Story at a glance
- Comedian Bob Saget was a board member of the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF), a nonprofit investor in medical research for the autoimmune disease scleroderma.
- After news of Saget’s death surfaced, SRF received donations from hundreds of donors around the world.
- The organization also announced a $1.5 million gift in the form of a grant that would match every donation made in honor of Saget.
A charity that comedian Bob Saget was a board member of received donations from hundreds of donors after news of Saget’s death became public this week.
Saget was a board member of the Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF), a nonprofit investor in medical research for the autoimmune disease scleroderma. SRF describes the condition as rare and often misdiagnosed, in which a person develops fibrosis in the skin and other vital organs.
Saget lost his sister in 1994 to scleroderma, and in 2003, joined SRF’s board of directors and hosted events for the nonprofit for over 25 years.
After news of Saget’s death came out, Joanne Gold, executive director of SRF, told CNN they received donations from more than 1,500 donors from all over the world, totaling more than $90,000.
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As SRF was inundated with donations, the organization also announced a $1.5 million gift in the form of a grant that would match every donation made in honor of Saget.
“Bob was the anchor of our SRF family. This organization was so close to his heart. He worked tirelessly every day to educate the public about this disease and help raise funds to drive research forward,” said Gold in a statement published this week.
SRF said the grant was provided by fellow SRF board members, philanthropists and friends of Saget, along with SRF chairman Luke Evnin and board member Deann Wright, who were inspired by the generous outpouring of love and admiration from people seeking to honor Saget’s legacy.
“We, along with Bob’s family, want to honor him and the legacy he wanted to leave behind, to recognize his singular and lifelong commitment to the Scleroderma Research Foundation, and to help us find a way to turn this horrible moment into something for the good,” said Evnin.
Saget was 65-years-old when he was found dead in his Orlando hotel room on Jan. 9. The Orange County chief medical examiner Joshua Stephany told CNN that there is no evidence of drug use or foul play. Saget’s family is awaiting final autopsy results.
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