Michael’s birthday is coming up on 29th August 2010. To commemorate the day, instead of buying flowers or flying to California, why not give the money to a charity, in Michael’s honour?
Michael gave much of his time and money to charities all around the world. According to Frank Dileo, Michael’s former manager:
“When we were in Europe, when we were doing the Bad tour, every city we went to, we went to a children’s hospital and bought them a piece of equipment. Not one hospital for the whole tour - every city! They had a little boy that was dying and wanted to meet Michael. And Michael went up and talked to him and the kid perked up and... it was amazing. And I went off to a corner and I cried. I really couldn't take it. Michael came over and put his arm around me and said, ‘You have to understand, Frank. This is our job. Not on the stage. THIS is our job. To make somebody feel good.’ ”
- “True Crime with Aphrodite Jones: Michael Jackson” documentary (2010)
Even though Michael is no longer here to make the world a better place, we can still do our part, and do it in his honour.
In celebration of Michael’s birthday, fans from all around the world are invited to come together and contribute to a charity in Michael’s memory.
And what better way to celebrate Michael’s birthday than to celebrate his life, and remember him for all the good that he had done and the love he had shared during his years on earth, and to follow his call to...
Heal the world,
Make it a better place,
For you and for me,
And the entire human race.
No message could have been any clearer,
If you want to make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself, then make that change.
Here is how we are going to make that happen:
July 24 - 31: Take a vote on which charity you would most like to contribute to.
July 31: Announcement of selected charity.
August 1 - 29: Donate to the chosen charity. (
All donations are to be done directly at the charity’s own website. No money will pass through our hands.)
August 30: Announcement of total collected. Charity to send a note to Michael’s family to inform them of the total donated.
(Subscribe to the news feeds on the right to stay informed on the latest updates.)
Charities were selected based on the following criteria:
• It must be a cause that Michael was passionate about. (See a list of
charities that Michael supported.)
• The charity must benefit people around the world.
• The charity must be reputable and use donations efficiently. (See
how charities are rated.)
• The charity is of a modest size so that our contributions will make a difference.
• They are able to accept online donations from all over the world and allow us to donate in someone's memory.
Here are the three shortlisted charities (in alphabetical order):
American Forests
A fan started the
A Million Trees for Michael project in collaboration with
American Forests to plant trees in Michael’s honour. $1 plants one tree. The long-term goal is to create a “Michael Jackson Memorial Forest” (pending approval from Michael’s estate executors).
Under their
Global ReLeaf programme, American Forests will plant 4.8 million trees across 14 states in the United States and 10 countries around the world this year. Their objective is to replant forests important for wildlife, clean water and carbon sequestration. (See a list of
Global ReLeaf projects scheduled for 2010.)
“I respect the secrets and magic of nature, that’s why it makes me so angry when I see these things that are happening, that every second, a forest the size of a football field is torn down in the Amazon. That kind of stuff really bothers me. That’s why I write these kinds of songs [Earth Song], y’know... to give some sense of awareness and awakening and hope to people. I love the planet. I love trees. I have this thing for trees and the colors and changing of leaves... I love it! I respect those kinds of things.
I really feel that nature is trying so hard to compensate for man’s mismanagement of the planet. The planet is sick, like a fever. And if we don’t fix it now, it’s at the point of no return. This is our last chance to fix this problem that we have, or it’s like a runaway train and the time has come, this is it. People are always saying, ‘Oh, they’ll take care of it, the government or they will...’ They? They who? It starts with us! It’s us or it will never be done.”
- Michael Jackson, “This Is It” documentary (2009)
Michael's history of charitable contributions to tree planting:
On January 22, 2000, Michael, along with other artistes, made a donation for the restoration of the
Château de Versailles park in France, in which 10,000 trees were uprooted or damaged in a terrible storm.
See the
American Forests website
Check their
charity rating and
financial history
CURE Childhood Cancer
For the past 25 years in the United States, the incidence of childhood cancer has steadily grown, with over 12,500 new diagnoses each year. Over 40,000 infants, children and adolescents are currently receiving treatment for cancer. In the US, cancer remains the #1 disease killer of children, claiming the lives of more children and young people under the age of 20 than any other disease. However, once an impossible dream, curing childhood cancer has become achievable in our lifetime.
CURE Childhood Cancer funds research on paediatric cancer and the training of paediatric oncologists and researchers who will carry on important studies. CURE's sole focus is the cure for childhood cancer (unlike other cancer organisations that are primarily involved in adult cancer research). CURE also works on improving the care, quality of life and survival rate of children with cancer, and provides education and training to nurses and other caregivers to children with cancer.
