Founder of '50 Legs' credits Hulk Hogan with growing charity to help amputees

Hulk Hogan remembered for work with '50 Legs'

A former pro-wrestler and friend credits Hogan with helping to grow his charity, 50 Legs, which helps amputees. Briona Arradondo reports.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Hulk Hogan was a polarizing figure in and out of the wrestling ring, and he used his fame to get involved with charity work.

The backstory:

It was a "lights, camera and podcast" kind of day for Steve Chamberland. The former wrestler sat down to remember his friend Hulk Hogan on Friday.

"Steve Keirn was my trainer and Hulk showed up one day and Steve Keirn goes, ‘show him.’ So, I took my leg off and threw it down towards him. He's like, ‘what the hell is that thing?’" said Chamberland.

That story goes back more than 20 years ago, the first time he met the Hulkster, or Terry Bollea. Chamberland lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in 1999 and wrestled with WWE for a time before starting his charity, 50 Legs, 14 years ago.

Courtesy: Steve Chamberland

"It's been a snowball. Matter of fact, I got Hogan involved right away, and he was always like, ‘I'm in, bro, I mean, whatever you need,’" said Chamberland.

The Clearwater-based non-profit gives prosthetic limbs to children, adults and veterans.

Courtesy: Steve Chamberland

"He would come to our charity events, just show his face, sign autographs for free and just meet all the kids," said Chamberland.

Chamberland credits Hulk Hogan’s support with helping him give away more than 8,000 prosthetics.

"It's funny, though, when you see the younger kids that we helped, like two years old, three years old. The parents are the fans, and it's like, ‘Oh, my kid loves you.’ He'd be like, ‘Your kid doesn't know who the hell I am,’" said Chamberland. "But the parents, like the little girl, Natalie, who had bone cancer, and Hogan met her at the restaurant. Hogan was like, ‘I'll buy your legs, don't worry about it. I'll call my boy.’ That's when he called me, and I helped her."

What they're saying:

50 Legs is not the only charity work that Hogan was involved in. He spoke at the Boys and Girls Clubs of America as an alum of the program in Tampa. 

The Make-A-Wish Foundation said Hogan helped grant more than 200 wishes during the height of his wrestling career from the 1980s to the 2000s. He gave back in different ways before his death at 71 years old from cardiac arrest.

Courtesy: Steve Chamberland

"He was always saying, what can we do to make the charity bigger, better?" said Chamberland, of his charity.

50 Legs has given prosthetics to survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing. Chamberland said his thoughts are with Hogan’s family.