In a previous blog I wrote about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ new Louisiana home. It seems the couple is taking a detour getting there—-for good reason. According to news reports, Cruise is in Manhattan tonight raising money for New York police, firefighters and paramedics affected by the events of September 11th.
His appearance (Holmes was also supposed to attend) was not billed as a surprise since the charity he is trying to raise money for—-the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project—-is a program he co-founded in 2002.
It’s no surprise (at least to those who know Cruise) that the program is based on principles developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard (the actor is a devout Scientologist). According to reports, the project offers free treatment to emergency workers who suffer breathing difficulties and other health problems as a result of being exposed to toxins at ground zero.
“Nearly six years later, many are still paying a price for their heroic service at the World Trade Center. This is a profound injustice,” Cruise recently told reporters.
According to the president of the New York Fire Department’s union of emergency workers and paramedics, the program has treated 785 workers since its inception. The program takes about a month to complete and gives affected workers vitamins and nutritional counseling. It also encourages them to participate in daily exercise and sauna sessions.
Some of the 700 plus emergency workers who have completed the program say they wouldn’t have recovered as well as they did if it weren’t for Cruise’s generosity. They also revealed that many who took part in the first session were concerned that the Scientology based program would include “proselytizing and religious rhetoric.” However, the workers say it didn’t take long for them to realize the program was secular… and the results have been positive, with many of the emergency crew members reporting an improvement in the quality of their lives. In fact, some workers have gone as far as to call Cruise a “hero.”
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