Ahead of this year’s globally celebrated Giving Tuesday, the late Matthew Perry‘s family informed the public that his foundation — The Matthew Perry Foundation — stands as a significant avenue through which they honor him.
Throughout his life, Perry was a fervent advocate for drug and alcohol recovery programs, a cause close to his heart as he struggled with substance abuse for most of his journey.
Fans Promise To Donate To Matthew Perry’s Foundation For Giving Tuesday
As Giving Tuesday, a day dedicated to celebrating, championing, and participating in philanthropic endeavors, approached on November 28, Perry’s family reached out to his fans, urging their support to continue his legacy of helping others.
The family launched the “Friends” star’s foundation on November 3, with the goal of “identifying addiction as a disease, addressing the complex of stigmas that prevents individuals from seeking and accessing care, and fiercely advocating for better and more equitable treatment.” In a statement released on Monday, the family expressed:
“It is important to us as a family to honor Matthew’s legacy. The potential that the Matthew Perry Foundation has to help those suffering with this disease is something we are proud to bring to the world.”
Perry’s stepfather, “Dateline” journalist Keith Morrison, took things a step further by going on X, formerly Twitter, on the same day to share a link to the Matthew Perry Foundation website while encouraging his followers to consider supporting the cause.
“This is not the sort of thing I commonly do, this pitch. But this year is different. And tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. Do what you can; he would have been grateful,” the Canadian broadcaster stated.
“World’s best stepdad,” one person wrote in response to Morrison’s appeal, as a second declared, “I will donate, because I respect you,” and a third shared, “Your family and all who love him have been and will remain in my prayers. Giving, and being kind, is never a bad ask. So, yes.”
A fourth X user wrote, “Sorry for your family. I definitely will donate a little. We will miss Matthew!” while a fifth encouraged her “TC community” to “spread Keith’s message in honor of Matthew’s legacy. We all have our networks; all it takes is a retweet to help save someone else and provide help where we can.”
Others simply shared their condolences with Morrison and others even disclosed that Perry’s public addiction struggles had contributed toward helping them stay sober. This fan typed:
“I never got to tell Matthew how his book helped me. So I’m telling you in case you see this tweet. Forever grateful for him sharing his story. I am so sorry for your loss.”
These sentiments will undoubtedly warm the hearts of the 54-year-old’s family as leaving an impact beyond his “Friends” character was all he ever cared about. In fact, “The Whole Nine Yards” star had said during a November 2022 interview:
“The best thing about me, bar none, is if somebody comes up to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking. Can you help me?’ I can say yes and follow up and do it. And I’ve said this for a long time: when I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned — I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”
Matthew Perry’s Impromptu Coaching Session Helped Land The Role Of A Lifetime
.@MsSarahPaulson calls Matthew Perry “one of the most generous people on the planet”: “He was just the kind of person that if you made him laugh or if you made him smile you felt like you had really arrived… He is a wonderful guy.” pic.twitter.com/NQdz004qWl
— The View (@TheView) November 22, 2023
Following his October 28 death, actress Sarah Paulson shared heartfelt reflections on Perry, emphasizing his pivotal role in her early career and their fond memories together on set.
During her recent appearance on “The View,” the “American Horror Story” actress was asked how she remembered the “Friends” star, and she began by dubbing him as “one of the most generous people on the planet.” She recalled the period in her career when she “needed that job very desperately.”
Fortunately, through their mutual friend Amanda Peet, who co-starred with Perry in “The Whole Nine Yards,” the latter generously offered her additional coaching, which landed her the role of Harriet Hayes in the NBC series, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.”
After asserting that he “absolutely did not need to do that,” Paulson further declared:
“He was just the kind of person that if you made him laugh or if you made him smile, you felt like you had really arrived. I had the great pleasure of making him laugh a couple of times, and it made me feel really good. He is a wonderful guy.”
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