.
Feedback

George Lucas Plans to Donate Disney Money to Foundation

An undisclosed amount of the $4.05 billion from the Disney acquisition will go to Lucas's foundation Edutopia, that supports education programs.

filmmaker George Lucas said that he will be donating the majority of the money to his education foundation.

"For 41 years, the majority of my time and money has been put into the company," Lucas said in a statement. "As I start a new chapter in my life, it is gratifying that I have the opportunity to devote more time and resources to philanthropy.”

The George Lucas Educational Foundation, known as Edutopia, is located in San Rafael, and advocates for innovative strategies to prepare K-12 students for their future education, careers and adult lives. The amount of the money that Lucas will be donating was not released.

On Tuesday, Walt Disney Studios announced that it will be taking over the rights to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, Lucasfilm’s post production businesses, Industrial Light and Magic, Skywalker Sound and a suite of entertainment technologies. Disney said Star Wars: Episode 7 is expected to be released in 2015 and they plan to release one film every two to three years after that. The San Anselmo filmmaker will play a creative consulting role in the future Star Wars films and retain ownership of his Marin ranches.

In 2010, Lucas pledged that he would be donating the majority of his wealth to supporting his foundation.

"We have to plan for our collective future—and the first step begins with social, emotional, and intellectual tools we provide to our children," he said in a release. "As humans, our greatest tool for survival is our ability to think and to adapt—as educators, storytellers, and communicators our responsibility is to continue to do so.”

Marla November 2, 2012 at 03:08 pm
George, we wish you all the best and are so grateful you have made your home, and mark, on our community here in in Marin.
Tina McMillan November 2, 2012 at 04:00 pm
Thank you Mr. Lucas. I still wish we could have a version of Grady Ranch here in Novato. Perhaps Disney will reconsider and open a studio at Hamilton. What a wonderful business. It would be a delight to see Novato as a major center for film production in Northern California.
Marla November 2, 2012 at 04:23 pm
Agreed, we residents of Hamilton would welcome you and your studio - whether for small independent films or bigger blockbusters! Please consider the former Image Movers Digital space - we even have a wonderful historic theater begging to be renovated!
janna nikkola November 2, 2012 at 06:24 pm
We are very fortunate indeed to have such a generous man as a part of our community. I feel awful he had to jump through so many hoops in an attempt to build a facility in Lucas Valley and I'm disappointed it didn't work out. With George Lucas' and Beryl Buck's Foundations in Marin, we could well become the most highly educated county in the country and send our young people out into the world to do good works as George Lucas and Beryl Buck have done. Now we just have to convince the San Francisco Foundation to direct some of Mrs Buck's funds into college scholarships (but they don't like doing scholarships and have not heeded Mrs Buck's wishes in distributing the funds from her foundation -- she said nothing about her money being used for medical research).
Lynn Tompkins November 3, 2012 at 01:49 pm
Fantastic! I'm so grateful that Mr. Lucas sees this need & has dedicated his time & resources to working on it! His statement is so eloquent & right on! -"We have to plan for our collective future—and the first step begins with social, emotional, and intellectual tools we provide to our children," "As humans, our greatest tool for survival is our ability to think and to adapt—as educators, storytellers, and communicators our responsibility is to continue to do so.” PS I live in Lucas Valley & hope he stays here!
valeri hood November 4, 2012 at 12:47 am
What a good idea to sell out to disneyland- who already owns 80% of our media. Wonder what they will do with all the technology that George is giving them. Did you know that Disney now has a GMO section in Southern CAl- just in time for the election. All the things that Lucas could have done- too bad.
Tina McMillan November 4, 2012 at 01:22 am
Valerie
Can you provide a link to Disney and the GMO's? I read some blogs but couldn't find something more direct. It looks like Monsanto is everywhere.
Yvette Wakefield November 4, 2012 at 02:04 pm
Seems to me the education will entail training good slaves. Sorry, but that is what it looks like to me.
Daniel Corwin November 4, 2012 at 11:15 pm
The noosphere thanks you, mister Lucas.
Once more. From Paris, with love Daniel :o)
Bob Hunter November 5, 2012 at 04:03 pm
There's an education non-profit in Marin City doing all it can to get Marin City kids through college, including a robust after school program and a partnership with 10,000 Degrees and the Marin Community Foundation-Bridge the Gap College Prep. I hope Mr. Lucas' foundation takes a look at what they're doing. (Full Disclosure- I am an emeritus member of the board.)
William Bertram January 8, 2013 at 08:16 am
Of course you are, Bob!~
William Bertram January 8, 2013 at 08:25 am
It's a BIG club and you & me are not invited. They have now implanted human genes in rice (In Kansas) and the scenario get even scarier from there.
"There is no conspiracy. It's just business being business as always." Cheers!~

