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Remembering Elvis, king of kindness, on his 86th birthday

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Elvis Presley’s generosity and acts to raise awareness of critical illnesses continue to inspire.

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Free Malaysia Today
Rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley surrounded by fans after a concert, in 1958. (AFP pic)

You’d never see Elvis Presley’s name in the list of humanitarians. Yet without him, many people wouldn’t have had a decent life or perhaps even had long lives.

The kingdom of ‘King’ Elvis was gifted with ground-breaking charitable endeavours and random acts of kindness.

The footprints of Elvis, who would have turned 86 today, in the humanitarian sphere are extraordinary and inspires others to give generously.

The little-known other side of the Rock ‘n’ Roll legend, who actively worked to help and improve the lives of Americans and other nationalities, stemmed from his philosophy, “I could never become so rich that I would forget what it was like to be poor.”

A rebellious singer who sparked a cultural revolution, Elvis altered the landscape of philanthropy, boosted community outreach and raised awareness for many causes.

The empathetic spirit of his extensive altruism was magnanimous.

The superstar who starred in some 30 films and sold over one billion records gave joyously to the needy since his career began in 1953 and charitable acts continue in his memory until today.

No wonder that Elvis, who died at the age of 42 at his Graceland home on Aug 16, 1977, is still remembered with love and respect.

The powerful stories of his outreach to others and philanthropy are many.

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The quick needle jab into the arm of the ‘King’ of Rock was among the most memorable moments from the robust teenager-led polio vaccine campaign in the US. (Facebook pic)

One of his more unusual ventures that has become a talking point today goes back to 1956 when he took a jab to help America beat polio.

The “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” accepted an unexpected medical challenge as a 21-year-old to get vaccinated against polio in front of the press on the nationally-televised Ed Sullivan show.

Healthcare officials had turned to Elvis to spearhead a celebrity-led campaign to set an example and to encourage people to get their vaccine shots.

Suddenly, the polio vaccine had Elvis. He spurred America’s teenagers and young adults to immunise against the crippling disease.

Reports suggested he had a major role in the exponential increase in the immunisation level of all Americans, from 0.6 to 80% over a six-month period. By April of 1957, the US was free of polio.

In the wake of reluctance by many in the US to immunise against Covid-19, certain quarters have called on the government to find another Elvis to convince the sceptics.

However, there are doubts that present-day celebrities have the power of Elvis to spur acceptance of the vaccine.

The philanthropy of the ‘King’ that was rooted in his family values is remarkable: he gave anonymously; paid off people’s debts and mortgages; and bought homes and cars for many people.

He helped the disabled, the homeless and strangers; bonded with severely ill children, showering them with gifts; and played free concerts with proceeds going to charities.

Thousands of Teddy bears that fans sent him were distributed to children’s hospitals while his own clothes and personal possessions were often auctioned for charity.

This week, a touching story of Elvis and a little blind girl during a 1975 show went viral as it would time and again.

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This photo and story of Elvis and the little blind girl at his concert in 1975 continues to tug at heartstrings. (Facebook pic)

A Facebook post in the ‘I Love the 60s and 70s Music’ related that the singer found out there was a blind girl in the audience and asked that she be brought on stage.

When the girl went up on stage, Elvis knelt in front of her. She told him that she listened to his songs every night before she slept.

Elvis, moved by the plight of the girl who had been blind since birth, paid for an operation to restore her vision.

He made significant donations without writing them off as tax deductions and routinely sent his returns to the Internal Revenue Service with a note saying, “tell me what, if anything, I owe you”.

Elvis would purchase items and give them away to benefit charities and lent his name and image to the American Cancer Society, American Library Association and other organisations.

In 1961, he started a tradition of supporting more than 50 charitable bodies, donating more than US$100,000 a year.

Elvis bought Franklin D Roosevelt’s presidential yacht, ‘USS Potomac” in 1964 and donated it to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. The hospital raised US55,000 from its sale.

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Elvis bonded with critically-ill children and gave them teddy bears that fans sent him. (Facebook pic)

Four years later, he allowed one of his Rolls Royce to be auctioned to benefit a charity that assisted mentally retarded children.

Elvis, who gave more than 200 Cadillacs to others during his lifetime, was also committed to benefit concerts.

On Jan 14, 1973, Elvis made history as the first solo entertainer to hold a live concert broadcast internationally via satellite.

Over a billion people from more than 40 countries across Asia and Europe tuned in to watch ‘Aloha from Hawaii’ that raked in US$75,000 for Kui Lee Cancer Fund.

The fund was set up in memory of singer-songwriter Kuiokalani Lee, the 1960s poster boy of Hawaii, who died of cancer at the age of 34.

In 1975, Elvis gave a concert in Jackson, Mississippi that raised more than US$100,000 for victims of a tornado.

This concert was deeply personal to Elvis because when he was a child, a tornado tore through his hometown in Tupelo, Mississippi, killing many.

The sufferings of people abroad were also close to his heart.

On his third appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1957, he appealed for contributions to help some 250,000 Hungarians affected by the Soviet invasion of the country the previous year.

Within 10 months, the International Red Cross headquarters in Geneva received about US$6 million to buy perishable and non-perishable items for the displaced Hungarians.

In 2011, Elvis was posthumously made an honorary citizen of Budapest where a park was named in his honour as well.

To further his philanthropy, the Elvis Presley Foundation was established in 1984 to among other things assist other charities that focus on arts, education and children’s programmes.

Elvis’ only child, Lisa Marie, founded the Presley Charitable Foundation in 2007 to provide rent-free housing, child daycare, career and financial counselling, family management guidance, and other tools for the homeless.

Proceeds from the two versions of “In the Ghetto” sung by father and daughter and put together in a moving black and white video went directly to the Presley Charitable Foundation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaYbwbkeC4w

We will never know about all of Elvis’ big-heartedness but he deserves more recognition for his charitable acts.

So, you thought you knew the ‘King’ well?

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