Much of the world has been shattered and shocked by the news of Paul Walker’s untimely death-a Hollywood star whose light was snuffed out far too soon.

Earning his star power through highly successful movies such as the Fast and the Furious franchise, Paul Walker lead Hollywood as an effective leading man with his charismatic personality and smoldering good looks.

Yet beyond the screen persona and steely blue eyes was a beloved philanthropist who devoted himself to extensive charity work that outreached numerous people in need.

At the time of his death, Walker was in attendance at his own charity event- the Reach Out Worldwide charity car show in Valencia, California. He hosted the event in hopes of collecting donations to assist those affected by Typhoon Haiyan and the Illinois tornadoes.

Before setting out on the car ride that would result in his tragic death, Walker had been overjoyed to find that the gathering had accumulated a great turnout in both attendees and donations.

An attendee of the event and a longtime friend of Walker’s, Bill Townsend spoke to People magazine about Walker’s very kind and approachable demeanor at the event, stating: “Paul was standing around like he was just one of the guys. He’s one of the most grounded people you could ever imagine.”

As an individual who highly succeeded in staying grounded, Walker had many charities and causes that remained linked to his root of devotion.

Reach Out Worldwide (ROWW) reigned as an active source of his philanthropic endeavors, as a nonprofit organization he founded himself after observing the lack of resources for immediate relief response for the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

According to the charity’s web site, ROWW Is a “network of committed professionals with first responder skill-set,” that has “developed Standard Operating Procedures that facilitate arriving quickly, clearing access, providing basic necessities and medical assistance.”

Walker championed the nonprofit with much devotion and enthusiasm, often working “under the radar” when traveling on behalf of his organization and actively lending his services to areas in need.

Following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Walker assembled a team of first responders and headed to the most devastated areas to deliver supplies and medical aid.

In that same year, Walker traveled with a team to Chile, delivering water and medical aid to tsunami victims.

Yet foreign countries alone were not the extent of Walker’s charitable outreach. Following the tornado that hit Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Walker headed to the state and helped victims get back into their homes by running a chainsaw to clear debris.

Fellow colleagues in his charity observed that Walker preferred his anonymity when pursuing charity work, and never shied away from rolling up his sleeves and risk getting a little dirty to achieve productive results.

From the year if his charity’s inception to his very last living moment of earth, charity was the forefront of Walker’s mind.

Although many are saddened by Walker’s untimely passing, his legacy and his devotion to giving shall continue to live and prosper through his surviving charity.

Universal Studios recently announced that it shall donate profits accumulated from Fast and Furious 6 DVDs towards Walker’s charity organization- giving fans the chance to celebrate and honor both his work in film and philanthropy.

– Kaitlyn Boisvert

Sources: People, Moviepilot, LA Times
Photo: Real Big Faces