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from San Rafael Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Withdraw the Civic Center Priority Development Area
Ciel Niesen-Love June 15, 2013 at 07:41 pm
I, for one, am glad they're finally doing this. I have watched for years as Marin has ignored theRead More population growth that has affected us all. Not wanting to put in a commuter train, until the traffic lining the freeway is backed up into another county in the morning, is just one example of this. Then we have the fact that most of the children that my husband and I went to school with in Terra Linda have had to move to other counties because we can't find affordable housing in this one. To top it all off, it seems that the ones who have blocked us from making the smaller additions throughout the county have been people directly involved in the real estate industry, or just local home owners so worried about the value of their homes going down, that they fail to see the larger picture. So here we are, about to make a stride in alleviating the problem, and instead of rallying to make our communities better, we're trying to make it more difficult for the people who live and grew up here to still remain close to their families, not to mention the disabled adults and large elderly population in this county that are in need of this, as well. Some of the teacher's who work in this district have to commute in that traffic every morning, because they can't afford to live in this county, either. It's a sad commentary on where our priorities are when we can't support each other as a community.
John Parulis June 17, 2013 at 11:44 am
Ciel......we're talking big box freeway developments that will add tremendous traffic, schooling andRead More tax burdens to our community. Your ideas about population growth in Marin are off.
Ciel Niesen-Love June 17, 2013 at 02:49 pm
I know the population in Marin is 1% per year, but why do you think that is? People are livingRead More longer and our children are the healthiest in the country. I'll tell you why. It's because the children grow up and move out of the county, because it's not affordable. Here is an example of my latest thoughts on the matter: As the member of a Native American tribe, I have to say that I really resent being told where I should be able to live by an immigrant such as Richard Hall. I believe that roots are important and even if the growth rate has been 1%, it's only because most of the people who have grown up here can not afford to live here and move away. The elderly who make up a large percent of the population here are living longer due to medical advances and who do you suppose will take care of them? People such as myself and for not nearly enough money to live here. So what do you propose? You think that I should move to the East Bay or the North Bay and commute? Well, due to the lack of transportation support, that sound so lovely, let me tell you. Also, the children in Marin are the healthiest in the country according to a recent article I've read. Lower children death rates and such, so who is supposed to teach them and provide care for them and for not enough money to live here? Well, many teachers and care providers that I know that have to commute or live multiple roommates. You have successfully produced a community that only grows 1% per year. Congratulations. Through your grassroots efforts of blocking housing and transportation for years and claiming they don't live up to your standards, meanwhile not providing any pushes for what you might actually feel is smarter you have shut out your county's own children and hard working patriots. So, we can work for minimum wage taking care of your elderly, your children, your precious houses and cars, but God forbid, our children go to school with yours, or that you might actually have to bump into us at the supermarket and say "hi". This is the attitude which had prevailed here and I and many other people I talk to in my neighborhood and that I've grown up with are sick of it. Also, I'd like to point out that we all work hard, and the opportunity to work has been at the help of all of the people in our communities who have helped rear us. Teachers, nurses, doctors, firemen, policeman, babysitters, and many more. Just because some jobs like teaching or care giving don't provide with as much money, doesn't make them less important. In fact, my grandma used to tell me it "God's work". It takes a village to raise your children and it took a village to raise you all.