Tiger Woods Not Sending Mobile Hospital to Haiti, Still Waiting to Make Donation

Jan. 15, 2010— -- Tiger Woods has not yet pledged any money to the ongoing relief effort in Haiti, said the head of his charitable foundation -- rebuffing those celebrities who had publicly said the golfer would donate $3 million and a cargo plane full of medical supplies to the victims of Tuesday's earthquake.

"We're currently researching the most effective plan to aid in the relief effort. Historically, we have found being part of the rebuilding effort to be the most effective approach for the Foundation," Greg McLaughlin, President and CEO of the Tiger Woods Foundation, told ABCNews.com in an e-mail.

McLaughlin said the foundation "will be supporting the people of Haiti" but no specific promises of aid had been made.

That was a stark contrast to comments made by celebrities Wyclef Jean and Russell Simmons -- who earlier this week gave details about what Woods would send, including a "mobile hospital with 50 EMTs to go set up a triage."

On Tuesday Jean, the Haitian-born rapper and record producer, said via Twitter that Yele, the Haitian relief organization he founded, "may get $3M donation from Tiger Woods."

Jean's tweet was followed by another from music mogul Russell Simmons: "Heard tiger woods donating to send a cargo plane with a mobile hospital out there. Keep ur prayers high!"

Simmons told the New York Daily News Thursday that Woods was "working on sending" the mobile hospital and emergency medical technicians.

When told by ABC News.com that Woods had no immediate plans to send a mobile hospital, Simmons' spokeswoman, Lacy Pica, would not comment.

Calls made to Wyclef Jean's Yele organization for comment were not returned.

Woods, the world's wealthiest athlete, has not made a public appearance since taking an indefinite leave of absence from golf late last year, following a sex scandal involving a dozen women.

Woods' net worth was estimated at $600 million by Forbes in 2009. In 1996 Woods founded the Tiger Woods Foundation, a charitable organization that focuses on inspiring young people, which has net assets of $48.3 million according, to Charity Navigator.

The U.N. asked world governments to pledge some $550 million in aid to the impoverished Caribbean nation in which some 3 million people are affected. More than $200 million has already been raised through donations from individuals to charitable organizations.