Unlikely philanthropist Charlie Sheen is using his tiger blood for good. The 45-year-old actor, née Carlos Irwin Estévez, has joined the campaign to help the Raleigh, North Carolina-based charity CHERUBS gather enough votes to win $250,000 in an online contest hosted by Vivint, one of the largest home automation companies in North America.
The infamous father of five became involved when Dawn Williamson, founder and president of CHERUBS, tweeted asking for his support. To her surprise, Sheen agreed, tweeting voraciously all morning long to promote the charity.
The 2011 Vivint Gives Back Project is a national, internet-based operation that will award $250,000 to the winning non-profit organization, and $100,000 to five regional charities throughout the United States and Canada. Voters nominate, endorse and donate to their favorite local charities by going to the contest website and connecting to Facebook.
CHERUBS is a non-profit organization that helps families and medical care providers of children born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), a birth defect affecting 1,600 babies in the United States every year. Williamson founded the organization in 1995 after her son Shane was born with CDH.
CHERUBS’ average annual budget is a meager $35,000. Therefore, the $250,000 prize would help the organization tremendously. If it wins the competition, Williamson says “50% of the money … will go to genetic research of CDH through Mass General’s CDH Research Study. The other 50% will go family support services such as care packages, financial help for families in the hospital.” The contest ends on August 27.
Sheen’s involvement in the charity gives the actor’s famous catchphrase “Winning!” a whole new, important, meaning.
Written by: RACHEL KLEINMAN
