Chris Pratt has donated $500,000 to a teen center built in honor of his late father, who died in 2014.
“I have never been more grateful in my life. My hometown of Lake Stevens, Washington just broke ground on the Dan Pratt Memorial Teen Center,” the actor wrote on Facebook about the center, which will be part of the Boys & Girls Club of Snohomish County. “Thank you so much to the folks at Omaze for all your hard work, and to all the people around the world who donated through the campaign. We couldn’t have done it without you. I just handed the teen center committee a $500,000.00 check like on publishers clearing house.”
The “Passengers” star also posted a tribute to his father. The 37-year-old actor lost his father, Dan Pratt — a former Alaska gold miner turned contractor — to multiple sclerosis at age 60 in 2014 while Chris was filming “Jurassic World.” He took a week off filming to be by his dad’s side at the end, according to GQ.
“I was raised by one of the toughest SOBs on the planet,” Pratt wrote. “Dan Pratt made me who I am. He was a funny, thick skinned, hard working man who commanded respect for authority. My dad coached me and so many other kids in Lake Stevens in every sport and was a pillar of his community. He affected a lot of young men. Ask anyone who knew him, he was a certified bad ass. And now his memorial teen center will help keep kids out of trouble for many years to come. His legacy will live on.”
But Pratt also posted a side note about the election, adding that the country is “divided and bitter” after the negative coverage of the election.
“We are not our government. We are not what those folks on TV say we are. We are our Boys and Girls Clubs, our rotary clubs, our senior centers, our youth sports leagues, made up of volunteers, Americans; altruistic people investing time into our greatest asset, our children,” he wrote. “We’re just as strong as our will to give back to the community. We always will be. So get strong. It feels good. Be the instrument God uses to bless your community.”
Recently, Pratt revealed that reprising the role of Peter Quill/Star-Lord for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” helped him cope with his loss.
“The truth is I ripped open some wounds that had been healing for some time,” Pratt told British GQ. “And I didn’t want to. But I knew it was right for the moment … There are wounds that are never going to be totally healed.
“It would probably make for a better story if it was some emotional thing that I hadn’t dealt with,” he continued. “When we face the death of a parent, you sometimes feel regret that you didn’t fully embrace what you had.”
See Pratt’s complete Facebook post below.