The experience of winning Survivor: Africa helped Ethan Zohn find a new direction for his life: fighting AIDS.
Zohn addressed students at Steinhardt Hall last night about his experiences on the reality TV show and about how he used his newfound fame and wealth for philanthropic causes.
During the show's filming, Zohn gave away a hackey sack, the one "luxury item" he was allowed, to an HIV-infected boy. The moment changed his life, Zohn said.
"It's the old proverb: 'It is better to give than to receive.' Without knowing it, I had brought along all I needed to survive," Zohn said.
Winning Survivor required forming alliances and acting selflessly, Zohn said.
"I was a member of the community. I made myself a crucial part of their survival," he said.
When he received the $1 million check for his win, Zohn said he thought about buying "a flat-screen TV, a new car [or] a New York apartment."
However, Zohn said that the Jewish background that gave him the moral foundation he needed to succeed on Survivor ultimately helped him decide to put the money toward charitable causes.
Memories of his pre-Survivor experiences as a professional soccer player in Zimbabwe led him to co-found Grassroot Soccer, a non-profit organization committed to AIDS awareness and prevention in Zimbabwe and eight other African countries.
Zohn said that he hopes his efforts will help stem the tide of the AIDS epidemic -- one in five people in southern Africa has AIDS and the life expectancy in Zimbabwe dropped from 63 years in 1990 to 39 years in 2000, he said.
Both Grassroot and America Scores, a literacy non-profit organization for which Zohn is a national spokesman, use soccer as a catalyst because of its wide appeal.
Zohn urged audience members to get involved in helping others in their communities.
"Make a difference for yourself by making a difference for others," he said.
Students admired Zohn's commitment to an important global cause.
"He's an all-around nice guy," College sophomore Michael Koppel said. "He's using his reality-TV experience as a positive to be a role model. It's a great thing to hear."
College freshman Bria Bailey, co-president of Penn AIDS Awareness, said she supported Zohn's philanthropy.
AIDS education "is important because people don't talk about AIDS in church," Bailey said.
