Tarra Matthews
Senior Content Manager
When I think of Cory Monteith a few key words come to mind: Actor, musician, Canadian and, most importantly, kind-hearted.
The Canadian star was known for supporting charities that gave opportunities to children wanting to pursue the arts, including Young Storytellers and Project Limelight. Cory was also known for his friendship with and support of Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group of companies that includes the non-profit group Virgin Unite that advocates uniting,
…great people and entrepreneurial ideas, reinventing how we live and work to help make people’s lives better. We believe business can and must be a force for good in the world – and that this is also good for business!
Cory was an ambassador for Virgin Unite and advocated for Canadian homeless youth. Through the RE*Generation project, Monteith helped to raise $200,000 for programs for at-risk youth throughout Canada. Take a look at the short video below that details the impact Cory had through Virgin Unite.
Young Storytellers is a foundation co-founded by Glee creator Brad Falchuk that pairs 5th graders with mentors in the entertainment world to pen short scripts. The scripts are then performed for their peers and eventually a select few are chosen to be performed at the annual Biggest Show by some Hollywood heavy hitters. For their first Biggest Show back in 2011, Cory Monteith was one of those actors, taking on the roles of class president, Bart Simpson and talking dog. Take a look at those videos below:
But the most well-known charity that Cory Monteith was associated with before his tragic death last year was Project Limelight. Project Limelight is based out of Monteith’s adopted hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. The aim of the charity is to engage children in the city’s Eastside Downtown area in the performing arts. The group’s founders, sisters Maureen Webb and Donalda Weaver had the following to say about their efforts:
Our hope is that every child in our program walks away with a widened circle of friends, an increased sense of self, and a heightened curiosity. Nothing would please us more than having participants come back to the program as mentors. To us, that is success.
Cory’s involvement with Project Limelight didn’t come as a surprise, Monteith credits Webb as his inspiration to pursue acting.
When I was a kid I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in. I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me and I think that that’s one of the most important things about Project Limelight. It gives kids exactly that. It gives them the opportunity to expose themselves to arts and arts education.
In a society that seems ever more focused on personal gain and “what’s in it for me,” Cory Monteith was different; he cared about those around him. Cory’s fans were all too familiar with his less-than-ideal upbringing and struggle to find his place in this world. Monteith often made light of his string of odd jobs before acting but, in reality, his story can act as an inspiration to never give up in finding your passion. In my brief but powerful meeting with Cory, I could tell that his heart was full of compassion for helping people. He made sure he could meet as many fans as time would allow, making them feel special instead of just a quick photo or autograph.
After Cory’s death last year I was fortunate enough to help organize a memorial for him in Toronto in Maple Leaf Square, Cory’s love of hockey fit very well with his Canadian heritage. The most striking thing I remember about the group of fans that gathered to remember Cory was that not one fan in the group had ever had a bad run-in with Cory. Whether they got to meet him at the Toronto International Film Festival, a Bonnie Dune (Cory’s band) gig or the Glee Live stop in Toronto, they all commented on how much he loved his fans, and that they supported the thing(s) he loved to do.
That’s how I will always remember Cory Monteith, as the Giant Canadian with the Giant Heart.
If you want to make a contribution to any of the charities I’ve mentioned on the one year anniversary of Cory’s death please visit the links below:
children in the city’s Eastside Downtown area in the performing arts. The group’s founders, sisters Maureen Webb and Donalda Weaver had the following to say about their efforts:
Our hope is that every child in our program walks away with a widened circle of friends, an increased sense of self, and a heightened curiosity. Nothing would please us more than having participants come back to the program as mentors. To us, that is success. Cory’s involvement with Project Limelight didn’t come as a surprise, Monteith credits Webb as his inspiration to pursue acting.
When I was a kid I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in. I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me and I think that that’s one of the most important things about Project Limelight. It gives kids exactly that. It gives them the opportunity to expose themselves to arts and arts education. In a society that seems ever more focused on personal gain and “what’s in it for me,” Cory Monteith was different; he cared about those around him. Cory’s fans were all too familiar with his less-than-ideal upbringing and struggle to find his place in this world. Monteith often made light of his string of odd jobs before acting but, in reality, his story can act as an inspiration to never give up in finding your passion. In my brief but powerful meeting with Cory, I could tell that his heart was full of compassion for helping people. He made sure he could meet as many fans as time would allow, making them feel special instead of just a quick photo or autograph.
