Secret Santa who gave away $1.3M dies - Yahoo! News

Back in Portland, let's call it '98, I got a $1000 bonus. Now, I've always liked what I do for a living, but to a certain extent, I feel ambivalent about the amount of money I get paid to do it. Especially when contrasted with those a lot less fortunate than I am.

On top of that, I've learned that my biological father is likely on the streets, too.

So, I took the spirit of some of my heroes, including Chicago old-school journalist Mike Royko, who had a longstanding policy of giving a buck to anybody who asked for money, and of Stone Roses singer Ian Brown, who walked around London giving away money from a bag filled with 200,000 quid, until the bag wasn't filled any more.

My contributions were only a couple hundred of bucks to Portland's homeless, but it was fun to do, and felt great, and even more than that, it was priceless to get Troy's reaction to it all.

How 'bout we all be secret santas like this one this coming year?

Secret Santa who gave away $1.3M dies - Yahoo! News: "Secret Santa who gave away $1.3M dies

By MARIA SUDEKUM FISHER, Associated Press Writer Sat Jan 13, 7:20 AM ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Larry Stewart, a millionaire who became known as Secret Santa for his habit of roaming the streets each December and anonymously handing money to people, died Friday. He was 58.
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Stewart died from complications from esophageal cancer, said Jackson County Sheriff Tom Phillips, a longtime friend.

Stewart, who spent 26 years giving a total $1.3 million, gained international attention in November when he revealed himself as Secret Santa. He was diagnosed in April with cancer, and said he wanted to use his celebrity to inspire other people to take random kindness seriously.

'That's what we're here for,' Stewart said in a November interview, 'to help other people out.'"