Hole in the Wall Camps

Paul Newman readily confessed that he exploited his celebrity. Indeed, it was on every bottle of salad dressing, pasta sauce, salsa and popcorn his company produced: Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Common Good.

The talented actor, director, producer and, yes, salad dressing impresario, died Friday at the age of 83. His Newman's Own Foundation got all the proceeds from his food business and, over the course of Newman's life, donated $250 million to various charities. Newman, of course, was rich, but he wasn't Bill Gates rich; the foundation probably gave away more than Newman earned over his entire career.

One of Newman's favorite charities was the Hole in the Wall Camps, which he helped start in 1988. These camps allow chronically ill children a chance to have a normal, fun camp experience. Over the past 20 years, more than 119,000 severely ill kids have been able to leave the hospitals, hospices and confining bedrooms and know what it's like to spend some time in the sun.

So in tribute to one of the great philanthropists of the past 30 years, Five Dollar Heroes is naming the Hole in the Wall Camps as the weekly charity. So check out what the camps do, and please, donate by clicking here. And yes, it's another $10 minimum. And yes, once again I think I need to rename the blog...!

Finally, if you're of an athletic bent, consider joining Team Hole in the Wall for your next race, and run on behalf of a local camp!