The 'If I Ain't Got You' crooner invests in the next generation of performing arts at her alma mater by giving a significant donation to her former school in the Big Apple.
- March 19, 2024
AceShowbiz - Alicia Keys, the 43-year-old Grammy winner, has donated $60,000 to a GoFundMe campaign organized by 7th grade student Tennyson Artigliere to save the theater program at her alma mater, Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS) in New York City.
Along with her label, Roc Nation, Keys' contribution helped surpass the $102,000 goal required to maintain the school's partnership with theater company Waterwell. Fellow PPAS alum, Jeremy Allen White, also urged his followers to donate.
Keys, who enrolled at PPAS at age 12, has promised to continue fundraising until the city can provide funding. "When I told my class, people couldn't believe it," said Artigliere. "We brainstormed about what we could do. We wouldn't let the program that brought so many students happiness be cut short."
The school's PTA and parent body will vote on the allocation of the funds in the coming weeks. While the funds raised will continue the Waterwell partnership, other arts partners are being considered.
For Keys, this cause is personal. She was signed to her first label shortly after graduating from PPAS and has since won 16 Grammy Awards, including Best Immersive Audio Album for the re-release of her 2003 album, "The Diary of Alicia Keys".
Other notable PPAS alumni include Britney Spears, Claire Danes, Jesse Eisenberg, Lana Candor, Sarah Hyland, and Josh Peck.
