Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has given an emergency $60,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem, which was on the brink of going broke until the hip-hop mogul came through with the cash.
The Boys & Girls Club of Harlem 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 near the center, 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 said. 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 he could help. By Friday, the funds were sent to the club.
“The contribution puts the club in a good place for the time being,” Bentley said.
The money will help pay for basketball games, math and reading tutors, plus gym classes for the 3,000 kids who attend the sites.
Diddy said he hopes the extra programs will push teens now hanging on street corners inside to the safety of the clubs.
“There is usually a bigger issue to what kids are going through,” said Diddy. “Most kids want a way out.”
Focusing on Harlem is a lifetime passion for Sean Combs, who is considering opening up a school or giving out scholarships there.
“There are still more great things to come,” Diddy said.
