A billionaire philanthropist put his money where his mouth was at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth graduation.
Robert Hale Jr., the CEO of Granite Telecommunications and co-owner of the Boston Celtics, surprised the class of 2024 during his address as commencement speaker on Thursday by announcing that and his wife, Karen Hale, were giving $1,000 to each graduate, the university said.
The loot came with a loaded message.
"We want to give you two gifts," Hale said, WBSM reported. "The first is our gift to you. The second is the gift of giving."
These "trying times have heightened the need for sharing, caring and giving," said Hale, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes to be worth $5.4 billion. "Our community needs you and your generosity more than ever."
After his announcement, he pointed to two large duffel bags that had been brought up on the stage and were filled to the brim with envelopes of cash.
Hale, who talked about how he overcame filing for bankruptcy earlier in his career, his philanthropy work and the need for resilience, told the students never to allow failure to define them.
For him and his wife, Hale said, "the greatest joys we've had in our life have been the gift of giving."
He added: "Our community and our world need our help now more than ever."
About 1,200 graduates received the cash.
