Action Star Jackie Chan Raises Money For Haiti

The Hong Kong movie star pledges $732,000 to back Chinese relief and peacekeeping efforts in Haiti.

At 55, famed kung fu star Jackie Chan may not be as quick with a kick as he used to be, but that doesn't stop him from springing into action when people need help.

Chan, who just started Twittering, is raising money to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake by fighting the battle on multiple fronts.

First, he donated $732,000 (or 5 million Yuan) to help fund Chinese relief and peacekeeping missions in Haiti. Two million Yuan (about $292,000) of that money will go directly to the families of eight Chinese peacekeepers who were killed in the earthquake (China maintains a small military force in Haiti to protect its business interests in the Caribbean).

At the same time, Chan recorded a song to honor and raise money for the killed Chinese peacekeepers. "To Welcome You Home" was recorded January 18th with pop star Tan Jing.

"When I sang the song, tears almost came out of my eyes because I realized at that moment that these people sacrificed their lives for peace," Chan wrote on his website. "There are so many people around the world right now who are risking their lives for peace. I still don't understand why so many countries are still fighting each other. Remember, we can choose our friends but we cannot choose our neighbors!"

The song was written by the same team who wrote Chan's "Love Through Life and Death," which he recorded in 2008 for raise money for victims of the earthquake in China's Sichuan Province.

You may not know it, but Chan is a popular singer in China; his most recent song, "Country," has been downloaded more than 500 million times since it was released in October 2009.

Finally, Chan auctioned off the costumes from his upcoming Chinese-language movie, Little Big Soldier, with proceeds going toward Haiti relief efforts. The film opens in China on Valentine's Day.

Chan, who operates two charitable foundations, encourages his fans to help people in need all the time, not just when disasters strike. "The only time I see people helping each other is when there is a natural disaster," he wrote on Twitter. "Everybody should help each other. I like to see people unite. Did you all help Haiti yet? Donate now!"

Chan's new movie, Shinjuku Incident, opens in select U.S. cities today.

Click Here to read more of Tonic's ongoing Haiti coverage.

Photo by Lee M. McCaskill/U.S. Navy via Wikimedia Commons