Kirk Douglas and his wife donate $50 million to charity

[lavenderdiva]

http://www.hollywood.com/news/Kirk_Douglas_donates_$50_million_to_charity/35305507

"The Spartacus star and his wife, Anne, will give the money to five non-profit organisations through their Douglas Foundation.

A portion of the cash will go to improve the Harry's Haven Alzheimer's unit at the Motion Picture & Television Fund's retirement home and hospital in Woodland Hills, California, while part of the donation will help the Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City.

Anne's women's shelter in Los Angeles has also been named as a recipient, as well as Douglas' alma mater, St. Lawrence University in New York, which will receive funding to boost a scholarship program for minority students.

In a statement, 95-year-old Douglas says, "Anne and I are of one mind in our philosophical approach to philanthropy. We believe caring is sharing."

[CBHagman]

1. Quite overwhelming news there.

I have to admit I really don't know where the Douglas family falls in terms of charity, political views, causes, etc., but this certainly is an intriguing story. The pessimist in me wonders whether Kirk Douglas is taking this step now as a way of tying up loose ends. Then again, if the man's 95, I guess there's no way I can be pessimistic, huh? He's been going almost a century!

[Matilda]

2. He does seem to have a good record for philanthropy.

Here is one link about his charity work:

http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/346-kirk-douglas

And another:

http://www.inquisitr.com/288238/kirk-douglas-donates-5m-to-his-old-university/

The second article makes a reference to the Douglas Foundation, so this is presumably an ongoing charitable organisation.

I also recall that when then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued his apology to the "Stolen Generation" of Aboriginal people, he received a congratulatory letter from Kirk Douglas, who said he had long been urging various presidents to issue a similar apology to the American Indians, without success.

It seems, to his credit, that he has a social conscience.