Newman’s Own: Paul Newman Charity

We’re all aware of what a terrific actor Paul Newman was. Handsome, free-spirited, and oh those blue eyes! He has been called one of the last great 20th century movie stars. But “Newman’s Own”, his company founded with his buddy A.E. Hotchner in 1982, selling everything from his famous salad dressing to popcorn and wine, became the genesis for his charitable work and a cornerstone for his amazing legacy. All its profits, of more than $250 million, have been donated to charity worldwide.

Alot of the money from Newman’s Own has been used to create a string of ‘Hole in the Wall Gang’ Camps, named for the outlaw gang in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” The camps provide free summer recreation for children with cancer and other life threatening llnesses. Paul Newman was actively involved in the project, even choosing cowboy hats as gear so that children who had lost their hair because of chemotherapy could disguise their baldness.Based in Westport, CT, Newman’s Own is operated by Nell Newman, the daughter of Paul Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward. The motto of Newman’s Own is the “Shameless exploitation in pursuit of the Common Good.”