Post Malone rallies fans to help donate $1 million to worthy causes

Musician Post Malone came up with the goal – donate $1 million to charities – but his fans are the ones who helped devise the plan.

The singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor reached out to fans last month on Twitter, saying he wanted to make the $1 million charitable gift but needed ideas on worthy causes where the money should go.

After a robust response from fans, the list was drawn up, including a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, as well as other organizations supporting COVID-19 frontline responders, disaster relief, education, homelessness, hunger, mental health and veterans.

"Not everyone has the ability to financially support causes that may be close to them or that have helped them in the past," said Post Malone in a press release. "The fans are the absolute best, and I want to give them the chance to give to charities that mean something to them."

The donation of $28,500 isn't Post Malone's first connection with St. Jude. The multi-talented artist made a personal connection with several St. Jude patients when he headlined the 2018 Mempho Music Festival, a multi-day event in Memphis, Tenn., hometown of St. Jude.

Malone met up with patients like Nick, who turned to music during his treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Now an aspiring rapper, Nick found that writing and performing his own lyrics helped him cope with the challenges he faced as he overcame childhood cancer.

And the donation will benefit St. Jude patients like Calvin, who found his own way to inspire others by borrowing a few lines from Malone himself. An eternal optimist who works hard to put a smile on the face of others, Calvin sang the artist's hit song "Sunflower" to cheer up a classmate.

“She was crying, so I said, ‘Would you like me to sing you a song?’” Calvin said. “And she got better, and that just made my day."