The Grio is reporting that Will.I.Am was able to raise $2.4 million at his annual pre-Grammy charity concert for his i.am.angel Foundation. The event entitled Trans4m was held on Thursday and featured old school artists such as Bell Biv Devoe, Chaka Khan, and Sergio Mendez. Rap stars Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh also performed. Will.I.Am also did not disappoint and performed for the crowd. In the past, the event has featured such performers as Black Eyed Peas, James Brown, Bobby Brown, Alicia Keys, and Boys II Men.
Will.I.Am’s event has become a staple of Grammy week, and he believes that other artists look forward to supporting his foundation because people, “inherently want to do good.” He feels that people wanting to do good goes along with the celebratory mood that most who attend the Grammy’s are in when they arrive for the week of events surrounding the awards ceremony. Will.I.Am attributes this celebratory mood and people’s inherent yearning to do good as a reason that this charity event has been able to be sustained over the years and still continue to experience such great success.
Will.I.Am’s foundation was launched in 2009 and helps provide college scholarships, financial literacy, college preparation, and home mortgage assistance. The foundation focuses on the transformation of the Boyle Heights neighborhood in East Los Angeles. The neighborhood was once a thriving industrial area but is now in significant economic decline and provides limited opportunities for the educational and economic advancement of those who live in the area. Will.I.Am’s yearning to transform the area is where the events name was Trans4m was taken from.
Just this year, the foundation has sponsored events that have allowed American students to travel to China, learn how to code, and the foundation has also sponsored hackathons.. For students who participate in the programs, 90 percent of them graduate and also have high GPA’s and strong attendance.
(via Black Like Moi)
