"Survivor" Lunch Lady Refuses Handout

(AP)  Denise Martin, who gained fame as the lunch lady on the CBS reality show "Survivor: China," is donating the $50,000 she received from producer Mark Burnett to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Martin told viewers on Sunday night's live finale that she'd been demoted to janitor at a school in Douglas, Mass., after finishing fourth on the show. After hearing her story, Burnett surprised Martin with the money to help get her life back.

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Photos: "Survivor: China" Finale

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"It was not my intention to be misleading," Martin, 40, said on the broadcast. "I'm sorry, and I apologize to everybody."

In a statement issued Tuesday by the network, Martin said she took "full responsibility" for her actions.

"I do not feel comfortable about accepting the $50,000. I would instead ask that it be donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation," the statement said. "Please accept my apology. I would also like to thank all the people who have supported me through this experience."

Nancy Lane, the superintendent of Douglas Public Schools in Massachusetts, says Martin didn't portray what happened accurately -- and had in fact been promoted, at her own request, to the new position, which pays better and has better benefits.

The two of them faced off on The Early Show Tuesday -- with Lane in New York, and Martin in Los Angeles.

To watch the video of their confrontation,

click here

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[baileyccc]

Lunch lady can''t even speak in complete sentences, her responses to questions on the show were rambling and off subject. She is probably over her head at the school.

[erasmus6]

"No, the "right thing" would be to earn the money honestly and then donate it by free choice--not to avoid admission of fraud." posted by cpaide

You of course are right, but I was just happy to see that she didn''t keep it. I was afraid she would. As it is her lying is going to cause her family a lot of problems. People don''t take kindly to being lied to but maybe they will be more forgiving now that she has not accepted the money.

[cpaide]

My faith in you has been restored. You did the right thing!
Posted by erasmus6

No, the "right thing" would be to earn the money honestly and then donate it by free choice--not to avoid admission of fraud.

[erasmus6]

Thank you, DENISE!

My faith in you has been restored. You did the right thing!