. who was the first to offer pet injury coverage? we were. and when did you know you wanted to sell insurance? i said i wouldn't cry. um... whee! it's flo time. now, that's progressive.

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bridges won an academy award for his role in "crazy heart". and audiences affectionately know him as the dude in the cult classic "the big labowski". but it's his role as the spokesperson for the no kid hungry campaign that he calls the role of a lifetime. >> movies, they're wonderful. but they're make believe. ending hunger is something very real. >> one in five children, more

than 16 million kids, don't know where their next meal is coming from. bridges helped raise more than $30 million, making sure kids get healthy meals especially breakfast at public schools so children don't go hungry. jeff bridges, giving back in a big way. welcome back. he's an international treasure and an american classic. in a career spank moning more ta half century tony bennett has had remarkable success, selling 15 million records, winning 15 grammys, a kennedy center honor. he says he's endured because he's focused on quality and he's giving back by teaching others to follow his lead. ♪ she gets too hungry for dinner at 8:00 ♪ >> at 85, tony bennett is just getting started. >> my friends say at 85 going to

number one on billboard will never happen again. but it's fantastic, you know? ♪ that's why this chick is a tramp ♪ >> due et cetera, too, featuring lady gaga and the late amy winehouse has been nominated for three grammys. >> they said, why don't you do disco? why don't you do rap? you're not following where the music's going. i said, well, i just want to stay with quality. ♪ it had to be you >> an approach that's worked for more than 60 years. >> what are you wearing a tie for? i want to be different. >> wisdom bennett wants to pass on to future tony bennetts. >> it's not about instant fame. it's about developing something, a real skill. >> i'm so happy that you bring this up. because that's really the dream.

even if they don't become artists later on, but they'll have an example of taste and quality. they'll get an idea of the difference between a piece of junk or something that will last forever. >> that idea inspired bennett and his wife susan benedetto to create "exploring the arts". >> we want to get kid to come to school, you bring the arts into the school and they'll come to school. >> a nonprofit aimed at teaching arts education at a time when many arts programs are being cut. >> out of all of the things that you could have put your name, celebrity and money behind, why the arts? >> there's a famous line of winston churchill in the second world war. they said we have to cut the arts when the war started, the second world war. he says, well, what else are we fighting for? it's that important. >> exploring the arts finds arts programs in 14 new york city public schools, including this state-of-the-art high school in

astoria queens, bennett's birthplace. >> he was my master, you know? >> though his name is on the auditorium, the school is named for someone else. not just anyone, old blue eyes, frank sinatra. >> why? you could have put your name on the school. >> because he changed my life. in "life" magazine he said that i was his favorite singer. he said, "for my money tony bennett's the best". he really changed my whole life. all of his fans came to see what he was talking about with me. and i've been sold out ever sinc since. >> that fame is on display here. >> how does that make you feel? >> it's the greatest fan club in the world. >> the school says it has a 97% graduation rate. 95% go on to college. and it's competitive. this school year, 1800 students auditioned for 180 spots.

in addition to academics, majors include dance. drama. fine art. >> beautiful. did you do this? >> yes. >> how wonderful. >> and don't forget, bennett's specialty, singing. >> this is really music. >> and it stays here, doesn't it? >> it does. here and here. >> just as these students are learning, bennett is, too. he's learning to sculpt. he's an accomplished painter. >> your paintings are in the smithsonian. a lot of people don't know that. >> most recently painting a nude portrait of lady gaga. but singing. >> -- is tony bennett's gift to the world. and his holiday gift to me.

♪ in other words, i love you >> wow! >> if you'd like to know more about tony bennett's nonprofit, head to their web site, exploringthearts.org. over the years we've been lucky enough to talk to the biggest stars in the world and highlight the work they're doing to help the world. we hope you'll find inspiration in their personal stories and want to give back in your own way. for all of us at cnn, i'm alina cho. happy holidays and happy new year. year. thanks for joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com t to hear of mutual funds, iras, or annuities. back then, he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future but fortunately, somebody else was.

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