The Kindest People Who Do Good Deeds, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes
By David Bruce
Dedicated with Respect to Guy Philips
Copyright 2007 and written by Bruce D. Bruce
SMASHWORDS EDITION
All anecdotes are stated in my own words to avoid plagiarism.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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The doing of good deeds is important. As a free person, you can choose to live your life as a good person or as a bad person. To be a good person, do good deeds. To be a bad person, do bad deeds. If you do good deeds, you will become good. If you do bad deeds, you will become bad. To become the person you want to be, act as if you already are that kind of person. Each of us chooses what kind of person we will become. To become a hero, do the things a hero does. To become a coward, do the things a coward does. The opportunity to take action to become the kind of person you want to be is yours.
This book is a collection of stories of good deeds. Most of them I have encountered in my reading of books, then retold in my own words. A very few come from other sources. This book is organized by topic. Many people in the arts, in religion, and in everyday life have done good deeds, and I am happy that such people exist in this world.
I hope that you enjoy reading this book, and I hope that you are inspired to do some good deeds of your own.
“Each of us has within us a Mother Teresa and a Hitler. It is up to us to choose what we want to be.”—Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.
Snack-Size Portions of the Afterlife
In her book titled I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight, comedian Margaret Cho writes, “I believe that we get complimentary snack-size portions of the afterlife, and we all receive them in a different way.” For Ms. Cho, many of her snack-size portions of the afterlife come in hiphop music. Other people get different snack-size portions of the afterlife, and we all must be on the lookout for them when they come our way. And perhaps doing good deeds and experiencing good deeds are snack-size portions of the afterlife. (1)
A Widely Loved Comedian
Comedian Jimmy Durante was widely loved because he was the kind of person who deserved to be widely loved. When Steve Allen was an unknown comedian, he had a chance to be photographed with the famous Jimmy Durante for some newspapers—good exposure for Mr. Allen. Unfortunately, a group of teenaged fans moved between Mr. Allen and Jimmy, separating them. Jimmy saw what was happening, yelled “Wait a minute,” and then moved to Mr. Allen and grabbed him by the arm so that photographs of him with Jimmy would appear in the newspapers. And when Jimmy’s friend and fellow comedian Eddie Cantor had a heart attack, Jimmy went to the hospital every day even though he knew that Mr. Cantor was not allowed visitors. He simply sat quietly for a while in a chair outside Mr. Cantor’s hospital room. (2)
“You’re Almost So Good I Could Hate You”
Frequently, comedians go out of their way to help and support other comedians. After seeing David Brenner for the first time on TV, Buddy Hackett immediately called the entertainment director of the Sahara Casino in Las Vegas to say, “Did you see this kid? Get him in there—get him on the stage!” Mr. Hackett had never met Mr. Brenner. In addition, after seeing Mr. Brenner’s act for the first time, Jerry Lewis visited him in his hotel room to say, “You’re good—you’re almost so good I could hate you.” And even before Joan Rivers met Mr. Brenner, she told the Los Angeles Times in an interview that she knew of two young comedians who would make it big—David Brenner and Albert Brooks. (3)
“You’ll Pay Him $1,500”
Totie Fields saw Freddie Roman’s stand-up comedy act and was impressed enough to want him to appear in Las Vegas. She called Juliet Prowse’s manager, who needed an opening act for Ms. Prowse at the Desert Inn. She also negotiated Mr. Roman’s salary. She said to Ms. Prowse’s manager, “You’re paying him $1,500.” The manager said, “I only pay $1,200.” Ms. Fields replied, “You’ll pay him $1,500.” He paid him $1,500. (4)
Rewarding Loyalty
For nine years, Edna Purviance appeared in silent comedies that starred Charlie Chaplin in his “Tramp” character. Other movie studios wanted her to work for them, and they would have paid her very well indeed, but she remained loyal to Mr. Chaplin. She retired in the 1920s and appeared in no more movies, but Mr. Chaplin rewarded her for her loyalty by keeping her on his payroll until 1958, when she died. (5)
Rooting for the Acts to be Good
An act of great sensitivity occurred when George Burns and Gracie Allen played the Palace for the first time, in 1928: The audience applauded, and the comedy team was a hit. The Palace Theater on Broadway was important because if a small, not-famous act did well there, it could get better and more important bookings. According to Mr. Burns, the Palace was a “pushover” for acts such as Burns and Allen. Because the audience realized how important their applause was to small acts, they were rooting for the acts to be good. (I like that a lot. It’s similar to the audience on The Tonight Show rooting for a comedian during his or her first TV appearance.) (6)
Entertaining the Troops
When beautiful actress Ann Jillian got breast cancer, several people sent floral arrangements to her hospital room. The “granddaddy”—Ms. Jillian’s word—of all floral arrangements came from comedian Bob Hope, with whom Ms. Jillian had worked on USO tours to entertain the troops. The card was signed in this way: “Hurry up and get out of there; they’re playing our cue. Bob Hope.” Of course, Mr. Hope did good deeds on a regular basis—he certainly spent much time entertaining servicemen and servicewomen, including those who couldn’t be present to see his show. For example, after doing a show at Fassberg Air Force Base in Germany, Mr. Hope went to Fassberg Tower, got on the radio, and started telling jokes to lots of pilots who couldn’t see his show because they were delivering supplies to Berlin. Mr. Hope also took good care of old friends. Dorothy Lamour was a big movie star, but even big movie stars hit a rough patch once in a while. When that happened to Ms. Lamour, Mr. Hope called his friend Joe Franklin and told him to have her as a guest on his show: “Give her a break, but don’t tell her I had anything to do with it.” Mr. Franklin put her on his show. (7)
Encouragement After Bombing
