Last week I wrote about Tamara Hughes Gustavson, the wealthiest person in Kentucky, and her fantastic work for the community through her donations.
It received many positive comments, so I thought we could look at another generous person from Kentucky.
This time it is actor George Clooney. While Clooney is well known for his acting, he is also very generous in giving back to the community.
Let's take a look at some of his philanthropy.
The Kentucky actor
Clooney was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1961.
When he was in seventh grade, Clooney's family moved to Augusta, Kentucky, where he attended Augusta High School.
A gifted baseballer, he tried out with the Cincinnati Reds, but didnt make the cut. He then attended Northern Kentucky University for two years but didnt graduate.
Clooney then turned to acting, picking up several small parts before his big break came in 1994 when he was given a starring role in the hospital drama ER. From there, he has become one of Hollywood's leading men starring in a string of successful movies and winning two Academy Awards.
In addition to acting, he is a social rights advocate and a frequent donor to charitable organizations.
Philanthropy
The Hollywood leading man and his high-power attorney wife are regular donors to organizations working in social rights advocacy.
With his wife, Amal, an international human rights lawyer, Clooney formed the Clooney Foundation for Justice in 2016 to advance classrooms, communities, and courtrooms worldwide.
"We founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice to hold perpetrators of international crimes accountable and fight for justice for the victims and survivors of pervasive corruption and mass atrocities." Amal and George Clooney
In early 2017, Clooney gave $20 million to his foundation.
In addition to their own foundation, the Clooneys have supported many organizations. Some of these include:
- Donating $1 million to the Southern Poverty Law Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, to fight against hate groups run by white supremacists
- Partnering with UNICEF to raise $3.25 million to open seven schools for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.
- A $100,000 donation to the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights
- $500,000 to support the #MarchForOurLives against gun violence.
- At the start of the COVID pandemic, the Clooneys donated more than $1 million to support organizations in need.
"Luck needs to be shared. We are a community. If we are only worried about our own doorstep, we are not going to succeed as a people and certainly not as a country." George Clooney
Not all donations are large.
For example, George and Amal hosted a refugee in their Augusta, Kentucky, home supporting him through college. George is still very connected to Kentucky, owning a home in the state, while his parents and sister all still live in Kentucky.
Your thoughts
What do you think of the charity work of George Clooney? What organizations in Kentucky would you like to see him support?
Please leave your thoughts in the comments below and share this article with others so they can join the conversation.
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