Charlie Sheen to Donate Record $1M to USO

Wonderwall, Monday, July 16, 2012, 1:25pm (PDT)

By Tim Kenneally

• The Wrap -- Forget winning; Charlie Sheen is all about giving at the moment.

  The "Anger Management" star announced Monday that he will donate $1 million to the United Service Organizations (USO), which will go toward an entertainment facility for injured troops in Bethesda, Md. The donation will mark the largest single contribution from an individual in the organization's history.

  "It's an honor for me to be able to give back to these men and women of the military who have done so much for all of us,” Sheen said of the donation. “They put their lives on the line for us every day, and I'm just happy that my work on 'Anger Management' can bring a little bit of relief to the troops and their families."

  The actor has pledged to donate 1 percent of the profits from his FX comedy "Anger Management" to the USO, with a guaranteed $1 million minimum. The first installment of $250,000 will be donated in a private ceremony next week.

  "The USO would like to thank Charlie Sheen for his very generous $1 million donation to our Operation Enduring Care Campaign and his interest in helping us lift the spirits of those who have endured so much to protect the freedoms we enjoy daily," Gen. John I. Pray Jr., executive vice president and joint chief of staff for the U.S. Air Force, said of the donation. "His support is greatly appreciated, especially from our wounded warriors and their families."

  The actor has been making efforts to harness his star power for philanthropic ends recently. Last week, Sheen entertained "American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe's suggestion that he should become a judge on the singing competition, noting that he'd be up for it on the conditions that a) FX gave him the green light and b) "Idol" makes a significant donation to charity.

  "If the numbers move the needle and 'Idol' matches 20 percent of my weekly salary for Autism Speaks, [the diabetes charity] JDRF, and the Boys and Girls Club ... then the hell with it. As we say, pour the smoke," Sheen told TMZ.

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