By Lookout Staff

April 1, 2011 -- A charity run sparked by the generous impulse of actor Josh Duhamel has netted $150,000 and counting to help victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan earlier this month.

Duhamel, the star of the Transformer action-film series, contacted the Santa Monica branch of the American Red Cross after the disaster and suggested the 2-mile beach run to raise funds for disaster victims.

He'd done the same after an earthquake hit Haiti last year. Duhamel led 2,500 runners in a similar fundraiser and raised over $100,000 to aid Haitian earthquake victims.

This year's “Youth Run 4 Japan” drew 4,000, including Duhamel's wife singer and actress Stacy Ferguson (Fergie) and heiress Paris Hilton.

The celebrity roster also included Nicky Hilton, Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica), Dianna Agron (Glee), Aedin Mincks (Hangover 2), Austin Mincks (Midnight Son) and David Joyner (Barney and Hip Hop Harry).

The runners were asked to make a $10 donation for American Red Cross Japan earthquake/tsunami relief efforts and additional monies were raised through T-shirt sales and other contributions.

They ran from the beach lot at Ocean Park Boulevard to the pier and back, as a crowd turned out to cheer them on.

Monies collected at the run will go to the American Red Cross for Japan disaster relief.

Checks and money orders are still being accepted and should be made out to "American Red Cross – Japan relief." Donations may also be charged on credit cards or donors can text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

For complete information, go to the Santa Monica chapter website: www.redcrossofsantamonica.org or Josh Duhamel's website: http://www.reliefrun.com