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Kid Rock Writes Big Checks For Detroit

DETROIT (WWJ) - Kid Rock took his checkbook to Detroit City Hall, Monday, helping out several local charities to the tune of $50,000. It's all part the commitment he made when he was honored at the NAACP Freedom Fund dinner, earlier this month.

Five organizations: the Detroit Recreation Department, YouthVille Detroit, Habitat for Humanity, Mosaic Youth Theater and a Belle Isle conservancy each received $10,000 from Rock.

"Going out and playing music, sometimes you feel a little guilty that someone paid you that much money. So, I decided I could take some of that money and put it in my foundation and start to bring it back to my city, and try to do go things," he said.

Judith Jackson, President of YouthVille Detroit, said it's a wonderful gift.

"There are so many needs. We have summer programs that were kind of under-funded this year. So, we can put the money to work immediately around tutoring and around youth development activities," Jackson said.

Kid Rock said it's not all about the Benjamins. In addition to these donations, the 40-year-old singer said he'd like to do even more for Detroit.

"I just hope that everybody can really start to open up and work together more, as the suburbs and the city. And I think that that might be something in my future, outside the money, that I could really start to facilitate... just kind of bringing (together) the suburbs and the city... basically white and black, if you really want to call it like it is. Because, as we all know, I'm not the most politically correct person," Rock said, to some chuckles from the crowd.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said some criticized the NAACP for honoring the rocker, but he said Kid Rock promotes Detroit all over the world and he wishes more people did the same.

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