NBA legend Charles Barkley is usually making headlines for his sports commentating antics, but on Tuesday he gained notice for his generosity too.
During a conference call for the American Century Championship’s celebrity golf tournament, Sir Charles announced he will donate $3 million equally between the Wounded Warrior Project, the historically black Morehouse College in Atlanta, and Auburn University, his alma mater.
At last year’s tournament, Barkley was paired with Cpl. Chad Pfeifer, a veteran who lost his leg in Iraq. The two have remained close friends ever since.
“I just want to thank you personally for having the stones to go to war, and I think it’s a joke the way they treat our soldiers,” Barkley said during the call.
Sir Charles’ recent announcement got us thinking about other celebrities making a difference. Here are a few celebs who have recently shown big support for their favorite causes:
John Legend
The award-winning singer has given his time and money to numerous charitable causes in the past. Most recently, he partnered with “Free America,” to help end mass incarceration by changing the penalties for low-level crimes. Legend will visit and perform at correctional facilities around the country. He hopes to successfully lobby for criminal justice reform, possibly saving states tens of millions of dollars in the process.
Chance the Rapper
The Chicago emcee is not new to public service. His father runs the city’s Office of Public Engagement. Chance says his life was changed because of digital access. Now, he’s helping students use the Internet to launch their own careers through the “Get Schooled, Get Connected” challenge. Its focus is making sure children have access to the Internet and the basic skills to navigate online. This year, 4,000 Chicagoland students participated. MSNBC’s parent company Comcast has joined in the cause as well, providing low income families with wireless Internet for $10 per month.
Derek Jeter
The former New York Yankee captain has given more than $20 million to youth-focused charities through his Turn 2 Foundation. That includes money raised through star-studded fundraisers, like this celebrity golf tournament he hosted back in March. LeBron James King James may have his focus on Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, but he still has time to help raise money for a good cause. In May, Cedar Point Amusement Park debuted a new ride in honor of James. The park held an auction and private party for the first public riders and raised $126,000, which will go to the LeBron James Family Foundation — an organization that works to give back to youth in James’ home state of Ohio. Tim Cook Apple’s CEO has been has been pretty outspoken in terms of giving back. On Friday, he donated 50,000 of his shares in the company to an undisclosed charity. With Apple stock trading at nearly $130 a share, that equates to $6.5 million.
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