Karl Malone may have the hardest, most-chiseled physique in the NBA, but he has a soft heart when it comes to children.

Malone, a father of three who for years has made regular visits to sick youngsters at Primary Children's Medical Center, announced the formation of the Karl Malone Foundation for Kids, in a press conference Monday afternoon."This will be my way of changing the lives of not just children but their families as well," Malone said.

The foundation will raise funds through private donations and special events, then donate the money to individual children and to organizations that assist less-fortunate kids with a variety of needs.

Utah Jazz star Malone said his close friendship with Danny Ewing, a 13-year-old patient at Primary Children's who died of leukemia in June 1996, inspired him to start the foundation. Malone pointed out that many families, like the Ewings, have a hard time paying for their children's expensive medical care.

"If you've got a kid who's sick, you're not going to worry about how much it costs," Malone said. "But for everyday working people, $75,000 can put you in a hole for the rest of your life."

Malone said he did his homework before setting up the foundation. He studied San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young's Forever Young Foundation and looked at charity work being done by former teammate Mark Eaton, industrialist Jon M. Huntsman and Jazz owner Larry H. Miller. Malone said his immediate goal is to aid by Christmas five families with kids at Primary Children's. He also is looking forward to a country-music benefit concert in August.

The foundation's board of directors includes Young; Harris Sim-mons, Zions Bank president and chief executive officer; Emmy Award winning musician Kurt Bestor; Jon M. Huntsman Jr., vice chairman of the board of Huntsman Chemicals; Chieko Okazaki, former first counselor in the presidency of the LDS Church's Relief Society organization; and Utah Attorney General Jan Graham. Kerry Rupp, longtime East High basketball coach, will serve as the foundation's executive coordinator.