Keanu Reeves Has Been Quietly Donating Millions To Children's Hospitals For Years: "I Don't Like To Attach My Name To It"
Despite seeing a lot of tragedies in his life, Keanu does not hold back when it comes to associating with causes and donating to them.
In his latest blockbuster venture, John Wick, actor Keanu Reeves plays a blood hungry assassin. The action star goes about on a killing spree in the first two installments of the movie, and the third one that is set to come out this year is going to be nothing less. In real life though, Keanu would give his blood and sweat for those in need. This despite the fact that he has endured so much pain in his life. This is probably the reason he feels the need to give more than hoard all his wealth. Coming from a broken family, Keanu saw a lot as a child. His father was a drug addict and was caught selling heroin. Shortly thereafter, he abandoned his wife and Keanu. His mother married numerous times and as a result, he had to move a lot from one city to another.
Although Keanu achieved great success as an actor with his later action hits such as Matrix and Speed, his personal life was struck with tragedy. In 1994, just when Reeves was all set to start a family with fellow actor Jennifer Syme, it resulted in the birth of a child who was stillborn. This led to a strain on their relationship and they later broke up. A more unfortunate incident took place when Syme died in a car accident. Despite the odds, Keanu has been more than forthcoming with his gift as an actor and his wealth.
Keanu is associated with at least around 13 charity organizations most of these are related to children's health and well-being according to Look To The Stars page. He is involved in all these charitable activities through a private foundation of his own. However, the modest and extremely down-to-earth guy that he is, Keanu does all of this maintaining a very low profile and without much fanfare. In a PTI article, it was reported that he was first inspired to get involved with the charities when his sister Kim was first diagnosed with leukemia in the 1990s.
He has donated thousands of pounds to cancer research and towards hospitals for children for many years. He said, "I don't like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does." Now, isn't that a man with a real heart of gold, something very rare especially in superstars these days. Keanu is associated with an organization called CoachArt Celebrity that supports improving the quality of life for underprivileged children and adolescents who have chronic and life-threatening illnesses by providing free, personal lessons in the arts and athletics.
Entertainment Industry Foundation Celebrity is another organization that Keanu associates with. Their main aim is to raise awareness and funds for causes such as childhood hunger, cancer, and cardiovascular research, creative arts, education, and research to name a few. Other organizations include LIFEbeat Celebrity who work to reach America’s youth with the message of HIV/AIDS prevention and to support the AIDS community.
SickKids Foundation, a charity that inspires communities to invest in health and scientific advances to improve the lives of children and their families in Canada and around the world is another one of there 13 organizations to whom Keanu gives his time and money to. The foundation invests around $4 million annually in pediatric research and other issues of children’s health. Racing for Kids is an association that Keanu supports. It uses the popularity of motorsports to bring public attention and funding on the healthcare needs of children.
There can only be one reason for the star getting into so many charities. While the money that comes with his acting and his fame is definitely a plus point, it is not Keanu's primarily goal. In an interview with the New York Post, he said, "For me, I guess I don’t connect the enjoyment and the money. I work on a part and hopefully realize apart, and make good films. Some of the successes I’ve had I’m grateful for because it creates other opportunities. [The way] I look at it is I get to act again."
In another interview with Hollywood.com Keanu spoke about the meaningless of money in his life. He says, "Money doesn’t mean anything to me. I’ve made a lot of money but I want to enjoy life and not stress myself building my bank account. I give lots away and live simply, mostly out of a suitcase in hotels. We all know that good health is much more important." Over the years the Keanu's simplicity has made him an internet hero of sorts. He has been spotted taking a bus, taking an airplane like any other common person, posed for pictures with a couple just about to get married to name a few instances.