Streep Does Viola Davis— and Rhode Island—a Favor

Meryl Streep's Best Actress win over Viola Davis was the big upset of the Oscars; even Streep herself seemed surprised, calling the whole process "a crapshoot." But now she's making it up to Davis—in a big way. Streep donated $10,000 to a struggling school in Rhode Island in Davis' honor, Reuters reports. Davis has been championing the bankrupt Central Falls, Rhode Island, where she grew up, inspiring Streep to send a check to the Segue Institute for Learning, a charter school in town facing the loss of its building. Click for more on Central Falls' woes.

"We've just been screaming from the rooftops" after receiving the check on the morning after the Oscars, says the school's founder, a longtime friend of Davis. He adds that the gift followed a conversation between Davis and Streep, in which Davis told Streep "about a little school started" by her friend. (More Meryl Streep stories.)