What My Father, Paul Newman, Taught Me About Giving

Today, SeriousFun has more than 30 camps and programs around the world. Each camp has first-rate medical care and is completely free of charge for campers and families. For kids facing some of life’s toughest health challenges, these camps are where “no, you can’t” becomes “yes, you can.”  It’s a true testament to Dad’s bold vision and generous spirit.

Dad’s attention to those in need became more focused in his later years, but it was hardly a new trait. Even when no one was looking, Dad was supportive to friends and complete strangers. Even now, decades later, I still run into people who pull me aside to share a story of how his quiet generosity changed the trajectory of their life. He’d pay someone’s college tuition, buy a stranger a bicycle, cover someone’s mortgage. His accountant used to joke with him about cutting back on his giving, and Dad would just ignore it.

In film, when he thought his female costar wasn’t receiving fair compensation, he would negotiate for equal pay, even giving up some of his own in the process. He regularly negotiated extra perks in his film contracts, then would skip the perks and quietly donate the money to a local shelter or school. He always did it anonymously because he felt that if you were lucky enough to live a good life, it was just part of being a good person to help others, expecting nothing in return.

Clea Newman and her father, Paul Newman, shared a love of horseback riding.

Courtesy SeriousFun Children’s Network

As I get older, I appreciate all the lessons he taught me. They’ve shaped me into the person I am today, and I’m so grateful. I always try to listen with intent, act generously and surround myself with great friends and family. When you give time, resources and love, fulfillment comes back tenfold.  As Dad put it, “I’m not running for sainthood. I just happen to think that in life we need to be a little like the farmer, who puts back into the soil what he takes out.”  

The first time I understood that fully was in my early 20s. Like many young adults, I was trying to figure out a direction for my career and my life. Dad and I were similar, so he knew if he told me what to do outright, I probably wouldn’t “hear it.”  Instead, he had a way of dropping suggestions, and they would usually stick. One was for me to volunteer as a counselor at our first camp, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, in Connecticut.

Just as camp changes the trajectory of our campers’ lives, it definitely changed mine. I walked into camp looking inward and walked out, 10 days later, looking outward. The joy of those kids, despite their illnesses, and the care they showed each other and their counselors, reset my perspective. It really recalibrated my whole sense of purpose. 

Clea Newman joins the fun at Double H Ranch in 2013.

Courtesy SeriousFun Children’s Network

Since then, my journey to becoming SeriousFun’s ambassador has been a long one. I wanted to make my own way through the philanthropic world, so I dedicated myself to a few special organizations and learned as much as I could. Luckily, I had great mentors to guide me.

A few years before my father passed, he asked me to oversee his philanthropic legacy of the camps. I think he knew I was ready to come “home” again. Going back to SeriousFun was just what I needed, especially after he passed. I miss him so, but every time I go to camp, I see his playful and generous spirit everywhere.

Camps were her father’s happy place, says Clea Newman.

Courtesy SeriousFun Children’s Network

Our camps were his happy place, and — like father, like daughter — they’re my happy place, too.  

AARP essays share a point of view in the author’s voice, drawn from expertise or experience, and do not necessarily reflect the views of AARP.