LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Actor Patrick Dempsey says giving back to his home state through creation of a cancer center is more satisfying than fame without good deeds.
The former “Grey’s Anatomy” star and Maine native said his Hollywood fame gave him an ability to create something special through the cancer center and a ninth annual bike-and-run cancer fundraiser that wrapped up on Sunday.
“I think fame, in general, if you don’t do anything with it, is really quite empty and unsatisfying,” he told the Sun Journal . “If you can use it in a way that’s a positive thing, it’s far more fulfilling. And I think, at the end of the day, that’s what life is about. It’s not about one’s personal achievements, it’s about what you can do as a group of people and as a community.”
Dempsey created the Dempsey Challenge to raise money for a cancer center created in 2008 in partnership with the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
The Dempsey Center, which he created with his sisters, drew upon the inspiration of their mother, who battled cancer over 17 years before dying in 2014. The center aims to improve the quality of life of people with cancer.
Dempsey said he firmly believes in the services that are offered, like yoga, acupuncture, massage and Reiki, a form of Japanese healing.
“With all the technology and breakthroughs we’ve had, you can’t beat the human touch,” Dempsey said.
Over the weekend event, Dempsey took countless selfies with participants. He recalled some advice he was given by actors from the Theater at Monmouth: “Don’t forget where you came from.”
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.