FILE PHOTO: The cast of “Friends” appears in the photo room at the 54th annual Emmy Awards in Los Angeles September 22, 2002. From the left are, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
Matthew Perry’s family are “proud” to bring his charity to the world to help others battling addiction issues.
The ‘Friends’ star’s loved ones launched The Matthew Perry Foundation in early November following the actor’s death aged 54 last month and they have now released a statement sharing their pride in the venture as declaring they encouraged donations on Giving Tuesday – a global day of charity efforts.
The statement given to People explained: “It is important to us, as a family, to honour Matthew’s legacy. The potential that the Matthew Perry Foundation has to help those suffering from this disease is something we are proud to bring to the world.”
Matthew’s stepfather, ‘Dateline’ presenter Keith Morrison, also took to X – formerly known as Twitter – on Monday evening (28.11.23) to urge his followers to give generously. He wrote: “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. https://matthewperryfoundation.org.“
The actor spent years battling drink and drug addiction and he estimated he’d spent around $9 million on his efforts to get sober and the charity will aim to provide others with the help they need to get clean.
A statement posted on the charity’s website explained: “The Matthew Perry Foundation is the realisation of Matthew’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction. It will honour his legacy and be guided by his own words and experiences and driven by his passion for making a difference in as many lives as possible.”
The website also features a quote from Perry, which reads: “When I die, I don’t want ‘Friends’ to be the first thing that’s mentioned – I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned. And I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that. Addiction is far too powerful for anyone to defeat alone. But together, one day at a time, we can beat it down.”
—BANG Showbiz via Reuters Connect
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