Phyllis Diller’s mentor was fellow comedian Bob Hope, who met her after Ms. Diller bombed in a small club. When Ms. Diller learned that Mr. Hope had seen her bomb, she tried to sneak out by a back way, but he ran after her and encouraged her to keep working in comedy. (8)
Money Versus Civil Rights
African-American comedian Dick Gregory was serious about the Civil Rights Movement. He made lots of money as a comedian, and he lost lots of money by marching in protests instead of entertaining in nightclubs. He once had $18,000 in cash, and his wife recommended that he save the money for their child’s college tuition. Instead, he donated it to the Civil Rights Movement so that buses could be hired to bring hundreds of people to an important demonstration. Obviously, Mr. Gregory was very involved in the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, he had a clause put in his contracts saying that he could leave immediately whenever he was needed at a demonstration or a march. (9)
Repaying a Long-Ago Kindness
Sometimes, kindnesses done long ago are repaid. When comedian Red Skelton was an impoverished kid, a vaudeville comedian named Ed Wynn (he played Uncle Albert in the movie Mary Poppins) gave him a free ticket to his show. Years later, Mr. Wynn had a prominent role in the live TV drama Requiem for a Heavyweight. To pay Mr. Wynn back for his long-ago kindness, Mr. Skelton played a small role, without pay, in the drama. (10)
Keeping Up the Blue Cross
Country comedian Jerry Clower got a lot of help in his early career as an entertainer from his boss, Owen Cooper, for whom he worked as a fertilizer salesman. Mr. Clower had a hit record, and Mr. Cooper said the record could lead to something big or it could blow over quickly, but he would keep him on the payroll until he found out whether it would lead to something big. A few months later, Mr. Clower was working for the Grand Ole Opry, which was definitely something big, so Mr. Cooper said to Mr. Clower, “We’ll just make you director of sales promotion and pay you just enough to keep up your Blue Cross.” (11)
Helping a Former Partner
Bert Williams and George Walker were famous as the African-American comedy team Williams and Walker during the late 19th and early 20th century, but Mr. Walker was forced to retire as a result of a stroke. Mr. Williams continued to perform in vaudeville alone, but he shared his salary with his former partner until the day Mr. Walker died. (12)
Grampa Max
Jack Gilford worried about his children because none of their grandparents lived nearby, and he didn’t want them to be deprived of the experience of having loving grandparents. Being an actor, he readily solved the problem by becoming Grampa Max. Occasionally, he would turn into Grampa Max and tell his son, “C’mon, you vant to go to de park today? I’ll buy you a malted.” His son loved it, and years later, his senior project at film school was a 17-minute short titled Max, starring Jack Gilford as Grampa Max. (13)
Parkinson’s and Medical Bills
A couple of years before comedian Terry-Thomas’ death on January 8, 1990, he and Belinda, his wife, were impoverished (because of his medical bills), but a couple of appeals for funds made by newspapers and TV stations netted some money, and in London, an all-star charity show raised £75,000 for them. (Terry-Thomas cried because of the kindness shown to him.) One of the good things that Terry-Thomas did in his last years was to appear on a TV show called The Human Brain and talk about the effects of Parkinson’s Disease on him. (14)
Benefits for People Like Himself
Stand-up comedian Jimmy Savo had health problems later in life. In 1946, physicians discovered that he had a cancerous tumor in his leg, and they amputated the leg. But within a year, he was doing comedy benefits for his fellow amputees. (15)
Backing Up a Lesbian Comedian
In 1977, at Los Angeles’ Comedy Store, lesbian comic Robin Tyler was heckled by several straight men. One man yelled at her, “Are you a lesbian?” She struck back with, “Are you the alternative?” In support of Ms. Tyler, all the comics who followed her act told the audience that they were homosexuals, too—although all of them were straight. (16)
“Did You Have to Get Someone that Good?”
Because of illness, comedian/singer Martha Raye was unable to appear on Garry Moore’s nighttime show, so Carol Burnett, then a relative unknown, was asked to replace her. Ms. Raye watched the show, then mock-complained to Mr. Moore, “I knew you were going to have to get someone good to replace me—but did you have to get someone that good?” She also sent Ms. Burnett twelve roses. (17)
A Special Piece of Playground Equipment
Miss Juliette Whittaker greatly influenced comedian Richard Pryor when he was young. Years later, he repaid her kindness by helping her establish a school called the Learning Tree and by giving more than 80 scholarships to children so they could attend her school. Once, he asked her what she wanted for her school, and she said that she wanted a special piece of equipment for the school playground—one with a ladder, a deck, a fireman’s pole, and a stainless-steel slide. Mr. Pryor gave her a check so she could buy the special piece of playground equipment. (18)
Goober’s Trophies
Actor George Lindsey will be remembered as Goober, Gomer Pyle’s cousin. Mr. Lindsey has raised over $1 million for the Special Olympics; he also raised $450,000 for the George Lindsey Aquatic Center at the Alabama State Hospital for the Mentally Retarded. At his home are several trophies of stuffed animals—all of which have crossed eyes. (19)
Getting a Lady a Seat
On a crowded subway with all seats taken, Zero Mostel noticed an elderly black woman standing and carrying several packages. He began walking unsteadily toward the woman with his eyes unfocused. He looked as if he were blind, and when he got near the elderly black woman, he lurched and seemed to be about to fall in the lap of a man who was sitting down. The man jumped up, and suddenly Mr. Mostel’s eyes became focused, then he motioned to the elderly black woman to sit down. (20)
A Catholic Comedian Helping a Jewish Comedian
Comedian Frank Fay, who originated the character of Elwood P. Dowd in the play Harvey, once did a good deed for Jewish comedian Joe E. Lewis. Mr. Lewis wished to attend Yom Kippur services at Congregation Ezrath Israel in New York, but he was scheduled to perform at the Copacabana. Mr. Fay, who was Catholic, performed in the place of Mr. Lewis, then he donated his paycheck to Congregation Ezrath Israel. (21)
Not Their Usual Salary
The comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello could be very generous. Once they returned to work at the place where they had received their first big break: the Atlantic City Steel Pier. They told the owner, Frank Elliott, that they wouldn’t work for their usual $10,000 a week salary. Instead, they worked for $1 a day. (22)
“Stop Playing Benefits”
Comedian Eddie Cantor devoted much time to playing benefits for charitable causes. Once, his boss, Florenz Ziegfeld, worried that Mr. Cantor would burn himself out by playing so many benefits and so he ordered him to stop playing them. That night, Mr. Cantor was doing yet another benefit—against orders—when he looked down and saw Mr. Ziegfeld in the front row. Mr. Cantor said, “It’s not me,” then continued with his act. (23)
“Love Me”
In 1938 Eddie Cantor visited a home in Paris, where he met several refugee Jewish children whom Hitler had made orphans. Mr. Cantor writes in one of his autobiographies, Take My Life, “There were sixty little orphans at this home, awaiting deportation. I’d brought with me a trunk of Oh Henrys and Hershey bars, but I noticed one little girl sitting there, candy in hand, not touching it. I went over and took her on my knee. ‘Little lady, what can I do for you?’ She looked at me with wan face and said, ‘Love me.’” Mr. Cantor used this story to raise many, many dollars for efforts to relocate refugee Jewish children in Israel. (24)
Helping a Ragged, Stinky Beggar
When Charlie Chaplin was very young, he saw a ragged, stinky woman begging for charity. The woman frightened him, but his mother, Hannah, helped her. She took the woman to their apartment, cleaned her up, and fed her. The beggar was Eva Lester, who had formerly been a renowned singer. (25)
A Surprise Gift
Czechoslovakian citizen Emil Zátopek won four gold medals at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, including one for an unexpected win in the marathon. Winning these medals, of course, was memorable; however, later Mr. Zátopek did something even more memorable when he met Ron Clarke of Australia, a great runner who had bad luck at the Olympic Games. Despite setting many world records during his running career, Mr. Clarke never managed to win a gold medal while competing at the Olympic Games. Mr. Zátopek admired Mr. Clarke, and in 1966 he gave him a wrapped present, telling him not to open it until he was on a plane and headed back home. When Mr. Clarke opened the gift, he found an Olympic gold medal and a note from Mr. Zátopek: “Dear Ron, I have won four gold medals. It is only right that you should have one of them. Your friend, Emil.” (26)
Winter Olympics
At the 1976 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, American Bill Koch astounded everyone by winning the silver medal in the 30-kilometer cross-country race. Still, his fondest memory comes from a race a few days later—a race in which he failed to medal. In the 50-kilometer cross-country race, he was leading after 30 kilometers, but suddenly he “hit the wall,” as elite athletes say, and total exhaustion set in. Other skiers started passing him, and he fell far behind. With five kilometers to go, he faced a hill. Feeling exhausted and faint, he started up the hill. Suddenly, he felt someone pushing him and helping him up the hill. It was the Finnish skier Juha Mieto. Mr. Koch says that on that day Mr. Mieto “showed me what sportsmanship and character truly are. He pushed me all the way to the top of the hill, and once there I got renewed spirit and energy. I went on to finish 13th. I’ll never forget that—never.” (27)
Using $20,000 Wisely
Kip Keino won gold medals in the Olympics in both 1968 (1500-meter race) and 1972 (3000-meter steeplechase). He never made much money from his running—approximately $20,000—but he used it wisely. He returned to his native Kenya, where he bought land and a house and started an orphanage. Another Olympic medal-winner, Native American Billy Mills, met him in the 1980s. At that time, Kip and his orphanage were taking care of 68 children, and 100 orphans had already grown up and gone into the world to lead their adult lives. (28)
Giving Back to the Community
Olympic diver Pat McCormick gave back to the community after winning four gold medals. In 1984, she gave a talk to some schoolchildren, and a teacher told her afterward that many of the children she had spoken to “aren’t going to make it.” Ms. McCormick then started meeting twice a week with 25 of the schoolchildren and bringing in such great role models as Olympic gold-medal-winning decathlete Rafer Johnson to speak to them. She also took the schoolchildren on field trips and taught them a mantra: “You gotta have a dream. You gotta work, you gotta learn to fail, you gotta surround yourselves with greatness.” The schoolchildren’s grades climbed upward. (29)
Reading About the Olympic Games in the Newspaper
American athletes needed money to pay their passage to get to the 1896 Olympic Games in Greece. Dr. William Milligan Sloane, vice president of the International Olympic Committee, helped find money to pay the tickets of the American athletes, but despite the generosity of former Massachusetts governor Oliver Ames, two American athletes still did not have tickets. Dr. Sloane and his wife had been saving all year to pay their own passage to the Olympic Games, but they unselfishly gave their tickets to the American athletes. Instead of seeing the Olympic Games in person, Dr. Sloane and his wife stayed home and read about them in a newspaper. (30)
Helping Fire Victims
At the 1924 Olympic Games in France, American athletes rallied to help put out a fire in a nearby village that burned down many houses. One French villager was killed in the fire, and the American athletes took up a collection of money to give to the villager’s family. One result of these good deeds is that the American athletes became very popular with the French villagers. (31)
“This is Your Lucky Day”
One day, Muhammad Ali and his daughter were late for a flight because he had signed so many autographs. By the time they boarded the flight, a man and his son were sitting in the Alis’ first-class seats although under normal circumstances the man and his son would have been flying in tourist. The stewardess asked the man and boy to move to tourist, but Mr. Ali asked the boy if he had ever flown first class before. The boy answered, “No.” Mr. Ali replied, “Then this is your lucky day,” and he and his daughter went to sit in the tourist section of the plane. (32)
“What Day Do We Play?”
