There is a billionaire benefactor making a huge difference to organizations in need across the state.
Rob Hale is giving away $1 million a week to 52 local organizations for an entire year.
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"When you give, in many ways what we've learned is that you're really the recipient, so the joy that comes from sharing is immeasurable and it's intoxicating," he said.
Hale, the president of Granite Telecommunications in Quincy, Massachusetts, made the Forbes list of billionaires this year. But his life hasn't always been easy.
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"I had run another company. So that business went into bankruptcy," he said. "That day I had death threats, lawsuits, I had to let go 400 teammates on a conference call."
But he didn't waste any time getting back on his feet. And once he started making a little profit he said he decided to start giving back, donating tens of millions of dollars over the years to various healthcare institutions.
"Our successes are because of the community, and we believe that we should do everything we can to return those good fortunes to the community," Hale said.
But this year, he said he decided to focus on smaller organizations to help them grow.
"We often ask to make an endowment, and it's $1 million, which is a drawdown, could be about $50,000 a year in perpetuity. Now they have financial security to see to the future."
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One of those recipients so far was the New England Wildlife Center, a nonprofit organization that helps rescued wild animals.
"It was like, 'OMG, whoa, whoa, whoa! We need this!" said Katrina Bergman, the organization's president. "We've never had an endowment. We have always been paycheck to paycheck to paycheck."
The center is hoping this gift will help make sure they'll still be here for years to come.
"It's a vocation, it's a passion, and what the Hales have done for us will allow us to continue that mission. It gives us the ability and the hope and the fortitude that this is going forward and it's going forward strong and will keep saving lives of animals," Bergman said.
