Gerald Ford Focused on Local Causes
December 29, 2006 | Read Time: 1 minute
Though not a high-profile philanthropist like other former U.S. presidents, Gerald Ford made noteworthy contributions to charities in places where he and his wife lived, reports The Washington Post.
Mr. Ford was best known for helping his wife establish the Betty Ford Center, the drug- and alcohol-abuse clinic. Mrs. Ford became addicted to alcohol and painkillers and went into treatment several years after Mr. Ford left the White House.
He also supported a charity to protect bighorn sheep, helped found a children’s museum, and contributed both money and time to the Boys and Girls Club and the Boy Scouts. He also participated in the inaugural Desert AIDS Walk in 1987.
Still, the article notes that compared with former presidents such as Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, Mr. Ford did far less charitable work, spending much of his free time skiing and golfing instead.
