These days celebrities are everywhere. Their faces are plastered onto buses and billboards supporting a range of products from perfume to sports equipment. Recently, celebrities have been lending their famous faces to support another form of product – worldwide campaigns to improve living conditions across the globe.

The ONE Campaign is a worldwide initiative to end poverty that has garnered celebrity involvement and endorsement. Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, and Bono, featured in a commercial for ONE, are among the A-list of celebrities who offer their support to the campaign.

On Bowling Green’s campus, one student is aligning his voice with those celebrities and two million other people who have become involved with ONE since its launch in 2004.

Sophomore Cody Peyton became involved with the ONE Campaign about six months ago after hearing one of his friends mention the group. He was motivated to join the mission of ONE by his travels through the United States and his experiences with poverty.

“I’ve been all over the country and I’ve seen a lot of poverty,” Peyton said. “Pictures in the New York Times and other respectable newspapers drew my attention to the poverty situation in Africa as well.”

Peyton has since engaged in activities such as writing letters to his congressman, donating money, and starting a Facebook group to contribute to ONE. Right now, the BG chapter of the ONE Campaign is limited to the Facebook group that consists of about 20 members. Peyton hopes to change that in the near future.

“My goal is to have people sign the declaration online, write their congressmen, and generally get people more and more involved,” Peyton said.

Peyton views celebrity involvement in initiatives such as ONE as a positive aspect that can bring a lot of light and attention to the topics ONE is addressing.

“I think it’s a great thing. If I had power as a celebrity to influence society I would want to expand on it,” Peyton said. “I think as Americans it is our goal to help other nations with poverty and health crises.”

In addition to his involvement with the ONE Campaign, U2’s Bono launched his own for-profit brand, (RED).

“(RED) is a new idea we’re launching to work alongside the growing ONE Campaign to make poverty history,” Bono said on (RED)’s official Web site. “If you buy a (RED) product from GAP, Motorola, Armani, Converse or Apple, they will give up to 50 percent of their profit to buy AIDS drugs for mothers and children in Africa.”

Since its launch, (RED) has gathered a substantial list of corporate sponsors involved with the (PRODUCT) (RED) line of merchandise, including Gap, Converse, Motorola, Apple, and others.

A comment in Bono’s letter on the (RED) Web site echoes Peyton on the responsibility of Americans to help those in need around the world.

Bono states, “How we in the West respond is an opportunity to show what we stand for, as well as what we stand against. If we’re successful, we will not only transform millions of people’s lives, we’ll transform the way these people see us … and in turn, the world in which we live.”

What can be done to help the (RED) and ONE campaigns?

-Get involved: Visit www.joinred.com and www.one.org to get more information on these initiatives, how to join their campaigns, and review companies involved and available products.

– To buy (RED) products: The Gap at Franklin Park Mall in Toledo carries (RED) shirts and bracelets for women and men.

-Check out and join: BG’s ONE Campaign group on Facebook.