Don’t underestimate the power of Stephen Colbert. The Comedy Central star may have lost out on his chance to run for the president of the United States, but his words are still powerful enough to rally the troops.
During the hoopla surrounding Colbert’s mock presidential bid the host of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” also asked viewers to give to DonorsChoose.org, which helps fulfill teacher wish lists for books, globes and other classroom materials in schools throughout the country.
A South Carolina native, Colbert took time to promote the organization in an effort to help public school teachers and students in his home state.
“So I encourage everyone, go on, make donations to teachers in South Carolina, let’s make a difference,” Colbert said on his show.
The plug couldn’t have been more than 15 seconds long, but its impact has been immeasurable. Since the 43-year-old talk show host made the comment roughly two weeks ago, the group has raised roughly $60,000 and helped 13,000 public school students in South Carolina, according to the group’s national chairman.
“If anyone gets the chance to thank Stephen Colbert, please do so, because he made a big difference in this state with that simple announcement,” the group’s national chairman told local news reporters.
Teachers at a public high school in New York City created the DonorsChoose program in 2000. Since its inception the group has raised more than $15 million for schools nationwide.
Another celebrity stepping forward to help students is Grammy-winning trumpeter Herb Alpert.
According to school administrators, the popular musician just donated $30 million to fund a new music school at the University of California, Los Angeles.
School leaders say the money donated by the 72-year-old music advocate will “bring the university’s departments of ethnomusicology, music and musicology under a single umbrella for the study and performance of world, popular and classical music, jazz and other genres.”
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music will be officially unveiled in the university’s Schoenberg Hall sometime next year.
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