Michael spent much of his time and money helping and cheering up children with cancer. He said that the time the children spent in hospital, in treatment and in bed due to their illness robs them of a normal childhood.
“Besides his talent as a musician and entertainer, it’s his humanitarian efforts, the fact that he really wanted to bring joy and happiness to sick and disabled children. Michael has always used that fame to give to others. He worked with lots of charities to help sick children and their families. ... Much of the time, it went unnoticed by the media. That was Michael’s decision. These were private moments dedicated to help. Lots of artists today don’t do that, you don’t see them as concerned as Michael was.”
- Frédéric Taddeï, journalist (2008)
Michael’s history of charitable contributions to cancer research:
On April 14, 1984, Michael funded a 19-bed unit at the
Mount Sinai New York Medical Center. This center is part of the
T.J. Martell Foundation for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research. Michael also supported the
American Cancer Society.
See the
CURE Childhood Cancer website
Check their
charity rating and finances
Make-A-Wish International
(Logo unavailable due to copyright issues.)
The mission of
Make-A-Wish Foundation International is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to give them hope, strength and joy. They are the largest wish-granting organisation in the world and has chapters in
36 countries around the globe. With the help of generous donors and over 30,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 240,000 wishes worldwide since their inception. (See some
recent wishes granted.)
When Michael was living at Hayvenhurst, he accepted a large number of children’s requests to visit him there through foundations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In April 1988, Michael gave away free tickets for three concerts in Atlanta, Georgia to Make-A-Wish. In November 1989, Michael hosted 50 children from MacLaren Hall and the Make-A-Wish Foundation at his residence. In November, 1990, via the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 14-year-old cancer victim, John Brown, was granted the wish to visit Neverland.
On November 25, 1992, Michael granted the wish of young David Sonnet via the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The boy was invited to go along with other children from the foundation to Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. Sonnet suffered a brain aneurysm at the tender age of 8, leaving him only able to function through a communication device, it helping him convey his thoughts through a specialised computer. Sonnet passed away on July 26, 2004.
In September 1993, a terminally ill 15-year-old Dutch boy, Martijn Hendricsen, and his siblings, were offered, via the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the opportunity to meet Michael in Japan.
“I’ve traveled the world over eight times. I do as many hospitals and orphanages as I do concerts. But, of course, it’s not covered [by the press]. That’s not why I do it - for coverage. I do it because it’s from my heart. And there are so many children in the city who haven’t seen the mountains, who haven’t been on a carousel, who haven’t petted a horse or a llama, never seen them... So if I can open my gates and see that bliss, an explosion of screaming laughter from the children and they run on the rides, I say, “Thank you, God.” I feel I’ve won God’s smile of approval, because I’m doing something that brings joy and happiness to other people.”
- Michael Jackson, “At Large with Geraldo Rivera” TV interview (2005)
Michael not only granted the wishes of terminally ill children via the Make-A-Wish Foundation, he also contributed to the charity.
See the
Make-A-Wish International website
Check their
charity rating and
financial history
These are the chosen charities. Which one would you most like to donate to, in Michael's honour?
Please cast your votes now. (Only one vote per person, please.) Your collective votes will determine which charity we all donate to in August. Voting ends
July 31, 2010.
Meanwhile, save up your money, then bookmark and check back on August 1 and donate. Invite your friends, family and fellow fans to join in as well!
Vote now!
(This project is organised by fans and is not affiliated with any charity.)
Alrighty, we are all set to go!
“The first time the Jackson 5 did a benefit at a children’s hospital, Michael came home and cried all night at the memory of all those sick children lying in beds, some not even able to move their hands to clap. That is when he became actively involved in communicating with these kids. He corresponds with youngsters his own age in hospitals all over the country. These are not letters dictated to a secretary by a superstar, but letters written in Michael’s own hand during breaks in recording or rehearsing or even in school.”
“I respect the secrets and magic of nature, that’s why it makes me so angry when I see these things that are happening, that every second, a forest the size of a football field is torn down in the Amazon. That kind of stuff really bothers me. That’s why I write these kinds of songs [Earth Song], y’know... to give some sense of awareness and awakening and hope to people. I love the planet. I love trees. I have this thing for trees and the colors and changing of leaves... I love it! I respect those kinds of things.
For the past 25 years in the United States, the incidence of childhood cancer has steadily grown, with over 12,500 new diagnoses each year. Over 40,000 infants, children and adolescents are currently receiving treatment for cancer. In the US, cancer remains the #1 disease killer of children, claiming the lives of more children and young people under the age of 20 than any other disease. However, once an impossible dream, curing childhood cancer has become achievable in our lifetime.