Stephen Colbert funds $800K worth of public school grant requests

GREENVILLE, S.C., May 7 (UPI) -- Stephen Colbert announced Thursday he is funding DonorsChoose.org grant requests from South Carolina public school teachers totaling to $800,000.

The comedian made the announcement at a DonorsChoose.org event hosted in New York, it was also shown via live video feed at Alexander Elementary School in Greenville. The website is dedicated to education crowdfunding.

"Using the proceeds of the sale of my old set on The Colbert Report which we auctioned off, and with the generous matching funds from The Morgridge Family Foundation and ScanSource, DonorsChoose is going to flash-fund all 1,000 projects in South Carolina," Colbert said. "Enjoy your learning, South Carolina."

The South Carolina native received his primary and secondary education in the state's public schools.

The money raised by Colbert and matched by the foundations will cover nearly 1,000 projects for more than 800 teachers at over 375 schools, totaling $800,000. The funds will be used for new books, classroom supplies, school-branded clothing and professional development for teachers, reports the Greenville News.

Colbert sold the set from his satirical news show, The Colbert Report, which ended in December to fund the project. Colbert will take the place of David Letterman on the Late Show starting Sept. 8.