Elvis the King Giver
River City Rising
Before meeting my husband, the only thing I knew about Memphis was Graceland. I didn’t even know Memphis was famous for barbecue. I found that out after I introduced him to a barbecue restaurant in Los Angeles I’d been bragging about. He sat through the meal and gave light compliments but later confessed it almost brought tears to his eyes every time he bit into a boiled-to-the-bone rib. “You’ll understand why after you have real barbecue in Memphis,” he told me. “Ok,” I replied dryly, “but all I really want to do when we go is visit Graceland.”
I grew up watching Elvis movies; the images of him dancing around in those Hawaiian shirts are forever ingrained in memory. Somewhere along the way I became a fan. As an adult, the nostalgia for the days of watching Elvis with my grandmother made visiting what was once his home that much more exciting.
What I thought would be a simple, yet gratifying, tour turned out to be an emotional rollercoaster, completely unexpected. As I walked through Graceland and looked at the furniture, photos and memorabilia, I got teary-eyed. I looked at the life of a man who came from such humble beginnings andclimbed to the tops of mountains. Curiosity and compassion flooded my thoughts. My husband held my hand as we walked down the hallways, and I cried, because I realized that even during some of his most personal struggles, Elvis was still one of the greatest.
I grew up watching Elvis movies; the images of him dancing around in those Hawaiian shirts are forever ingrained in memory. Somewhere along the way I became a fan. As an adult, the nostalgia for the days of watching Elvis with my grandmother made visiting what was once his home that much more exciting.
What I thought would be a simple, yet gratifying, tour turned out to be an emotional rollercoaster, completely unexpected. As I walked through Graceland and looked at the furniture, photos and memorabilia, I got teary-eyed. I looked at the life of a man who came from such humble beginnings andclimbed to the tops of mountains. Curiosity and compassion flooded my thoughts. My husband held my hand as we walked down the hallways, and I cried, because I realized that even during some of his most personal struggles, Elvis was still one of the greatest.
Near the end of the tour, we came to what I nicknamed the Wall of Giving. It is the wall lined with framed checks that Elvis wrote to various charities when he was alive. There are forty checks on display and, I’m told, these are a mere fraction of what he gave. I asked the guide if the amount of money he gave away has ever been approximated. She stated there is really no way to do that, as Elvis gave away so much more anonymously and, at times, under a pseudonym (fake name.) He frequently gave to organizations that supported the most underprivileged and most underrepresented populations in the Mid-South. During a time of segregation, Elvis openly supported black radio station WDIA’s annual fundraiser and over the years continued to give to their causes.
It is the part of the tour where I lingered the longest, looking at check after check, dollar amount after dollar amount, processing that this display represented a mere fraction of the philanthropy in Elvis’ life.
It is difficult—no, impossible—to live in Memphis and not meet someone who knew Elvis or knew someone who knew him. Or has a story about him, or a story passed down to them about him. I am also on that list with my very own story to tell about Elvis, the one with which I am most familiar. It’s the Elvis who made my mouth drop slightly open when I saw, tangibly, the immense amount of giving he did in his lifetime. The Elvis of my stories and the one I have shared with you today is not Elvis the King. It is Elvis, the Giver.
Today his legacy of giving continues through the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation and its Elvis Presley Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Memphis. Alicia Dean, current Marketing Promotions & Events Specialist at Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. shares that in addition to these, more than 600 fan clubs raise funds annually, in his name, to support numerous charities. I ask if there is a ballpark number she can give on how many charities benefit from these fundraisers. “Too many to count,” Ms. Dean replies.
It is the part of the tour where I lingered the longest, looking at check after check, dollar amount after dollar amount, processing that this display represented a mere fraction of the philanthropy in Elvis’ life.
It is difficult—no, impossible—to live in Memphis and not meet someone who knew Elvis or knew someone who knew him. Or has a story about him, or a story passed down to them about him. I am also on that list with my very own story to tell about Elvis, the one with which I am most familiar. It’s the Elvis who made my mouth drop slightly open when I saw, tangibly, the immense amount of giving he did in his lifetime. The Elvis of my stories and the one I have shared with you today is not Elvis the King. It is Elvis, the Giver.
Today his legacy of giving continues through the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation and its Elvis Presley Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Memphis. Alicia Dean, current Marketing Promotions & Events Specialist at Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. shares that in addition to these, more than 600 fan clubs raise funds annually, in his name, to support numerous charities. I ask if there is a ballpark number she can give on how many charities benefit from these fundraisers. “Too many to count,” Ms. Dean replies.