While we are constantly reminded of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we often lose site of the people serving. Sure, we support the troops and lament the fact that some are separated from their families for a year or longer ... with unfortunate regularity. But, these concepts remain abstract from those who don't don the uniform every day. Many have a friend or family member serving, but the vast majority is another step removed from the sacrifice. Chuck Ley, founder of the organization Cigars for Soldiers, is bridging the gap. His effort has added a personal and genuine touch to a "support the troops" message that the mainstream media has forced into cliché too soon.

Ley, like me, was a soldier. While my service entailed comfy pencil-pushing positions in Uijongbu, South Korea and Fort Gordon, Georga, he was an infantryman – the real deal – wounded in action in Mogadishu, Somalia. It wasn't the event immortalized in Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down, but few realize that we fought more than once over there. Though back in civilian life for more than a decade, Ley has not forgotten his time in uniform, and many of his friends continue to serve.

From time to time, Ley would get a phone call or e-mail from overseas, a friend in some far-flung place. The tone varied from casual inquiry to begging to near-demand: send cigars. How could a cigar-smoking former soldier refuse?

Tiger Woods is a rich man, and it's always nice to see rich people giving back (even when they name the charities after themselves...). The Tiger Woods Foundation is based on Woods' family motto of "caring and sharing," and not only having dreams but setting goals and making real plans so those dreams actually come true. Through scholarships, character development programs, grants, junior golf teams (of course), and the Tiger Woods Learning Center the foundation is helping empower youth across the country to realize their dreams. So far 10 million+ kids have benefited, and counting.

Brad Pitt's Make It Right foundation is geared towards helping hurricane Katrina victims rebuild in New Orleans. Brad is putting a call out to all American families to be generous and giving this Christmas season by donating to the cause and helping New Orleans families as they fight "the fight of the their lives." The biggest focus of the efforts is rebuilding the homes that were lost, and doing it in a speedy and environmentally conscious way.

Donating to the cause is a great gift, either as a straight monetary amount given in a loved one's name or through giving them a t-shirt or hat to promote and support the cause.


Via psfk

When I read about some of these auctions I get so envious! How fun would it be to go to one of these events with a flag or paddle to wave around and practically unlimited funds to play with! Case in point, at a recent charity auction to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe sold for $1.6 million. Not that it's not a great car, but it's since the actual value is estimated between $400,000 and $500,000 that's a pretty big jump for charity. And these Phantom Drophead Coupes are making of habit of selling high -- back in January a couple got $2 million for theirs at the Winter Wine Festival. I guess if you gotta have one then you gotta have one!

Warren Buffett recently announced that he plans to give away the majority of his fortune upon his death. Many expected the bulk of his holdings to be given to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which was founded by Buffett's late wife, but it now appears that the largest contribution of $30.1 billion will go to the Gates Foundation. A contribution of that size would double the size of the foundation, already the world's largest. His wife's foundation will receive approximately $3 billion, while the three foundations run by each of his children will get over $1 billion each.

The billionaire is in excellent health now and has a net worth of approximately $42 billion dollars