| Movie Legend. Super Star. | | | | McQueen arrived promptly on his cycle. He was |
| | | | the only star to show. I call that the act of |
| He was a Rebel, an Outsider, and The King of | | | | a good man".When Nicaragua was devastated by |
| Cool, but beneath the bad boy image lay a | | | | a massive earthquake in the early 1970's he |
| heart of gold, as Steve McQueen supported | | | | bought $50,000 worth of food and medical |
| needy children all over the world.While in | | | | supplies and had it flown in to the |
| Taiwan in 1966 filming The Sand Pebbles, | | | | victims.While filming The Hunter in 1979, |
| Steve and his first wife Neile came across an | | | | Steve was so struck by the poverty in some of |
| orphanage for young girls (most of whom were | | | | the areas they were filming in that he asked |
| prostitutes). It was run by a catholic priest | | | | close friend Pat Johnson to go down to the |
| called Edward Wojniak. Steve donated $12,500 | | | | local catholic church and ask the priest what |
| then and there, and continued to support the | | | | he (McQueen) could do to help. The priest |
| mission until Wojniak died in the late | | | | made a list, and Steve pulled out a check |
| 1970's.Over the years Steve constantly | | | | book and paid for it all. According to |
| visited the boys home (Boys Republic) which | | | | Johnson it was a large amount of money. Steve |
| he himself had spent time in while growing | | | | also gave his stuntman and friend Lauren |
| up. Each year in the holiday seasons (when | | | | Janes some money, and sent him out to buy 100 |
| their spirits could be lowest because they | | | | baseballs, mitts and bats, and 100 footballs, |
| had no family to visit them) he appeared with | | | | and had him put them in a local field for all |
| Christmas toys, Easter baskets and | | | | the kids to find. According to Janes, he did |
| Thanksgiving turkeys. So these boys without a | | | | that many times, in many different |
| family of their own got to see a real movie | | | | areas.Steve would eat with and talk to all |
| star each Christmas and on other festive | | | | the cast and crew on his films, and while |
| occasions. It wasn't just a quick publicity | | | | talking to one of the extras on The Hunter (a |
| walkthrough either. Steve would actually just | | | | young 15 year old girl named Karen) he |
| sit with them and talk for long periods of | | | | discovered that her mother was in hospital |
| time. On one occasion, when he heard that two | | | | and dying of alcoholic poisoning. Steve went |
| teenage boys had been sent to an adult | | | | to the hospital with her to meet her mother |
| prison, he offered to pay for them to be sent | | | | (who was a big fan). "What can I do to |
| to a less severe BOYS institution. Over the | | | | help"?, he asked. "All my life I wanted my |
| years Steve donated large amounts of money to | | | | daughter to go to school. I could die a happy |
| Boys Republic.He said, "Somewhere, right now, | | | | woman knowing my daughter had a way out of |
| there are kids going through what I went | | | | this slum", was her reply. Steve and his |
| through. Maybe if they know I survived, they | | | | third wife Barbara took 15 year old Karen in, |
| can find hope. I can't promise they'll ever | | | | eventually enrolling her in a private |
| forget what happened to them. But if they | | | | boarding school close to where they lived, so |
| hold out, they'll get through okay and learn | | | | that she could come and spend weekends with |
| to live with the bad memories...and still | | | | them. That young girl went from the ghetto to |
| learn to love."During the filming of Le Mans | | | | studying to become a veterinarian. She still |
| in 1970, Steve made a brief stopover in | | | | remembers the McQueen's with a great deal of |
| London, where he toured the Great Ormond | | | | love.Almost all of these things he did |
| Street Hospital for Sick Children, moving | | | | anonymously, and they were only made public |
| from bed to bed, talking with each child. At | | | | after his death. |
| this time he also arranged an auction of one | | | | |
| of his antique guns, with all the proceeds | | | | Sources McQueen by William F Nolan, |
| going to the French Childrens Fund for | | | | |
| orphans.Los Angeles Times columnist Joyce | | | | Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel |
| Haber wrote an article on Steve in 1971, in | | | | by Marshall Terrill, |
| which she reported: | | | | |
| | | | McQueen: The Untold Story of a Bad Boy in |
| "A few seasons ago the owners of Four Oakes, | | | | Hollywood by Penina Spiegel and |
| a local restaurant, invited fifty black | | | | |
| orphans for a free Thanksgiving Day dinner. | | | | My Husband, My Friend by Neile McQueen |
| They also invited several celebrities. | | | | Toffel. |