In the Jim Crow days, heavyweight fighter Joe Louis was a celebrity and so he had the power to go where other black people were not allowed to go; however, he declined to take this kind of advantage of his celebrity. For example, in Miami, Florida, a newspaper reporter asked Mr. Louis when he would be playing golf while he was in town. Even though as a celebrity, Mr. Louis could play golf whenever he wanted, he asked a black friend, “What day do we play?” By asking this, he meant, “What day are blacks allowed to play golf in this town?” Radio personality Barry Grey once invited him to one of his broadcasts at the segregated Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami, but Mr. Louis declined, saying, “I don’t go where my people can’t go.” Mr. Grey used his program to rip into the racism of the Fontainbleau Hotel. (33)
Sammy Claus
Chicago Cubs player Sammy Sosa is from the Dominican Republic, where his nickname is “Sammy Claus” because of his many good deeds. However, Mr. Sosa declines to talk about his good deeds, saying, “I don’t want to get a big head. I was raised religious, and I’m scared what would happen to me if I did.” During his 1998 home-run duel with Mark McGwire, during which Mr. McGwire set a new record for home runs in a season, Mr. Sosa was asked who his hero is. He replied, “God.” (34)
Getting Jackie Out of Serious Trouble
When Jackie Robinson broke the color line in major-league baseball, he endured racial insults from baseball fans and players because he knew that he had to do that so that other blacks could play in the major leagues. That does not mean that Mr. Robinson was unwilling to fight. Before breaking into the major leagues, Mr. Robinson was a soldier in Officer Candidate School. One day, a white officer called Mr. Robinson a “stupid n*gger.” Mr. Robinson hit the white officer and got into serious trouble. As soon as heavyweight champion Joe Louis, who was also serving in the Army, heard about what had happened, he hurried to Mr. Robinson’s commanding officer and bribed him with some very expensive gifts. Mr. Robinson stayed in Officer Training School. When Mr. Robinson and his fellow officer candidates graduated, Mr. Louis bought all of them new uniforms. (35)
Warming Up on the Baseball Field
Larry Doby was the second African-American athlete to integrate major-league baseball; of course, Jackie Robinson was the first. Mr. Doby, like Mr. Robinson, learned that good and bad white players existed in the major leagues. When he joined the Cleveland Indians, he introduced himself—four players refused to shake his hand. While everyone was warming up the first time Mr. Doby was on the field, he had no one to throw the baseball to—until Joe Gordon, the second baseman, motioned to him to throw the ball to him. Mr. Gordon, catcher Jim Hegan, and coach Bill McKechnie were the ones who Mr. Doby said risked being identified as “N-word lovers.” Sportswriter Steve Jacobson wrote, “For the rest of the year Doby warmed up with Gordon. For the rest of his life he gave credit to Gordon.” (36)
“I Never had a Manager Who Cared More about His Players”
During the 1953 season, Hank Aaron played for the Jacksonville (Florida) Tars in the South Atlantic League. This was during the Jim Crow era, and Mr. Aaron and the other African-American players often were not permitted to eat in white-only restaurants. Sometimes, they were permitted to eat only in the kitchen, and sometimes, their white teammates had to bring food to the tour bus for them to eat. In addition, the African-American players had to find lodgings in the black part of the city. Jacksonville Tars manager Ben Geraghty, a white man, always visited the African-American players, no matter where they stayed, because he wanted them to feel welcome and a part of the team. Later, Mr. Aaron said about Mr. Geraghty, “In all the years I played baseball, I never had a manager who cared more about his players or knew more about the game.” (37)
“Things Like That You Don’t Forget”
Earl Lloyd was one of three black ballplayers to integrate professional basketball in 1950. This was still during the Jim Crow era, and all three players faced some prejudice, although they had it easier than Jackie Robinson did when he integrated major-league baseball. For one thing, college basketball teams were often integrated. For another, with three black players entering professional basketball at the same time, no one player had to bear the entire burden by himself. Still, at times Mr. Lloyd knew that he was not wanted by a racist society. Once, while he was playing with the Washington Capitols, he was refused service at a diner, so he went to his hotel room to eat. His coach, Horace “Bones” McKinney, a white man, went with him and ate in Mr. Lloyd’s room, too. Mr. Lloyd says, “Bones was from Wake Forest, North Carolina, the Deep South, and he had been raised in the South during the ’30s and ’40s. You know he didn’t have to do that. Things like that you don’t forget.” (38)
A Deal from Dinty Moore
In 1941, umpires Ernie Stewart and Jocko Conlan dined in New York City at Dinty Moore’s restaurant. The bill for two meals came to $16, which was very high at the time. Mr. Conlan saw on the bill that the charge was 85 cents for a piece of strawberry pie, so he asked the waiter if a mistake had been made. After all, Mr. Conlan pointed out, his mother was very capable of baking eight pies for 85 cents. (Remember, this was in 1941.) The owner of the restaurant—Dinty Moore himself—happened to be passing by, and he said that his mother could also bake eight pies for 85 cents. Mr. Moore then talked to the umpires and discovered that the restaurant was very expensive for them. Being a baseball fan, he invited them to eat there anytime for $2.50 per meal. Later, when the umpires received a raise, Mr. Moore asked them if they could afford $3.50 for a meal. They could, and that became the price they paid, no matter what they ate. (39)
An Accident and a Gift
In his later days, professional baseball player “Shoeless Joe” Jackson taught the kids in his neighborhood how to play baseball. In 1945, an accident occurred when a pitcher threw a high ball, and the catcher, Jimmy Thompson, Jr., rose up to catch it—but caught the bat right on his forehead. Blood was everywhere, the injury required stitches, and Shoeless Joe felt so bad that he gave little Jimmy the glove he had used in the major leagues. (40)
A Show of Support for a Losing Team
In 1961, the Philadelphia Phillies lost 23 straight games. As the baseball players departed from a plane in Philadelphia following a lengthy road trip, they found some fans waiting for them. Pitcher Frank Sullivan advised his teammates to “leave the plane in single file. That way they can’t get us with one burst.” Fortunately, the fans weren’t there to wreak havoc; instead, they welcomed the players with a show of support. (41)
