NEW YORK (CNN) -- Tyler Perry, the star, writer and producer of films such as "Madea Goes to Jail" and the television show "House of Payne," could be adding philanthropist to his growing list of credits.


Tyler Perry is sponsoring a trip to Disney World for kids at a largely minority day-care center.

1 of 2 According to his publicist, Perry is sponsoring a Disney World trip for 65 Pennsylvania children at a largely minority day-care center after a swim club canceled pool privileges for the children.

"He wanted to do something nice for them and let them know that for every negative experience, there are people out there who want them to succeed regardless of the color of their skin," said Keleigh Thomas, Perry's publicist. She added the entertainer would be footing the bill for all transportation, hotel, admissions and food costs at the Florida theme park.

When Perry heard about the situation with the children in the highly publicized aftermath of the pool cancellation, he immediately wanted to help them, Thomas told CNN, adding that a trip to Disney World is definitely "better than the pool."

"I am ecstatic for the children," Alethea Wright, director of the Creative Steps day-care center, told CNN. Perry's team extended the offer to her on Friday, she said. The Disney World stay will be from August 1 to 3, according to Perry's Web site.

The pool controversy started after the Valley Swim Club in suburban Philadelphia revoked the swimming privileges for children from the Creative Steps center after one visit on June 29. Some black and Hispanic children said white club members made racist comments to them during that visit, asking why "black children were there" and raising concerns that "they might steal from us."

The day-care center had originally contracted to use the pool during the summer, but the club canceled the agreement and returned the day-care center's $1,950 check without explanation.

The club canceled contracts with two other day-care centers because of safety and crowding, swim club director John Duesler said. Those facilities have not protested the club's actions.

The issue was exacerbated when Duesler told two Philadelphia television stations the children had changed "the complexion" and "atmosphere" of the club. The comment brought protesters outside the facility.

Duesler later said that safety and crowding prompted the cancellation.

As the controversy grew and reached national news shows, the swim club asked the Creative Steps day care to return. It refused and said it would pursue a lawsuit.


In a statement posted Monday on his Web site, Perry summed up his feelings about the pool situation: "This made me so angry," he wrote.

"This is awful, and for anyone that has grown up in the inner-city, you know that one small act of kindness can change your life," he wrote, adding that with the trip to Disney World, "I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them. This is all about the kids."

Very kind gesture.

Good to see something nice said about Tyler Perry here.

The story of what happened to those kids was so sad. With some of the parents going so far as to pull their children out of the water, one little girl asked her mother later "Mommy, am I too black to get into the pool?" . Maybe a weekend won't make up for an entire summer of being able to play at this swim club, but the gesture of letting these kids know they aren't freaks, and deserve childhood joys just like every other child is really heartwarming and appreciated. Good work, Perry.

NICE

Very nice of him.

Go head, Tyler

That's nice.

I wanna go!

here it is 2009 and we still have to deal with this bullshit. Those kids did not deserve that treatment at all. Gosh this pisses me off to no end. Can you even imagine what they felt like after that happened? OMG. As a parent I would had been outraged. I'm very happy that Tyler Perry is giving the kids a trip... but unfortunately, its not going to change the treatment that mgmt is giving minorities at that establishment. Its demeaning, unprofessional, and ludricous. Somebody should torch the damn building.

was nice of him to do something for the kids! they deserve to be able to have a great time!!!

, I'm glad to see that somebody in the black community reached out to these kids and made an attempt to put that ugly incicent behind them. That was an extremely kind gesture on his part.