Photo: Milton H. Greene
Screen legend. Oscar winner. Husband. Father. Humanitarian.Paul Newmanhad many unforgettable roles, but in the end, he considered his philanthropic work his greatest legacy.
“He really wanted to make a difference and give back. He went very deep with the camps,” says his daughter, Clea Newman. “We now have 30 camps and programs all over the world. Last year, we served 150,000 children and their families, all free of charge. It’s an incredible thing that he started.”
“He was so passionate about opening our first camp and then it just became part of his persona,” adds Clea, the youngest of his three children with second wife Joanne Woodward. “All his extra free time was spent there, being with the kids, working to open up new camps, talking to families, talking to the kids. It was such a heartfelt passion.”
Courtesy Association of Hole in the Wall Camps
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The business of doing good all began with a salad dressing back in 1982, when Paul and his friend, A. E. Hotchner, made a batch of vinaigrette as Christmas presents for their friends. When they kept returning for more, he got the idea that a simple dressing could make money for a good cause.
When he was told the products would sell better in supermarkets if he put his face on the label,Paul said, “Once we decided that’s what we wanted to do, we decided we’d give the money away.”
“We had no idea whether the business would be successful,” he admitted. But he was always clear that 100 percent of the after-tax profits would go straightto charities and causes he believed in.
Clea says her father “couldn’t bear the thought of any child being on a waitlist” for a camp, and was dedicated to ensuring his programs assisted as many as possible.
“He just felt like these children were missing out on their childhood and he wanted to give them a place to feel included and not feel isolated because of their illness,” she explains.
Some of his happiest moments came when hanging out with kids at theSeriousFun camps, where he was recognized as the camp’s founder — and not a movie star.
Douglas Kirkland / Iconic Images
Shy and intensely private, he put those feelings aside when it came to helping the kids. “He went way out of his comfort zone to do things to help the camps,” says Clea, including “performing and calling people to raise money.”
“Dad used to say that the camps could only exist through the support of others, volunteers, medical professionals and donors. He said that the camps were only as strong as the community that surrounded them and would be a testimonial to the generosity of others,” she explains.
“He really cared,” Clea adds. “It wasn’t something he just said. He did it without asking. No fanfare. He didn’t want a thank you. That’s just who he was.”
“Both of my parents felt it was important to give back,” she adds. “Me and my sisters learned that from an early age.”
Paul’s memoir, based on an oral history project he undertook with his close friend Stewart Stern, offers a rare glimpse at a man who kept fame at arm’s length and was driven to do something good with all the attention.
According to his daughter Melissa Newman, “In one of the last really deep conversations I had, he said, ‘I don’t feel like I’m finished.’ There was more he wanted to do with the camps and philanthropy.”
She adds: “He wrote Op-Eds for the New York Times. He was such a humble guy. He was really proud of the camps. I think that is the purest manifestation of his legacy.”
Paul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Manis out Tuesday, andavailable for preordernow.
source: people.com
