Stuff We Love: Charitable Celebrities

by Kimberly Potts (see more from this contributor)

We all love to read about the scandalous behavior of celebs,, but some of them are actually out there doing good too. Here, we spotlight five stars who aren't just showing up at charity events to drop off a check and pick up swag; they're actually creating and actively raising millions — and in the case of legendary philanthropist Paul Newman, hundreds of millions — for the causes nearest and dearest to their hearts.
The Leary Firefighters Foundation
Filmmagic.com

The Leary Firefighters Foundation

By: Comedian and actor Denis Leary
Founded: 2000
Why: A fire in an abandoned warehouse in Dorcester, Massachusetts, in December 1999 killed six firefighters, including Leary's cousin and a childhood friend.
Fund-raisers: Auctions, pro-am hockey games and star-studded dinners that have featured Leary pals like Harrison Ford and the entire Sopranos cast.
How's it doing? Leary's foundation has raised more than $2.5 million, which has been used to buy updated equipment and training for firefighters in New York and Boston, and raised almost $2 million for the family members of the 343 firefighters who died in the September 11 attacks in New York. The Foundation has also pledged to donate funds to the New Orleans Fire Department after it was revealed that New Orleans firefighters used their own personal boats to rescue thousands of people after Hurricane Katrina.
Denis says: "It's not just the big fires. If you're in a car accident, if you fall down the stairs, if your cat is stuck in a tree... Who do you call? You call a fireman."
You can give to: LearyFirefightersFoundation.org

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