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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 324-03
November 13, 2003

MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND SEAN "P. DIDDY" COMBS ANNOUNCE $1 MILLION DONATION TO SUPPORT LIBRARIES AND TECHNOLOGY IN NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Donation to Fund for Public Schools is Half of Combs’ Overall $2 Million Contribution Raised from “Diddy Runs the City” to Benefit the Children of New York City

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today joined Sean “P. Diddy” Combs to announce a $1 million donation to support libraries and technology in New York City public schools. The funds were raised through ‘Diddy Runs the City’, an initiative by Sean Combs’ to raise awareness and solicit donations for children’s health and educational needs while training for the ING New York City Marathon. The donation to the Fund for Public Schools is half of Combs’ overall $2 Million contribution to the children of New York City.  The Mayor and Mr. Combs were joined by Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein and Chief Executive of the Department of Education’s Office of Strategic Partnerships Caroline Kennedy at a press conference at City Hall.
 
“It’s my great pleasure to welcome Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs to City Hall to announce this generous $2 million dollar donation to the children of New York City – half of which is going to support libraries and technology in our public schools,” said Mayor Bloomberg.  “Sean raised these funds the hard way – by training for and running in the ING New York City Marathon.  Sean’s performance in the marathon was impressive, but more impressive still was that he showed New Yorkers that one person can make a big difference in the lives of our public school children.”

“I’m honored to be able to present this gift to the children of New York and help continue to grow and nurture their future. I hope this initiative has shown that each individual has the power to make a difference and I urge others to do what they can to better their communities,” Sean “P. Diddy” Combs said.

Today’s donation to the Fund for Public Schools will fund new books, furniture, equipment and computers for a number of New York City public middle schools and high schools. Schools receiving support include IS 218 in East New York; IS 164 in Washington Heights; and Tito Puente Complex  JHS 117 in East Harlem and JHS 258 in Bedford Stuyvesant, as well as other schools.  As part of the effort, Sean Combs also visited two of the schools to speak to students about the importance of education and staying in school.  A total of $2 million raised during “Diddy Runs the City” will be distributed among three organizations including Children’s Hope Foundation, Daddy’s House Social Programs and New York City’s public schools.

“As we implement the most sweeping educational reforms in our City's history, we must enlist the help of all New Yorkers to help transform our schools," Chancellor Klein said. "I thank Sean Combs for his commitment to improving public education, as well as the many others who have contributed their energy and resources, and encourage everyone to join our mission to provide a quality education for New York City's 1.1 million public school children.”
 
“Sean Combs has demonstrated what one individual with a creative commitment to educational reform can accomplish,” Caroline Kennedy said.  “This contribution will make a critical difference in the lives of many middle and high school students, and I hope it will inspire all New Yorkers to think about how each one of us can help improve our schools— through volunteering, mentoring or making a donation to the Fund for Public Schools.”
 
The donation was coordinated by the Department of Education’s Office of Strategic Partnerships under the leadership of Caroline Kennedy.  The Office’s mission is to increase corporate and community participation, volunteerism, and financial support for public schools. Private donations are received through the Fund for Public Schools, Inc., a 501c(3) non-profit organization that is managed by the Office of Strategic Partnerships.  Recent fundraising initiatives include the AOL Concert for the Schools featuring the Dave Matthews Band to support music education, and private sector support for the Leadership Academy.

Anyone who wishes to get involved in supporting New York City’s public schools should visit the Fund’s Web site www.fundforpublicschools.org or call 212-374-2874.







MEDIA CONTACT:


Edward Skyler / Robert Lawson   (212) 788-2958

Jerry Russo   (DOE)
(212) 374-5141

Susan Makarichev (Sean Combs)   (212) 981-5243




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