In the film roles that have made him famous, Jackie Chan is known for taking swift action when a problem arises. It turns out that the actor is no different in his personal life, although the action being taken is more of a symbolic effort than a physical fight. Tonic has previously reported on Chan’s numerous philanthropic efforts: He’s raised money for Haiti, filmed a PSA to aid a little girl in need of a bone marrow transplant and serves as a UNICEF cultural ambassador. Chan recently upped his humanitarian efforts even more to help a medical center in Singapore in desperate need of donations.
In just three hours of performing and entertaining the crowd at a fundraiser at the Singapore Thong Chai Medical Institution, Jackie Chan managed to raise $5.2 million dollars. Yes, you read that correctly. Over five million dollars … in three hours. (Someone get this man in to fix our economy!) How’d he do it? According to Chan’s website, “[The] actor went all out for the cause, distributing flowers, taking photos with kids, and helping wheel a patient. … The star made a grand entrance … by somersaulting onto the stage.”
And once he was on the stage, don’t think Jackie Chan just stood idly by. This is a man who takes his charity-head duties seriously. Chan shared that he had first heard about the free clinic from a patient and then invited his close friend and fellow philanthropist Wakin Chau to perform with him. The duo sang hits like “Friends,” “Understand My Heart” and “Nothing Will Stop Me From Loving You.” Jackie Chan also performed an emotional rendition of “Believe in Yourself” for a 31-year-old patient.
Despite the final song that brought the actor to tears, Chan’s website reports that the actor returned to his usual bright spirits and spent time mingling with children who were performing backstage. The actor’s star power helped turn the evening into a success beyond the medical center’s wildest dreams. We hope the 142-year-old center can get the upgrades it needs as soon as possible thanks to the help from their action hero.
Photo by Georges Biard via Wikimedia Commons.