Diddy is back in the headlines this week but only this time when he jumped in the middle of a situation he made a positive impact. The mogul was able to help save The Boys &Girls Club in his native Harlem from closure by making a generous donation.
The famed nonprofit was debating whether to close one of its four sites uptown or cut back on sports and tutoring programs throughout Harlem.
But Diddy, who lived in Esplanade Gardens, off W. 148th St. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., until he was 12, said he didn’t want kids from his old neighborhood to lose out.
“Being from Harlem, I heard they needed help, and I wanted to help,” Diddy told the Daily News. This “is something that I am proud to do.”
Boys & Girls Club of Harlem board member Willie Bentley said he talked to a friend who works for Diddy last Tuesday in hopes the star could help. By Friday, the five-figure funds were sent to the club. “The contribution puts the club in a good place for the time being,” Bentley said. (source)
The money will help pay for basketball games, math and reading tutors, plus gym classes for the 3,000 kids who attend the sites located on W. 144th St., W. 133th St., Amsterdam Ave. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.