Flowers on the Grave of a Divorcée
Each week, William Powell put flowers on the grave of fellow actor Jean Harlow. When Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married, Ms. Monroe requested that he do the same thing for her if she should die before he did. After Ms. Monroe died, although the two were divorced, Mr. DiMaggio honored her request. (42)
The Boston Celtics: An Unselfish Team
What made the Boston Celtics of the 1950s and the 1960s so great? In addition to great coaching and great talent, the Celtics were an unselfish team. When Bill Russell joined the Celtics, the veteran and starting center was Arnie Risen, who knew that Mr. Russell had been brought onto the team to take his starting position. Immediately, Mr. Risen, a white man, began training Mr. Russell, a black man who was new to the pro game. Mr. Risen let Mr. Russell know what to expect from opposing centers and how to play against them. Yes, Mr. Russell did take Mr. Risen’s starting position from him, but both players benefited. At the end of the season, both players had earned the right to wear NBA Championship rings. In addition, both players are now in the Basketball Hall of Fame. By the way, Mr. Risen had job security; he played for the Celtics until he retired. The Celtics coach, Red Auerbach, traded exactly one player during the time that Mr. Russell played for him. (43)
Respect for Two Greats
Bill Walton showed a lot of respect for other basketball players. While playing at UCLA, he was following in the footsteps of the great Lew Alcindor, who changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. To show respect for Mr. Alcindor, who had worn No. 33 at UCLA, Mr. Walton wore No. 32. Later, as a Boston Celtic, Mr. Walton showed respect for the great Bill Russell. Because Mr. Russell had worn No. 6 as a Celtic, Mr. Walton wore No. 5. (44)
Random Acts of Kindness
Shaquille O’Neal enjoys doing random acts of kindness as well as working with organized charities. Sometimes, he will buy a new TV set, drive into an impoverished neighborhood, and pick out a house where kids live. He then knocks on the door, offers the family a free TV, and if they accept his gift, he watches a few shows with them. When he played for the Orlando Magic, he would do such things as send roses on Valentine’s Day to women in hospitals in Orlando, Florida. (45)
Meeting the Dream Team
While competing in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, gymnast Shannon Miller wanted to meet the Dream Team, consisting of the best stars of the NBA. Unfortunately, when the Dream Team visited the Olympic Village (the members of the Dream Team were staying outside the Village), she was taking a nap and missed them. Coach Steve Nunno telephoned NBC commentator John Tesh to see if he could arrange for Shannon to see any of the Dream Team members. Mr. Tesh gave her tickets for the next Dream Team game and an invitation to visit the Dream Team backstage after the game. (Shannon’s meeting with such players as Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan was videotaped by another coach, Peggy Liddick, who sneaked in a forbidden camera.) (46)
Lucky Pennies
At the 1992 Olympics Games in Barcelona, cameraman Kenny Woo went around dropping pennies because he knew that the members of the United States women’s gymnastics team thought that finding a penny meant they would have good luck. (47)
Help from a Baywatch Star
Early in 2004, American gymnast Mohini Bhardwaj did not have the money to attend the trials necessary to make the United States women’s gymnastics team—and she was deep in debt besides. Her friends in Los Angeles wanted to help her raise the needed money for the Olympic trials by selling raffle tickets. One friend tried to sell a raffle ticket to Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson, but Ms. Anderson, who herself was once a gymnast, chose to do much more than that. She gave Ms. Bhardwaj a check for $25,000. Ms. Bhardwaj responded by helping the U.S. women’s team win a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. (48)
Help from a Stranger
American gymnast Kurt Thomas’ team once left him behind in West Germany. He had blown most of his money on silk shirts for his groomsmen to wear at his wedding, and he didn’t even know where the gymnastics meet was to be held in Münster. He called the U.S. consulate for directions, but when he said the meet was to be held in Münster, they asked, “Which meet in particular?” Fortunately, Mr. Thomas met a West German who helped him buy a train ticket and guided him through a maze of switching trains so he could reach his destination. (49)
Thanks from a Classy Elite Athlete
Elite, Olympic-eligible athletes get a lot of free stuff—uniforms, shoes, training equipment—from companies that sponsor their sport. Often, the athletes take this stuff for granted—but not Amanda Borden, who won a gold medal as the captain of the USA women’s gymnastics team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. As a member of the U.S. National Team, she once attended a National Team meeting at which was present a representative of an apparel company that sponsored USA Gymnastics. After the meeting, Ms. Borden thanked the representative for the leotards, shoes, warm-up clothing, etc., the company had given to her. (50)
Leotards and Hugs
Hispanic gymnast Jeanette Antolin is very good with young gymnasts. When Ms. Antolin shows up wearing a new leotard, often the youngest gymnasts will buy one just like it in hopes that it will bring them luck. (However, they can’t afford to do this each time she wears a new leotard—Ms. Antolin has a collection of over 100 leotards!) And if Ms. Antolin sees that one of the youngest gymnasts is having a bad day in the gym, she goes over and gives her a hug for sympathy, support, and encouragement. (51)
Good Deeds with Stuffed Animals
Ukrainian gymnast Lilia Podkopayeva won the gold medal in the all-around competition of the 1996 Olympic Games, and to show their appreciation of her wonderful performance, fans gave her huge numbers of stuffed animals. She donated many of the stuffed animals to children in orphanages in Ukraine. (52)
Heavy Traffic, and Greatness in the Olympics and in Real Life
At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, Soviet gymnast Zinaida Voronina won silver in the all-around competition and bronze in the uneven bars and vault competitions. After she retired, she became a worker in a foundry, and many people did not know about her Olympic past. However, one day she saw a very old woman standing at the side of a street, afraid to cross it because of the traffic. Ms. Voronina went over to the old woman to help her, and the old woman recognized her and cried out, “Zina!” Both women cried together, remembering Zina’s days of gymnastics glory. (53)
