Katie Rost has made it her tagline, and her storyline, on the debut season of The Real Housewives of Potomac. “I’m a ball and gala girl, it’s my legacy and my calling,” smiles Katie in her opening sequences. But how much of this “legacy” translates into action when it comes to raising money through charity events? Some say, not much – if anything at all!
Katie’s family’s charitable organization, The Rost Foundation, is apparently real (realer than a Real Housewife, at least!), but hasn’t performed a whole lotta, um, charity in the past decade or so. Yet, Katie constantly refers to The Rost Foundation as the impetus behind planning lavish events that never pan out or even get off the ground. So, what gives, here?
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According to public records that the Washington Post dug up, the foundation’s “sole source of income is from Rost’s mother, Geico executive Rynthia Rost, “whose single donations have added up to about $32,000 over the last five years, are the only contributions to show up on federal tax forms.”
So, where does even this relatively small amount of money go? The Post reports that in the past five years, “the foundation gave out less than $3,000. Donations are mostly checks of less than $1,000: $200 to the DC College Access Program and $450 to the Boys and Girls Club of America, for example.”
Katie has come under castmate and viewer scrutiny this season more for being so unbelievably desperate for her boyfriend Andrew to propose, and for being so eager to get married while raising three very young children (from her recent divorce).
RELATED: Gizelle Bryant Calls Out Katie Rost For Hiding, Lying, and Fronting!
Katie has also struggled to find anyone on RHOP to back her attempts at charity event planning. Indeed, when she tried to throw a Rost Foundation event (in three weeks with no venue, no donors, no guest list, etc…), most of the ladies backed slowwwwwly away from the hot mess before it was too late. As a result, Katie ended up canceling the event.
Bragging about her “decade long” modeling career, colorful dating history, and legacy of philanthropy, Katie has become a lightening rod for debate on her debut season. Her mixed-race heritage, which she embraces with open arms, is also a point of contention among the ladies in the group who identify primarily as African American.
Given how much about Katie we still don’t know (like, what really happened with husband #1 for her to leave him while pregnant!?), one has to wonder what other skeletons might start peeking their bony noses out of that closet door?
As for the Rost Foundation, president of the watchdog group Charity Watch Daniel Borochoff says, “Other than offering publicity value, it’s really wasting money.”
TELL US: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS ROST FOUNDATION NEWS? IS KATIE HIDING OTHER SECRETS?
Photo Credit: Bravo