After Cory’s death last year I was fortunate enough to help organize a memorial for him in Toronto in Maple Leaf Square, Cory’s love of hockey fit very well with his Canadian heritage. The most striking thing I remember about the group of fans that gathered to remember Cory was that not one fan in the group had ever had a bad run-in with Cory. Whether they got to meet him at the Toronto International Film Festival, a Bonnie Dune (Cory’s band) gig or the Glee Live stop in Toronto, they all commented on how much he loved his fans, and that they supported the thing(s) he loved to do.
That’s how I will always remember Cory Monteith, as the Giant Canadian with the Giant Heart.
If you want to make a contribution to any of the charities I’ve mentioned on the one year anniversary of Cory’s death please visit the links below: children in the city’s Eastside Downtown area in the performing arts. The group’s founders, sisters Maureen Webb and Donalda Weaver had the following to say about their efforts:
Our hope is that every child in our program walks away with a widened circle of friends, an increased sense of self, and a heightened curiosity. Nothing would please us more than having participants come back to the program as mentors. To us, that is success. Cory’s involvement with Project Limelight didn’t come as a surprise, Monteith credits Webb as his inspiration to pursue acting.
When I was a kid I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in. I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me and I think that that’s one of the most important things about Project Limelight. It gives kids exactly that. It gives them the opportunity to expose themselves to arts and arts education. In a society that seems ever more focused on personal gain and “what’s in it for me,” Cory Monteith was different; he cared about those around him. Cory’s fans were all too familiar with his less-than-ideal upbringing and struggle to find his place in this world. Monteith often made light of his string of odd jobs before acting but, in reality, his story can act as an inspiration to never give up in finding your passion. In my brief but powerful meeting with Cory, I could tell that his heart was full of compassion for helping people. He made sure he could meet as many fans as time would allow, making them feel special instead of just a quick photo or autograph.
After Cory’s death last year I was fortunate enough to help organize a memorial for him in Toronto in Maple Leaf Square, Cory’s love of hockey fit very well with his Canadian heritage. The most striking thing I remember about the group of fans that gathered to remember Cory was that not one fan in the group had ever had a bad run-in with Cory. Whether they got to meet him at the Toronto International Film Festival, a Bonnie Dune (Cory’s band) gig or the Glee Live stop in Toronto, they all commented on how much he loved his fans, and that they supported the thing(s) he loved to do.
That’s how I will always remember Cory Monteith, as the Giant Canadian with the Giant Heart.
If you want to make a contribution to any of the charities I’ve mentioned on the one year anniversary of Cory’s death please visit the links below: children in the city’s Eastside Downtown area in the performing arts. The group’s founders, sisters Maureen Webb and Donalda Weaver had the following to say about their efforts:
Our hope is that every child in our program walks away with a widened circle of friends, an increased sense of self, and a heightened curiosity. Nothing would please us more than having participants come back to the program as mentors. To us, that is success. Cory’s involvement with Project Limelight didn’t come as a surprise, Monteith credits Webb as his inspiration to pursue acting.
When I was a kid I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in. I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me and I think that that’s one of the most important things about Project Limelight. It gives kids exactly that. It gives them the opportunity to expose themselves to arts and arts education. In a society that seems ever more focused on personal gain and “what’s in it for me,” Cory Monteith was different; he cared about those around him. Cory’s fans were all too familiar with his less-than-ideal upbringing and struggle to find his place in this world. Monteith often made light of his string of odd jobs before acting but, in reality, his story can act as an inspiration to never give up in finding your passion. In my brief but powerful meeting with Cory, I could tell that his heart was full of compassion for helping people. He made sure he could meet as many fans as time would allow, making them feel special instead of just a quick photo or autograph.
After Cory’s death last year I was fortunate enough to help organize a memorial for him in Toronto in Maple Leaf Square, Cory’s love of hockey fit very well with his Canadian heritage. The most striking thing I remember about the group of fans that gathered to remember Cory was that not one fan in the group had ever had a bad run-in with Cory. Whether they got to meet him at the Toronto International Film Festival, a Bonnie Dune (Cory’s band) gig or the Glee Live stop in Toronto, they all commented on how much he loved his fans, and that they supported the thing(s) he loved to do.
