"Could you please stand up, President Mkapa needs help today," she called, referring to Tanzanian leader Benjamin Mkapa who was also on stage, and whose country is among the poorest in the world...."So if you would help children in his country stop dying today, I would appreciate that and I think he would too." The money would be donated to the Global Fund for AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, she added.

Stone also gave $10,000 of her own to the effort. Bill Frist, moderator of the panel, congratulated her efforts at the end, but she had to fight her way there:

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., was moderating a session on anti-poverty efforts when Stone stood to address a panel that included Microsoft founder Bill Gates and the presidents of Brazil and Tanzania.

"Please identify yourself," said Frist, perhaps one of the few men on the planet who couldn't visually identify the sultry star of such hit movies as "Basic Instinct" and "Casino." "Sharon Stone," she said dryly, proceeding to announce that she was giving $10,000 on the spot to help Tanzanian President Benjamin William Mbaka's anti-malaria efforts.

As Frist tried to steer the conversation back to poverty, Stone talked over him, urging people to stand up and give to Mbaka. (emphasis supplied) "People are dying in his country today," she said. The surprised senator yielded to the spike-haired movie star.

Mbaka, a large, round man, grinned widely as roughly three dozen people stood to be counted and have their pledges written down. After a few minutes, Frist announced that more than $1 million had been pledged.