Paul Newman donates to NZ Charities

Hollywood movie star Paul Newman, and the Paul Newman's Foundation, has donated $NZ150,000 to nine New Zealand charities from the profits and royalties of his Paul Newman's Own dressing range.

The actor says he has never had a problem using his celebrity status to promote his hugely successful salad dressings and pasta sauces, which is best summed up in his tongue-in-cheek branding tagline – Shameless Exploitation in the Pursuit of the Common Good.

He, in turn, gives all of the profits from the range to charity. To date, the star's foundation has donated in excess of $US250 million worldwide, including over $12 million to over 700 charities in Australia and NZ.

In 2007, approximately one million bottles of Paul Newman's Own salad dressings were sold in New Zealand, with Paul Newman's Own profits being given to local charities.

This year, nine New Zealand charities will receive funding, including three from Auckland, two from Hamilton, one from Wellington, one from Christchurch and two from Otago.