ATLANTA - In his hit "Whatever You Like," rapper T.I. offers iced Patron tequila and stacks of money to the lady in his life.
On Thursday at Turner Field, the Atlanta native was instead offering steaming spoonfuls of corn, but the stacks were still involved - this time for an Atlanta food bank struggling during the bad economy.
T.I. volunteered at the city's largest Thanksgiving dinner at the Atlanta Braves' home field. The event, which turned out close to 22,000, was organized by the Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless.
"It's a pleasure for me to help service those who are definitely in need of the service," said T.I., before taking his spot on the serving line.
T.I. raised nearly $100,000 within two hours on a local radio show on Wednesday. Meanwhile another Atlanta rapper, Young Jeezy, was donating $5,000, his manager said.
Event co-director Elisabeth Omilami said the donations came at the right time. She said the program, dedicated to feeding the poor and homeless, had a 10 percent decrease in income because of the slumping economy.
"I shouldn't be but I'm amazed by their giving," said Omilami, daughter of the late Hosea Williams. "I've been doing this for 39 years but I've never seen a year like this one in terms of donations."
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On the Net:
Hosea Feed the Hungry & Homeless: http://www.hoseafeedthehungry.com