A Casual Stroll
At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut performed strongly and won several medals, but she was not always perfect in every event. As she sat crying after receiving a low score, a TV camera started to focus on her, so fellow gymnast Elvira Saadi casually but purposely strolled between Olga and the TV camera, shielding her. (54)
Good Sportsmanship from Class Acts
During her career, Soviet gymnast Ludmilla Tourischeva displayed wonderful sportsmanship. At the Montreal Olympic Games, young Nadia Comaneci won the gold medal in the All-Around Competition, while the more mature, experienced Ms. Tourischeva settled for the bronze medal. Nevertheless, at the awards ceremony Ms. Tourischeva came to young Nadia, shook her hand, and kissed her cheek. Romanian gymnast Simona Amanar is also known for her good sportsmanship. At the 1997 World Championships, she seemed ready to win gold in the all-around, but she had to settle for a disappointing silver behind Russian gymnast Svetlana Khorkina. Rather than display attitude, Ms. Amanar congratulated Ms. Khorkina. (55)
Getting a Daughter Back
When world-class women’s gymnastics coaches Bela and Marta Karolyi defected from Romania to the United States, they left Andrea, their young daughter, in Romania. It took months to get her back. Finally, they did so with the help of a Republican Congressman from Texas, Bill Archer. Mr. Archer was on the Committee for the Most Favored Nation Status for Eastern European Countries. Because Romania needed the Most Favored Nation Status for trade purposes, Mr. Archer was able to use that against Romania to get Andrea back to her parents. He called up the Romanian ambassador and received a date by which Andrea would be flown to the United States—within three months. He then asked Mr. Karolyi how long he had been trying to get Andrea. On hearing the answer—six months—Mr. Archer called the Romanian ambassador again and made him send Andrea to the United States much quicker. (56)
Skating with People with Mental Retardation
As a young skater, Robert Davenport used his talent to bring joy to other people. Often, he performed at charity shows, and sometimes as he skated he gave rides on his back to children who are intellectually disabled so they could feel what it was like to skate. Once, the eyes of a boy who was intellectually disabled filled with tears of joy as he felt the thrilling sensation of skating. (57)
Photographs and Stuffed Animals
If you watch much ice skating on television, you know that fans frequently give presents to their favorite skaters by throwing flowers and stuffed animals onto the ice after a good performance. Often, children (or their parents) throw the stuffed animals and sometimes place stickers with their names and addresses on the animals. Champion ice skater Michelle Kwan makes a practice of sending a photograph of herself to these children. Because she receives so many stuffed animals as gifts, once in a while she takes bags of stuffed animals to a children’s hospital to give away to patients. (58)
“She is Such a Small Girl. How Much Can She Cost? How Much Can She Eat?”
Fellow Ukrainians Victor Petrenko and Oksana Baiul both engage in charity. Together, they have donated money to repair a skating rink in Odessa, Ukraine. Previously, while Ms. Baiul was still an impoverished unknown in figure skating, Mr. Petrenko paid for her skating outfits and skating boots. In fact, Mr. Petrenko took care of Ms. Baiul in other ways because she had suffered so much misfortune in her life. Her father abandoned her when she was a small child. When she was 13, her mother died of cancer. Shortly afterward, her grandparents who were taking care of her died. When she was 14, the person who had coached her for nine years moved to Canada. Mr. Petrenko ended up asking his mother-in-law—and coach—Galina Zmievskaya, to take care of her. Ms. Zmievskaya says, “Viktor said to me, ‘She is such a small girl. How much can she cost? How much can she eat?’ So she became a member of my family and I became her coach.” (59)
Knowing What was Needed
Olympic gold-medal-winning figure skater Peggy Fleming came from a working-class family. While training in New York for the 1964 Olympic Games, Ms. Fleming didn’t have a warm coat, but the wealthy Mrs. Phyllis Kennedy, at whose skating rink Ms. Fleming trained, guessed her family’s financial status and gave her some sweaters and a coat. (60)
The Loan of a Cap
The great professional golfer Walter Hagen ran into a problem on a Forth Worth, Texas, golf course when he was playing for a championship: The sun was getting in his eyes. Seeing a young caddy wearing a cap with a sun visor—exactly what he needed just then—Mr. Hagen asked his caddy for the loan of the cap. The caddy, Bryon Nelson, gladly performed a good deed by lending it to him for the afternoon, and Mr. Hagen won the championship with it. The young caddy then devoted himself to playing golf and emulating Mr. Hagen, and he did amazingly well in pro golf tournaments—even finishing in the money 113 consecutive times. (61)
“Hit Another, Son”
The first professional golf event Sam Snead ever played in was almost his last. In Hershey, Pennsylvania, he took his first swing and hit the ball way to the right into a chocolate factory. The ball was unplayable. He hit the second ball with exactly the same result. He then topped the third ball, and it fell in front of the tee. At this point, he was ready to go home, but another player, George Fazio, quietly told him, “Hit another, son.” This calmed Mr. Snead down, and he hit the ball the way he knew he could, driving it hundreds of yards so that it stopped 20 feet away from the pin. (62)
Checking Out the Rumor
Soccer player Julie Foudy was offered a contract to endorse Reebok soccer balls, but she had been hearing a rumor that small children in Pakistan were being used to make the balls. Before signing the contract, she flew to Pakistan to check out the rumor. She discovered that parents in the factories would take home soccer ball parts and have their children stitch them together. Ms. Foudy reported her findings to Reebok, which changed its procedures to make sure that the soccer balls were completely assembled in the factories by adult workers, and only then did she become a Reebok spokesperson. (63)
“OK, Rock, I’ll Hit Him on the Other Side”
In a game against
Army, Notre Dame had a problem. The Fighting Irish had only one
center, J. Hugh O’Donnell, and he had a broken rib, although he was
willing to play. However, the first time an opposing player hit him
on the broken rib he would be out of the game. Of course, Mr.
