Slowing Down in Little Rock
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KTHV Anchor Craig O'Neill is taking a step back from his job.
Not his TV Anchor job, but from his emceeing gig.
By his count, O'Neill has emceed more than 9,000 charity events in past 48 years.
This past weekend, O'Neill emceed the Miracle Ball for Arkansas Children's Hospital and he says that is his last one.
Usually dressed at events in a tux with tails and his size 11 Nike Air Jordans, O'Neill, 67, says he is shifting his priority to kids -- specifically reading to them twice a week at Little Rock and Pulaski County public elementary schools.
"What I want to show is the love, the joy of the book, the feel of the book, the smell of the book, the adventure of the book, how inside a book you find yourself," O'Neill says.
Since he started emceeing events in 1969, O'Neill estimates he has helped raise more than $40 million for Arkansas charitable organizations.
"I've noticed that those of us who are passionate about the country who never served find ways to serve. I never served in Vietnam, but I still found ways to give. And what began as a way to make a name for myself has given way to giving for the sake of giving. I've gotten to the point where I don't want the trophy and I don't want the testimonial dinner. I don't want the T-shirt, I really don't need anything. It is just the point of giving. It's just being there and to participate in the give and the take, the philanthropy, the joy of it all," he says.
"As much as I love helping out organizations, after 48 years of doing it, you start to find other passions and that's where it lies now and I am pretty sure that's how it's going to be until the end of my career, which will probably be in 2040," he says with a laugh. "As long as I can drive, I am going to school."
H/T Arkansas Online
