Charity declines Patti Blagojevich donation

Yesterday Patti Blagojevich ate a dead tarantula on the NBC reality show "I'm a Celebrity .. Get Me Out of Here!"

Scary? I don't know, I didn't see the show, but gulping down a live one would have been better television viewing, in my opinion.

Because she and her indicted husband, Rod Blagojevich, are unemployed, the money Patti is earning is important to the family. But some of that cash has been directed to charity.

But it's not going to Patti's first choice, as the Chicago Tribune reports:

The former first lady said last Thursday she would be on "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here" for some undisclosed compensation, as well as to raise money for Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Not so, the foundation said, rejecting the offer last week on principle.

"With so much press going on about the governor, we want to be cautious," said Bear Necessities spokeswoman Courtney Krupa, in explaining why it declined the offer. "We want to be a respectable organization and not hurt any of the people that support us and that we work with."

Krupa said the offer to Bear Necessities was made by Patti Blagojevich's publicist, Glenn Selig, and the show's producers on May 26. The charity's board considered the offer that night, and rejected it May 28.

Another children's cancer charity will receive the donation instead.

Thanks to Arizona Marathon Pundit reader Rob for the story tip.

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