According to The Columbus Dispatch, filmmaker Tyler Perry visited a concert at Finland Middle School in Columbus, Ohio and donated $100,000 to help student athletes in South-Western schools.
Perry heard about the school after seeing a piece about it on “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel†that aired on HBO in September. The HBO piece was about Finland teacher Mary Mulvany, helping the school raise scholarship money after South-Western schools gained attention after they eliminated athletics and extra-curricular activities after a failed levy in 2009.
Mulvany helped start a foundation that raised scholarship money to cover fees ranging from $75 to $150 per sport. After Perry learned of this, he wanted to also contribute.
“I want to sponsor as many kids as I can,†Perry told more than 700 students and staff members.