quote of his refers to the origins of the com- disorders. Sick children would likely feel like evolving from the original summer program
pany: “It started as a joke and got out of con- outsiders at a normal camp. Here the playing to year-round activities extended to parents,
trol.” Another quip is about charitable giving: field is level: All the kids have illness in com- siblings and health professionals.
“From salad dressing all blessings flow.” mon, so nobody stands out as being different. Newman notes, with awe in his voice,
Not satisfied by his lone example of cor- It’s also about getting them off the side- how the original camp has served as an effec-porate philanthropy, Newman was also a lines and fully engaged in the experience of tive model for launching other camps. “I’m
founder of the Committee to Encourage their life. Fishing, swimming, boating, acting, astonished by the way our camps are multi-Corporate Philanthropy in 1999. This advo- painting, team sports, handicrafts, horseback plying. One is being built in California now,
cacy group has 110 members, all CEOs or riding, hot-air ballooning—the activities and one in North Carolina. We have camps in
chairpersons, collectively responsible for 40 cover a wide range of interests. Ireland and France. One in England. In
percent of all the corporate giving in this When asked what moved him to create Africa, we’ve recently started seven or eight
country. The committee simply advocates the the camp, Newman references his introduc- tiny little safari camps in Botswana, and a
best practices of corporate giving and the best tion to the book I Will Sing Life: Voices from larger one near the capital. We think there’s
types of community engagement. Newman The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp (Little, going to be one in South Africa, one in
currently serves as co-chairman. Brown and Company, 1992), where he Iceland, one in Israel. It’s just astonishing. In
writes, “I wanted to acknowledge Luck: the some cases we start with just a little seed
Hole In The Wall Gang Camp chance of it, the benevolence of it in my life, money, but this is basically being done by the
By the mid-’80s when it looked like and the brutality of it in the lives of others; people in these countries. They get a whiff of
Newman’s Own would continue to generate made especially savage for children because it when they visit here or we visit them, and
profits, Newman and his associates set out to they may not be allowed the good fortune of they’ve taken the hook and run with it.”
make a dream come true. Profits from the a lifetime to correct it.” Newman makes all this look so easy, so
company became the seed money for build- More than 12,000 children have attended natural. He can balance his acting career, the
ing a unique residential recreation facility: the camp since 1988, with the programs race-car avocation, the food business, the
The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp. charitable giving and his efforts for seriously
Named after the famous hideout and ill children around the world. Does he have
gang of western outlaw Butch Cassidy, a role any regrets about how all these different
that Newman played in the popular 1969 facets developed? Would he have changed the
film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, order or priority of any one of these interests?
the camp was built on 325 acres in northeast- He responds, without losing a beat,
ern Connecticut. “Almost everything that’s happened in my
The focus of this program is seriously ill life has happened at the right time.” C
children, ages 7 to 15, suffering from cancer,
sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS and other blood
CONNECTING
For additional information about the
Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy, visit the organization’s Web site at
www.corphilanthropy.org.
For additional information about The
Hole In The Wall Gang Camp, visit their Web
site at www.holeinthewallgang.org.
Grape minds “To be honest, we were in shock with the
whole concept,” admits Mark Tilley, director of
think alike sales at Newman’s Own. “If you look at Costco’s
incredible sales figures from warehouse to warehouse, each one of their 48-by-40-inch pallet
spaces is some of the most desired retail real
The proposal was so unexpected, so gen- estate in the country. And for Costco to say that
erous, it seemed too good to be true. they were willing to use one of those valued
Representatives from Newman’s Own spaces for one of our products was really an
initially may have thought they were being overwhelming commitment.”
hustled, “Fast” Eddie Felson style. Tim acknowledges he’d been following the
“They were in shock when we first told progress of Newman’s Own products for years.
them about our idea to co-brand a product He was particularly impressed that the company
together, with all of our after-tax proceeds going has never wavered on its dedication to quality
to charity,” explains Tim Rose, Costco’s senior and an unselfish commitment to donate all of
vice president of foods and sundries. “They its after-tax profits to worthy causes, especially
couldn’t believe we’d be willing to do something those involving children. “It tells a lot about
like this.” [Newman’s] leadership,” he says. “He hasn’t
It was an offer they couldn’t refuse. This pulled back from his original business plan. He
Hollywood-like beginning led to the creation of has set an incredible example for others who are
Kirkland Signature–Newman’s Own Grape Juice. in his position in business. We just wanted to do
Here’s the real-life plot: Costco and New- Purple passion: All profits from the sale of whatever we could to help Newman’s Own gen-man’s Own split all monies earned from the sale Kirkland Signature–Newman’s Own Grape erate additional sales.”
of the co-branded grape juice 50-50. Costco Juice are donated to charities. Both parties agree that this is one partnership
then donates 100 percent of its gross profits that will continue to reap very special rewards.
from the sale of the grape juice to the Children’s Newman’s Own donates its portion of the grape “It’s all about giving back to the community,”
Miracle Network, a nonprofit organization dedi- juice sales to any of 30 charities, including Paul Tim explains. “Nothing makes us happier than
cated to helping kids by raising funds for chil- Newman’s personal favorite, The Hole In The sending checks out to children’s hospitals. It just
dren’s hospitals across North America. Wall Gang Camps. tickles us pink.”—Mark E. Stroder
IRIDIO PHOTOGRAPHY
