COLUMBIA At a press conference at the Eau Claire Print Building this morning, Prince, on behalf of himself and his band, is scheduled to announce that he is donating money to the Eau Claire Promise Zone.

John Blackwell, the drummer and Columbia native who anchors Prince’s back band, New Power Generation, said Prince was giving $250,000 to the zone that is seeking to break the nearby poverty cycle. Blackwell will represent Prince and his bandmates.

“He’s been donating money to a lot of charities,” Blackwell said Monday evening as he was preparing to board a plane from Tampa, Fla., to Columbia. “It’s awesome that he’s doing that.”

The 501c3 Eau Claire Promise Zone is a 12-neighborhood area that is part of the nationwide "Promise Neighborhoods" movement, modeled after the work of Geoffrey Canada and his Harlem Children's Zone. The nonprofit group that aims to make sure all children in a Columbia neighborhood graduate from college.

The donation comes on the heels of Prince's 10-day, six-concert run in the Carolinas last month. The Welcome 2 America Tour dates started March 21 at the Colonial Life Arena.

Blackwell, who is scheduled to be joined by Shelby Johnson, one of NPG’s featured vocalists and a Greensboro, N.C., native, won't have much time chill in Columbia because he has flight to catch to Los Angeles.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobser...z1IfEDpWg0

http://prince.org/msg/7/356345

NouveauDance said:

http://prince.org/msg/7/356345

this dupe thread