Paul Walker’s legacy lives on. In honor of his birthday, the late actor’s daughter has launched a charity movement in his name.
The “Furious 7” star would have been 42 on Saturday, and Meadow Walker took to social media to announce how she’s celebrating Paul’s special day by giving back.
In a touching Instagram post, the 16-year-old shared a sweet picture of herself as a toddler smiling alongside the blue-eyed star, and explained why she was inspired to carry on his message through her new platform, The Paul Walker Foundation.
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“Reflecting on my father, I found myself reflecting on his passions. His passion for the ocean, his passion for rescuing animals, his passion for helping people and his passion for spontaneous goodwill,” she captioned the photo. “I wanted to start this foundation because I want to share that piece of him with the world. I want to share that part of him with others. I am tremendously proud to be launching The #PaulWalkerFoundation (@paulwalkerfdn) on his birthday.”
The organization’s mission, according to its website, is to “serve as an enduring light of Paul’s unique spirit.” It has teamed up with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Ocean Futures Society, and will grant scholarships to marine biology students and researchers pursuing scientific development in the field.
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Through these efforts, the site reads, The Paul Walker Foundation aims to help “ocean leaders of tomorrow become beacons in the fight to protect our oceans, wildlife, and ourselves.”
Paul had already founded the disaster relief platform Reach Out Worldwide, which his brother Cody now oversees. Meadow said in her post that she’s looking forward to continuing her family’s philanthropy, and commemorating her dad’s memory in the process.
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my father,” she wrote of her new venture.
Paul’s “Furious” co-stars also paid tributes to their friend on Saturday.
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shared a Twitter photo of the two at a “Fast Five” red carpet premiere, including the hashtag “#DoGood” and a link to the Paul Walker Foundation website.
Happy birthday brother. Grateful you were born. #Ohana #PaulWalkerFoundation #DoGood http://t.co/vCotKsnHdC pic.twitter.com/tsTB9nWiwt
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 12, 2015
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges wished his pal a happy birthday, posting a flashback Instagram snap from their early “Furious” franchise days.
“#gonebutnotforgotten,” he wrote.
— Erin Biglow
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