O’Donnell’s ribs were securely taped, but Notre Dame assistant
coach Knute Rockne took an additional precaution. He spoke to John
McEwan, Army’s All-America center, and told him, “John, O’Donnell
has a broken rib and he’s the only center we have.” Mr. McEwan
asked, “Which side is it on?” Hearing that it was on the right
side, Mr. McEwan said,
“OK, Rock, I’ll hit him on the other
side.” For that game, Mr. McEwan did exactly what he had said he
would do. He hit Mr. O’Donnell on the left side, and Mr. O’Donnell
played the entire game. (64)
Comforting the Afflicted
Walter Payton became one of the greatest running backs in the NFL, but in his very first NFL game, he ran for a total of exactly zero yards. After the game, he happened to be walking with Bill Magrane, the director of administration for the Chicago Bears, and with Mr. Magrane’s wife. Tears were running down Mr. Payton’s cheeks, and Mrs. Magrane touched his arm and comforted him, saying that next week things would be better. She was right. The following week Mr. Payton rushed for positive yardage, and soon he was a star for the Bears. What Mrs. Magrane did for him, Mr. Payton did for other players. Placekicker Bob Thomas remembers that if a player would make a mistake such as fumble the ball, drop an interception, or mess up a kick, Mr. Payton would quickly comfort him, saying, “Don’t worry. You’ll get the next one.” (65)
“He Charmed Us All that Day”
Before coaching at Ohio State University, Woody Hayes coached at Miami (Ohio) University, where his 1950 team won the Salad Bowl playing against Arizona State University during the Civil Rights era. In Nashville, Tennessee, his football team had to make an unscheduled stop on account of weather. The airport had a restaurant, and Coach Hayes took his team there, but the manager pointed to Boxcar Bailey, the only African-American player on the team, and said, “That guy isn’t going to eat here. We don’t serve his kind.” Coach Hayes said, “If that guy doesn’t eat here, then none of us will eat here.” The manager backed down a little and said that Boxcar could eat upstairs. Coach Hayes said, “Fine. Then we’ll all eat upstairs.” The manager said that upstairs wasn’t big enough to hold all of the players, so Coach Hayes said, “Then Boxcar and I will eat upstairs together, and the rest of the team will eat downstairs.” One of the players on the Miami team was Bo Schembechler, who later became an assistant coach for Coach Hayes at Ohio State University and then the head coach at the University of Michigan. Mr. Schembechler says about Coach Hayes, “He charmed us all that day.” (66)
Death and Food
After World War II, six-year-old Gary Paulsen and his mother, Eunice, sailed to the Philippines, where his Army officer father was stationed. During the voyage, they witnessed a plane crashing into the ocean and sharks attacking the survivors. Young Gary comforted a boy whose mother had died, and he gave away a stuffed animal to a little girl. They also stopped at Okinawa, where the Japanese were suffering from a food shortage as a result of the war and stood silently begging on the dock. Gary’s mother gave away candy and cans of condensed milk, then she returned to the ship’s galley to get more food, which she also gave away. The ship’s captain was angry when he discovered how much food was gone, but the defiant Mrs. Paulsen asked him, “Would you like me to catch them and take it back?” (67)
Health Insurance from Friends
Valerie Taylor, one of the first people to write positive lesbian fiction, made little money from her writing, certainly not enough to pay for health care. Fortunately, she had 10 friends who each contributed $10 per month so that she could pay for her HMO and eye medicine. (68)
A Mistake that Resulted in Much Good
Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho makes a lot of money from his writing. Because he makes so much money, he has established a foundation to do these things: to help Brazilian abandoned children, to help Brazilian impoverished aged, to translate into other languages classic works of Brazilian literature, and to study the prehistory of Brazil. He donated $300,000 a year to his foundation, but that figure became $400,000 a year through an accident. He made a mistake and gave the wrong figure in an interview, the published interview had the wrong, higher figure of $400,000, and Mr. Coelho immediately donated an extra $100,000 to build a new house for street children. In addition, he has donated an extra $100,000 to his foundation every year since the interview was published. (69)
“A Pet is One of the Family”
When she was a young woman, children’s author Peg Kehret discovered Stompy, her beloved cat, lying dead by the side of a road one morning. She buried her pet, then she couldn’t stop crying. She ended up calling Ken Soderberg, her boss at KAUS, the radio station where she wrote advertising copy, to tell him why she couldn’t go to work that day. At first, she expected to be told, “It’s only a cat,” and that she had to go to work or be fired. Fortunately, Mr. Soderberg gently told her, “I’m so sorry. A pet is one of the family, and of course you can’t work today. Don’t worry about it. Grieve for your cat, and come back to work when you’re ready.” (70)
A Gift of a Flower—and a Life
When World War II broke out, Joy Bally, who was born in Austria-Hungary, was in Kenya, where she was arrested for a while although she was not a Nazi sympathizer. When a policewoman came to arrest her, Joy was painting a flower, and she took her painting supplies with her. She also took her pet dog, Pippin, saying, “I go nowhere without my dog.” The policewoman replied, “Then your dog is also under arrest.” Shortly afterward, Joy was released when the Kenyan government determined that she was not a danger. She had been arrested only because some friends, Dr. Arthur and Lady Muriel Jex-Blake, had told police—naively—that some of Joy’s visitors spoke German. Joy did not get angry at her friends, and she gave Lady Muriel the finished painting of the flower. She also gave money to her first husband, who had fled the anti-Jewish sentiment of much of Europe, until he could set himself up in business again. Later, after a divorce and re-marriage, Joy became Joy Adamson and wrote the best-selling book Born Free. (Her first husband showed up at a book signing in Cape Town and asked for her autograph!) Her third and final husband, George Adamson, died a hero. At age 84, he came to the aid of a German woman who was set upon by Somali bandits, and he was shot in the back. (71)
“Promise Me You Won’t Ever Use It”
As a young woman, long before she became famous as a memoirist, Maya Angelou became attracted to a man called Troubadour Martin, and she began to think about being close to him and making a life together with him. He was addicted to heroin, and she thought that she should try heroin, too, as a way of becoming closer to him. After ignoring her requests for a while, he finally took her to a rundown hotel in San Francisco. There they visited a room filled with writhing heroin addicts, and he took Maya into a bathroom, where she watched him shoot up with heroin. He then asked her if she wanted to try heroin. Sickened by everything she had seen, Maya didn’t want anything to do with heroin. Troubadour Martin told her, “Promise me you won’t ever use it. Promise me you’ll stay nice like I found you.” Maya understood then that he had exposed her to the heroin addicts and to the process of shooting up so she wouldn’t be tempted to take heroin. (72)
