Kirk Douglas Ups Donation to $10 Million for Wife's Center for Women
Kirk Douglas has surprised everyone, including wife Anne, by doubling his donation to the charity he helped establish. Now the veteran actor will be cutting a check for $10 million to the Anne Douglas Center for Women at the Los Angeles Mission.
"If I had but one wish, I think becoming a recognized patron of homeless men and women would be it. I hope together we will be able to alleviate their plight entirely," reads a quote from Anne Douglas on the center's website.
The Anne Douglas Center focuses on helping women transition through the end of a potentially abuse relationship or drug or alcohol abuse. One of the missions of the center is to welcome women and offer them "the chance to transform their lives and regain their dignity."
Kirk Douglas said that Anne told him she wanted to do something for her country when they married 57 years ago and added that she "has never stopped," according to the Associated Press.
"Anne and I are of one mind in our philosophical approach to philanthropy. We believe caring is sharing," he said in a statement. That includes donating $50 million to five various nonprofit organizations.
The Douglas family has not stopped there, though. The Douglas Foundation was established in 1964 and "stands as one of the entertainment industry's largest and oldest private philanthropic institutions. The Foundation represents the charitable interests of the Douglas family and is committed to carrying on the vision of helping others who might not otherwise be able to help themselves," the site reads.
Kirk Douglas will turn 96 in December and will leave behind an important legacy, both on- and off-screen for his family and future generations. Anne, meanwhile is only 82 years old, but she, too, has set up a foundation for her children and stepchildren to inherit.
