The founder and former CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos is donating 100 million dollars to the Obama Foundation in honor of civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis, and to help expand the scope of programming that reaches emerging leaders in the United States and around the world, according to the Obama Foundation.
This is the largest amount the Obama foundation has ever received.
As part of the gift, Bezos has asked for the Plaza at the Obama Presidential Center to be named the John Lewis Plaza, said the Obama Foundation in a release. The Plaza is an important amenity to the surrounding community and will welcome nearly a million visitors a year.
“John believed in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things,” Michael Collins, Trustee, John R. Lewis Estate said in a statement. “His life was a testament to this notion and he would be a fierce advocate for the training and support needed to inspire the next generation of leaders to follow in his footsteps.”
Through the gift from Bezos, the next generation of emerging leaders will be provided the necessary tools, resources, and training needed to be the change they want to see in the world, just as Congressman Lewis did, the Foundation said.
“Freedom fighters deserve a special place in the pantheon of heroes, and I can’t think of a more fitting person to honor with this gift than John Lewis, a great American leader and a man of extraordinary decency and courage,” said Jeff Bezos. “I’m thrilled to support President and Mrs. Obama and their Foundation in its mission to train and inspire tomorrow’s leaders.”
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