That’s how I will always remember Cory Monteith, as the Giant Canadian with the Giant Heart.
If you want to make a contribution to any of the charities I’ve mentioned on the one year anniversary of Cory’s death please visit the links below: children in the city’s Eastside Downtown area in the performing arts. The group’s founders, sisters Maureen Webb and Donalda Weaver had the following to say about their efforts:
Our hope is that every child in our program walks away with a widened circle of friends, an increased sense of self, and a heightened curiosity. Nothing would please us more than having participants come back to the program as mentors. To us, that is success. Cory’s involvement with Project Limelight didn’t come as a surprise, Monteith credits Webb as his inspiration to pursue acting.
When I was a kid I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in. I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me and I think that that’s one of the most important things about Project Limelight. It gives kids exactly that. It gives them the opportunity to expose themselves to arts and arts education. In a society that seems ever more focused on personal gain and “what’s in it for me,” Cory Monteith was different; he cared about those around him. Cory’s fans were all too familiar with his less-than-ideal upbringing and struggle to find his place in this world. Monteith often made light of his string of odd jobs before acting but, in reality, his story can act as an inspiration to never give up in finding your passion. In my brief but powerful meeting with Cory, I could tell that his heart was full of compassion for helping people. He made sure he could meet as many fans as time would allow, making them feel special instead of just a quick photo or autograph.
After Cory’s death last year I was fortunate enough to help organize a memorial for him in Toronto in Maple Leaf Square, Cory’s love of hockey fit very well with his Canadian heritage. The most striking thing I remember about the group of fans that gathered to remember Cory was that not one fan in the group had ever had a bad run-in with Cory. Whether they got to meet him at the Toronto International Film Festival, a Bonnie Dune (Cory’s band) gig or the Glee Live stop in Toronto, they all commented on how much he loved his fans, and that they supported the thing(s) he loved to do.
That’s how I will always remember Cory Monteith, as the Giant Canadian with the Giant Heart.
If you want to make a contribution to any of the charities I’ve mentioned on the one year anniversary of Cory’s death please visit the links below: children in the city’s Eastside Downtown area in the performing arts. The group’s founders, sisters Maureen Webb and Donalda Weaver had the following to say about their efforts:
Our hope is that every child in our program walks away with a widened circle of friends, an increased sense of self, and a heightened curiosity. Nothing would please us more than having participants come back to the program as mentors. To us, that is success. Cory’s involvement with Project Limelight didn’t come as a surprise, Monteith credits Webb as his inspiration to pursue acting.
When I was a kid I struggled a lot with who I was and where my life was going and what I was interested in. I was fortunate to have the arts inspire me and I think that that’s one of the most important things about Project Limelight. It gives kids exactly that. It gives them the opportunity to expose themselves to arts and arts education. In a society that seems ever more focused on personal gain and “what’s in it for me,” Cory Monteith was different; he cared about those around him. Cory’s fans were all too familiar with his less-than-ideal upbringing and struggle to find his place in this world. Monteith often made light of his string of odd jobs before acting but, in reality, his story can act as an inspiration to never give up in finding your passion. In my brief but powerful meeting with Cory, I could tell that his heart was full of compassion for helping people. He made sure he could meet as many fans as time would allow, making them feel special instead of just a quick photo or autograph.
After Cory’s death last year I was fortunate enough to help organize a memorial for him in Toronto in Maple Leaf Square, Cory’s love of hockey fit very well with his Canadian heritage. The most striking thing I remember about the group of fans that gathered to remember Cory was that not one fan in the group had ever had a bad run-in with Cory. Whether they got to meet him at the Toronto International Film Festival, a Bonnie Dune (Cory’s band) gig or the Glee Live stop in Toronto, they all commented on how much he loved his fans, and that they supported the thing(s) he loved to do.
That’s how I will always remember Cory Monteith, as the Giant Canadian with the Giant Heart.
If you want to make a contribution to any of the charities I’ve mentioned on the one year anniversary of Cory’s death please visit the links below:
