Rupert Boneham

Rupert Boneham was a contestant in Survivor: Pearl Islands, Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. He is recognized by fans with his trademark long beard and his tye-dyed shirt. He is also considered as one of the show's most popular castaways.

Profile
Born in Detroit, Rupert Boneham moved with his parents at a young age to Indiana where he eventually attended Haworth High School in Kokomo. He then moved to Texas to study nursing at Cisco Junior College and San Angelo University. Boneham currently resides in Indianapolis, where he works as a vocational and clinical mentor for troubled teens. He previously worked as a gravedigger and a bartender. His hobbies include scuba diving, camping and coin collecting. His favorite sport is racquetball. He describes himself as strong, smart and brave. He is most proud of becoming independent/self-employed and being able to care for his family while not having to live the "Nine-To-Five" world. He believes his competitive advantages on SURVIVOR: PEARL ISLANDS are his ability to be a team player, hunter and gatherer, camper and all-around survivor. Boneham is married to his wife, Laura, and they have one four-year-old daughter, Raya.

Survivor: America's Tribal Council
At the finale of Survivor: All Stars, viewers were given the opportunity in a contest called "America Votes", to select one of the eighteen contestants to win one million dollars. The finalists were Rupert Boneham, Colby Donaldson, Tom Buchanan, and Rob Mariano. Rupert won the million dollars, receiving 85% of the 38 million votes cast. He spent his prize money on his family's debts, a college fund for his daughter, a new house for his family, and the creation of his charity, Rupert's Kids, which mentors troubled children.

Post-Survivor

 * After being awarded one million dollars on 'Survivor: America's Tribal Council, Boneham used a large percentage of his winnings to establish Rupert's Kids, to help "at-risk teens". The organization joined with the City of Indianapolis to create the Park Adoption Program.
 * Shortly after his Survivor appearances, Boneham briefly appeared at promotional appearances for the Hardee's restaurant chain. In 2004 he appeared as a stable hand named Paul in "The Big My Little Pony Episode", the third season premiere of the TV series Half & Half. In 2006, he appeared in the independent movie Open Mic'rs. He also made a cameo appearance as a homeless man in "The Radford Reshuffle", the sixth season premiere of the show Yes, Dear.

Trivia

 * Now Has his own charity, Rupert's Kids, designed to keep children and adolecents off the streets.
 * Has his own line of tie-die Tshirts available on his website

Links
Ruperts Kids website: http://www.rupertskids.org/