American actor Robert Downey Jr. plays the iconic superhero Iron Man, also known as Tony Stark, in the popular Marvel movies, and the actor is proving that he's also every inch a superhero in real life by helping raise funds for children who are terminally ill.
On his Facebook account, Downey is encouraging his fans to donate to Julia's House, a children's hospice charity dedicated to helping life-limited children and their families. The charity said that those they care for are unlikely to live beyond the age of 18, so they do whatever they can to provide emergency respite and overnight care during treatment, among other things.
"Hi folks, here's the skinny: we've raised $1.3 MILLION for kids with terminal diseases. That's incredible, but I think we can do better. Our goal is to reach $2M to help build a brand spanking new wing for Julia's House," Downey wrote.
To sweeten the whole process of donating, Downey even offered to take one lucky benefactor to the world premiere of Avengers: Age of Ultron in L.A. He promised to take the lucky fan sky diving, have breakfast at Randy's Donuts, then go on a helicopter ride around L.A.
"Since we'll be walking the red carpet together, I'll make sure my team hooks you up with a tux or gown ahead of time. We'll watch the movie, have some caviar, and if it all goes well, maybe I'll even reconsider that whole 'no sidekick' thing," he said.
And on his Facebook page, Downey is reminding fans that the clock is clicking for fans who wish to donate. "There's just ONE WEEK left to enter to win the chance to go to the premiere of Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron with me," he wrote.
Fans can choose to donate from $10 to $50,000, and all benevolent hearts are in for a treat. Those who choOse to donate $25 will receive a special thank you e-mail from Downey, while those who donate $100 and $250 will get a limited edition Downey shirt. Those who pool in $500 will get a limited edition Avengers shirt, while $1,000 and $2,000 donations will get the fan a framed and autographed Avengers: Age of Ultron teaser poster and a limited edition shirt.
Meanwhile, $2,500 will get a fan a life-sized Iron Man replica prop helmet signed by Downey. A whopping $25,000 will give a fan the chance to own a life-sized Iron Man replica suit signed by Downey. The higher the donation, the bigger the reward, and the exclusive set visit to Captain America, equivalent to $50,000, was actually sold out.
