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Paul Walker was a man of action onscreen and off.
The Fast & Furious star, who died at age 40 in a car crash 10 years ago, quietly poured himself into charitable work when he wasn’t filming his famous franchise.
“Paul, honestly, was so not Hollywood,” his brother Cody Walker tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
Following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Paul founded his non-profit Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW), which aimed to aid in transporting first responders to disaster areas to supplement local relief efforts.
Reach Out Worldwide/YouTube
The actor preferred to be boots on the ground to help those in need rather than simply write a check, his brother says. "He was like, 'No, I want to get in there and I want to help. I don't want to be part of some big old PR campaign or anything like that. I want to go to Haiti. I want to go help the people there. I want to go to Chile. I want to go to the Philippines, and I want to help,' " Cody tells PEOPLE.
The star, who earned household fame playing Fast's Brian O'Conner, also tended to eschew the spotlight when it came to his charitable efforts.
When Paul began ROWW, “he didn't go public about it for quite a long time, but he funded it 100% on his own,” says Cody. “When he passed away, there was no formal fundraising. There was no slush fund. He was the heart and soul of the organization.”
Cody has since launched live car events called FuelFest, which showcase automobiles, drifting and live music and speak to his and his brother’s shared love of car culture. A portion of FuelFest's proceeds benefits ROWW.
“I wanted to create something that was sustainable, that was fun, that was true to Paul and true to myself. It's no secret that my love of cars has a lot to do with my older brother,” says Cody, who has raised $400,000 for ROWW through FuelFest events to date.
The next FuelFest event pulls into Scottsdale Dec. 9 featuring Tyrese Gibson — Fast stars are no stranger to the shows, with Ludacris, Vin Diesel and Sung Kang dropping in — and a South Florida stop is planned for early 2024. Cody says the events help enable ROWW to keep Paul’s vision going. “Last year alone,” says Cody, “ROWW helped to rebuild 12 homes on just one of its missions.”
Joe Maher/Getty
Traveling the world, Cody says he is still moved by the outpouring of love from Paul's fans. “Paul did not realize the impact that he made on those around him,” he says.
What does he wish he could tell his brother today? “I would tell him that his legacy is continuing on. I would tell him that the organization that he created, Reach Out WorldWide, is still alive and well and still helping people all over the world," he says.
His adds that his brother would also be so proud of his daughter Meadow, now 25 and a professional model who established and serves as the chairman of the Paul Walker Foundation. “I would tell him that his daughter has done a wonderful job creating her foundation in honor of him in preserving our oceans,” he says.
A decade after Paul's death, Cody notes his eldest brother's lasting reminder to be kind.
“He'd pat you on the head when he'd give you a kiss and he'd say, "Be good,’” recalls Cody. “He would do that all the time. It just meant be a decent person. Paul didn't care if you were the bellhop or the busboy or the waiter, some big CEO or some other famous person. He treated everybody the same."
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November 24, 2023 at 09:00PM
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How Paul Walker Left a Lasting Legacy Through His Charity Work: 'He Wanted to Get in There and Help' (Exclusive) - PEOPLE
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