“Be Good to My Wife and Child”
James M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, was a generous man. When Robert Falcon Scott died during an attempt to be the first person to reach the South Pole, he left a letter for Mr. Barrie, who was the godfather of his son, Peter Scott. The letter, which was found on Mr. Scott’s frozen body, asked Mr. Barrie to “be good to my wife and child. Give the boy a chance in life.” Mr. Barrie did as Mr. Scott wished. (73)
The Eyes of Love
Illustrator William Stout once worked as a watercolor portraitist at Disneyland’s New Orleans Square, where he created over 80 portraits each day he worked. One day, a boy sat down to pose for a portrait, and Mr. Stout asked the boy to turn slightly toward him, as the portraits were done in three-quarter profile. When the boy turned toward him, Mr. Stout saw that the boy was missing an eye. Instead of a right eye, the boy had a narrow strip of skin and flesh vertically crossing the empty eye socket. Obviously, Mr. Stout had a major decision to make. Should he draw the boy with two good eyes, or should he draw the boy with a good left eye and an empty right socket? The boy’s parents stood behind him, and he drew the rest of the boy’s face in order to give himself time to figure out what to do. He felt the tenseness of the parents behind him, and finally he made his decision: He drew the boy with two good eyes. This turned out to be the right decision, as he could tell by the sighs of relief of the parents and the reaction of the boy. Mr. Stout says, “In his parents’ eyes, their son was not deformed at all; he was their perfect little boy. I felt so grateful that my painting of their son brought them so much joy, and that I, also, had been blessed by luck and instinct to portray that sweet boy through their eyes—the eyes of love!” (74)
Karsh’s Mother
Famed portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh was a child in Armenia during the Armenian massacres of the early 20th century. At one point, his family had only one loaf of black bread—this was all the food they had. The bread had to last the family a week, so each day Yousuf’s mother cut four slices of bread from the loaf: one slice for herself, one slice for her husband, and one slice each for their two children. However, Yousuf’s mother ate only half of her slice of bread—the other half she gave to Mary, a blind girl in the neighborhood. Yousuf also gave when he became an adult. The famed photographer volunteered his services many times to take a photograph of the Muscular Dystrophy Association of America’s poster child. (75)
Friends Taking Care of Friends
Faith Ringgold, whose Tar Beach became a Caldecott Honor Book in 1991, was born in 1930 and grew up during the Great Depression. One day, she and a friend walked home together after school, and when they arrived at the friend’s home, the friend looked at some stuff on the street and said, “That’s my doll! These are my things!” Why were the things on the street and not in her home? She and her family had just been evicted. However, the story does have a happy ending. Ms. Ringgold says, “Neighbors took them in. That’s what we did in those days; we took care of our friends. We didn’t leave them homeless in the street.” (76)
A Class for the Losers
At the Cleveland Museum of Art, a class was going to be held for children who demonstrated exceptional artistic talent. Space in the class was limited, and some children were judged not talented enough to be admitted. One boy with tears in his eyes asked the teacher, Mrs. Dunn, “Why don’t you have a class for the losers?” She thought a moment, then replied, “All right. Be here next Saturday morning at 9 o’clock, and there will be a class for the losers.” (77)
A Gift for Art Appreciation
Before World War II, Lucy Carrington Wertheimer ran an art gallery that concentrated on the work of then-modern artists. Often, she heard only criticism of these artists’ works, although many of them became well known and well respected as artists later. One late afternoon, after she had heard nothing but criticism all day, a couple of tourists dropped into her gallery and made very admiring remarks about the works of art, although unfortunately they had no money with which to buy them. Ms. Wertheim was so happy to hear their positive comments—especially about a picture by Kolle that they admired—that she gave it to them: “Please have it. Please take it away with you. Do go on enjoying it.” (78)
“Here at Lyric We’ll do Anything for our Subscribers!”
Danny Newman did PR for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where he greatly appreciated subscribers—much more than he appreciated single-ticket buyers. One day, his office got a telephone call from a woman who thought that she had lost a diamond ring in the auditorium—although she might have lost it on the way either to or from the performance. Mr. Newman knew that soon the clean-up crew would arrive with powerful vacuums that would suck up the diamond ring—if it were in the auditorium. Therefore, he went to the dark auditorium with a flashlight. He didn’t see the diamond ring around the woman’s seat, but thinking that it might have been kicked by audience members down the raked floor, he kept looking. Fortunately, the diamond gleamed in the light cast by his flashlight, and he was able to return the diamond ring to the woman, telling her, “Here at Lyric we’ll do anything for our subscribers!” The woman and her husband made a large donation to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (79)
The Gift of Music
Rock star Stevie Nicks has figured out a great way to help wounded soldiers in the Bethesda Naval Hospital and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Of course, it is surprising that she even goes to hospitals such as these, since she admits, “I cry really easily, and I hate hospitals.” However, she did go in 2004 and has occasionally returned to visit since then. Trying to figure out what she could do to help the soldiers, she decided to give them iPods filled with music. The songs on the iPods include her 16-year-old niece’s picks, as well as many others—as of October 2007, the list included over 930 songs. Ms. Nicks says, “I realized I wanted to do something, but what can you do? A little tiny iPod is perfect. They are too ill to be downloading music. What better can I give them than music?” (80)
The Gift of a Kiss
At a concert in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on February 3, 2007, singer John Mayer read out loud on the sound system some of the signs he saw being held by members of the audience. One sign read, “Sweet 16 and never been kissed. Wanna be my first?” This Grammy Award winner wanted to kiss her (and give her a fantastic memory), and he did kiss her, then wished her happy birthday. Mr. Mayer is a man of wit and intelligence as well as of kindness. When a tabloid television reporter asked him if he and celebrity Jessica Simpson were dating, Mr. Mayer gave the reporter an answer—in Japanese. Mr. Mayer also told the reporter that he was happy—with what he had done to the reporter. (By the way, Mr. Mayer’s main message in Japanese was that Ms. Simpson is a beautiful woman.) (81)
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