Shaquille O'Neal To Pay For And Furnish Four Hundred Apartments

[DemocratSinceBirth]

For Katrina Evacuees




O'Neal helped load hurricane relief supplies on a van at AmericanAirlines Arena on Saturday. He and wife Shaunie have spearheaded a plan to transport health and hygiene supplies to Baton Rouge, La., in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Shaunie said as of early afternoon Saturday, people had donated close to 10,000 gallons of water and numerous other items since the initiative began last week. Health and hygiene products can be dropped off today at El Dorado Furniture stores.

After the hurricane, O'Neal spent two days in Baton Rouge -- where he attended college at LSU -- and New Orleans assisting relief efforts. ''I saw devastation,'' he said. ``It was good to see all of America pitch in, help those in need.''

O'Neal said he will pay for and furnish 400 apartments in Dallas and elsewhere for people who lost homes in the hurricane. He said he has had a ''lot of friends impacted'' directly by the tragedy.


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/basketball/12616211.htm

[flvegan]

1. I'm impressed. I hope more of the uber-rich follow suit.

I'm looking for oneupsmanship here. Who'll go 425? Do I hear 420?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. Think About The Expense Even For A Couple Of Months...

nt

[Bob3]

6. Here! Here! How about it Mr. Steve Forbes?

After all Shaq can play a little basketball - all you did to earn your money was to chose your parents well. So how about it? Give a little back of the funds that blind luck gave you?

Hello? Hello? Steve? Steve?

Crickets.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. That Is A Good Point...

Shaq earned his money by honing a God given skill...


Same thing with Bill Gates... He's largely a self made man but his parents were by no means paupers.....


All Steve Forbes did was being born with the right parents...

[Booster]

20. How about the Hiltons? Surely they have a few places they can

offer.

[Spazito]

2. Wow, that is wonderful!

A place of their own, out of the crowded shelters, is so important in order for people to start seeing 'daylight' again, imo. Not having to jump through the incomprehensible red tape that defines FEMA will allow those fortunate 400 a much faster start at putting their lives back together. Kudos to the O'Neals!

[Lorien]

4. Shaq has really stepped up to the plate

donating not just money but effort and time. I was never much of a fan when he played for the Magics down here in Orlando (had several run ins with him and wasn't impressed), but he's matured a lot in the past few years. I hope that others with both the money and the time will be inspired.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. How Did You Meet Shaq...

I met Shaq's dad and brother.....He was nice to me... He gave me a hat and an antographed picture of Shaq like which I display prominently in my home next to my autographed picture of Bill Clinton and Muhummad Ali...

[Lorien]

12. At a doctors office, in the backstage area at Disney

(I used to work there and met celebrities almost daily), and I passed by him on I-4 after he had a fender bender (he was ranting and raving at an older couple-who HE rear ended)! He seemed to have a rather short fuse back then,and he was pissed about being stuck in Orlando (hey, I don't love it either, but at least I have work here)! He was known around town for his bad attitude, but I heard that that improved once he moved out west.

[Dorian Gray]

5. Very generous.

I hope that more people follow suit.

:)

I love when I see the rich and famous pitching in and doing for other people. It's a beautiful thing.

[pitohui]

7. what a wonderful gesture

we're really starting to see what some ppl are made of

some like shaq & john grisham are giving heavily to rebuild their communities

some like travolta & sean penn are pitching in even tho it isn't their community just because we're all ppl

& some like limbaugh are taking the opportunity to make racist jokes & slurs

ppl are truly showing what they are made of

[Zynx]

9. He's a good man.

Most athletes probably haven't donated a nickle.

[mopaul]

10. damn right Shaq! givin' some back

way to go m'man, now let's get other millionaire sports figures to do the same

[natrat]

11. Shaq-Fu

this is what we need. People with money setting the example.

[qanda]

13. That's a wonderful idea

That's what all the money should be used for.

[Dudley_DUright]

15. My opinion of Shaq just went up immeasurably

He always seemed to be an uncaring prima donna when he played for the Orlando Magic. He still can't shoot free throws however, but no one is perfect. :P

[joanne]

16. It's great to read stories like this!

[ohio_liberal]

17. Shaq, JayZ, Diddy, Kanye West, and many more

All giving back. It's good to see.

[Field Of Dreams]

18. Big man with a big heart n/t

[all.of.me]

19. setting a wonderful example. let's hope others follow it!

[AndreaCG]

21. Good for him

I've never been one of his fans but this is a terrific gesture.

[alarcojon]

22. That's great!

Let's not also forget LeBron James (from the Cleveland Cavaliers) and his selfless gesture - he didn't even alert the media:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3977818

[JohnnyBoots]

23. Awsome..good to see millionaires still care about regular folk

sad to say the business tycoons couldn't give a shit.

[Fleshdancer]

24. A big man with an even bigger heart.

What an incredibly generous thing to do.

[Ernesto]

25. Being a KIngs fan, I loved to hate him when he was a Laker........

But away from the court, this guy has consistently been a great citizen.
chimp could learn much about the meaning of "compassion" from a guy like Shaq.

[FreedomAngel82]

26. Wow

Way to go O'Neal!!! I'm far beyond impressed! He must have tons of cash to do that. Warms the heart. :)

[DS1]

27. The time will come, within the next 50 years, when fresh water is

considered too valuable to give away for people in sudden need.

Mark my doomsday words. Compassion will run out.

[202 456]

29. *whew*

Thank Go... Republican Policy for Cancer most of us won't be alive in 50 years. :sarcasm:

[brack]

28. The more I hear about Shaq.

The more I like him. He is truly a class act.

[AzDar]

30. Excellent. This is STILL the greatest country in the world....

Time to take it back from the ruinous, treasonous, lying bastards who've taken it over.