Contact: Tom Farley 608.209.1983
Tom Farley Transitions to Speaking, Other Endeavors
Madison, WI: The Chris Farley Foundation announced today that, effective immediately, it would close down and cease to operate as a public charity. Tom Farley, president of the Foundation and older brother of the late actor, cited two key factors in making this decision. “I have found myself being pulled more into speaking and advocacy roles, and away from program delivery” said Farley. “With the success of my book (New York Times Bestseller, The Chris Farley Show, a Biography in Three Acts) there seems to be more interest in me as a motivational speaker – ironically enough!” Farley also mentioned the current trend to defund public education as having a more direct and negative impact on the Foundation’s ability to provide support where it’s needed the most.
A second, more personal reason for closing The Chris Farley Foundation came last week when Tom Farley was named Executive Director of Marketing & Communications at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa. Farley plans to relocate to Dubuque in early August. “I’m a marketing and branding professional who’s spent almost fifteen years on high school and college campuses, communicating to young adults”, Farley says. “Those experiences, combined with a real passion for education, make this an extraordinary opportunity.”
The Chris Farley Foundation (http://www.chrisfarleyfoundation.org) was formed in 1998 by the family of actor, comedian and Madison, WI native Chris Farley, who died of an overdose on December 13, 1997. The Foundation quickly gained national recognition for its innovative substance abuse prevention programs. Their effective use of humor gave the Foundation an unmatched ability to “open the eyes and ears” of youth audiences. The Foundation conducted programs and events in over fourteen states, was featured on CNN, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The View, Fox News, and many national and local publications.
