Source: CTV.ca
Date: December 28, 2007

With the writers strike in full effect and the onslaught of holiday festivities, some stars are managing to find time to give back.

Actors Alex O’Loughlin, Taye Diggs and Eric Close are just a few stars that have used their celebrity to help others this season.

O’Loughlin, who plays vampire detective Mick St. John on CTV’s “Moonlight,” recently appeared in a “Toys for Tots” campaign in California.

“I really enjoy doing charity, for a good cause, it’s like the least I can do, I really enjoy that stuff. I enjoy giving back,” O’Loughlin said in one media interview.

“Moonlight” fans south of the border also did their part and raised US$1,000 to help buy toys for children in need.

Taye Diggs, a seasoned film actor who is currently starring in “Private Practice,” left California for New Orleans, where he lead Christmas carols for families returning to their homes in one of the cities’ devastated districts.

“Tide” had helped raised funds to rebuild ten houses in the St. Bernard Parish.

In a media interview Diggs said, “I encourage everyone to join them in doing everything possible to continue to help this city.”

“Private Practice” debuted this fall as a spin-off of “Grey’s Anatomy,” and stars actress Kate Walsh.

While Diggs was caroling, “Without a Trace” star Eric Close was reading to grade five and six students in a “Season’s Readings” campaign.

The event was sponsored by Verizon in the US and collects books for schools in need.

Close, who plays FBI agent Martin Fitzgerald, said “Reading has always been a big part of my life,” and “I am very happy to assist the Verizon Foundation and support Verizon employees’ participation in the Season’s Readings campaign.”

With the writers strike dragging into its seventh week, primetime actors may be finding themselves with more free time on their hands. If these actors are any indication, it may be beneficial to charity groups in the short-term.