Mel Gibson donating money to build houses for the poor in Veracruz, Mexico

Mel is giving the people of Veracruz a generous goodbye present as Apocalypto filming ends: VERACRUZ, Mexico - Mel Gibson, about to wrap up the filming of his Mayan epic, "Apocalypto," in the jungles of Mexico's Veracruz state, is donating money to build houses for poor people in the region. The 50-year-old director-actor will donate the money through the Rotary Club and Mexico's family welfare agency, government officials announced Thursday. Officials said the donation will be used to construct homes for poor residents of the port city of Veracruz and the city of San Andres Tuxtla. Gibson began filming "Apocalypto," which follows the journey of a Mayan hero on the run through the rain forests of pre-Columbian Mexico, last fall. Like his 2004 religious blockbuster, "The Passion of the Christ," which was shot in Aramaic and Latin, "Apocalypto" is being done in an ancient tongue, Yucatec Maya. The action adventure is set for release Dec. 8. This is not Gibson's first demonstration of generosity in Mexico. Last October, he met with President Vicente Fox to announce that he would donate $1 million to help Mexico recover from Hurricane Stan. [source] [Discuss this post in the Apocalypto Watch Forum now!] Technorati Tags: Apocalypto, Mel Gibson