This season’s crop of contestants on the hit NBC reality show Celebrity Apprentice 4 have taken fundraising to a new level, raising an astounding $1,640,000 for several charity causes.
Before the action even started, former MLB player Jose Canseco pulled out of the competition, citing the deteriorating health of his father. Trump wrote a $25,000 check for his charity, the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.).
Each team was tasked with creating works of art that would be offered up for sale during an art gallery exhibition. They were required to trick out baseball caps, but were otherwise given free reign to let their individual talents run wild in the medium of their choice.
The very creative and well connect John Rich, project leader for the men, added some personal touches on a cowboy hat, boots and guitar. His biggest challenge during this task occurred when the team returned from buying art supplies and Meat Loaf flew into a rage against Gary Busey — accusing him of stealing his paint.
The country singer very effectively defused the situation and located the bag that really contained the crazy rocker’s craft store purchases. After resolving that debacle, the men threw themselves into their work and were set up and ready to go hours before the evening gallery showing.
The women, led by Marlee Matlin, offered up traditional paint on canvas creations, with the exception of a signed Michael Jackson t-shirt that LaToya Jackson donated for the cause. They also created a team canvas, with a hand print from each member of ASAP.
Star Jackson seemed particularly upset about putting goop on her hand and pondered how she would get it off. NeNe Leakes pointed her toward the sink, with instructions to wash her hands with soap and water. Seriously…
The women spent far too much time in the creative mode and ended up transporting their artwork at the height of NYC’s Friday night rush hour traffic. They were literally hanging their finished canvases when the doors opened for their gala showing.
Rich and Matlin called in favors from everyone on the planet, or so it seemed. When the last piece of art was sold, Team ASAP had pulled in $986,000 for the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Trump ponied up an additional 14,000 for an even $1 million. LaToya won the hat painting competition with the use of silver glitter, earning $25,000 for her charity, AIDS Project LA.
Team Backbone raised $626,908 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with the help of John Rich’s wealthy and generous Nashville pals.
Back in the boardroom, the teams agreed that even though Backbone lost the challenge, their charity earning would go to St. Jude. Team ASAP was asked by Trump if he should send one of the men home – given the fact that Canseco had quit. The women, who have lost the last three challenges, wanted to see someone fired.
Donald took it a step further and asked for the winning team’s help in deciding who would be fired. ASAP wanted Richard Hatch to be the fall guy. The entire men’s team agreed that Hatch raised only a dismal $1,000 for charity but they were gunning for Gary Busey.
Marlee, who has worked with Busey in the past, actually turned out to be a big cheerleader, calling him brilliant. Trump agreed with the women and it was Hatch who got kicked to the curb.
Check out the videos – the first includes Meat Loaf’s rage scene: