Tyler Perry helps bring Atlanta police, local community together with 1,000 gift cards
Film and television mogul Tyler Perry is helping to bring unity in Atlanta after social unrest tore through the city following the police-involved death of Rayshard Brooks this year.
The Tyler Perry’s studios founder bought 1,000 Kroger’s supermarket gift cards to bless the local community and asked the Atlanta Police Department to be the ones to hand them out.
“This is about the good police officers who do their job well every day, some of whom are my personal friends,” Perry said in a statement. “This is about trying to bridge unity in a city that adopted me and held me up high enough to reach my own branch on the tree of success.”
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Photos on Twitter this month showed the officers of the Atlanta Police Department going door to door with Perry’s donations.
“500 food boxes were distributed to families in need this morning during the grocery giveaway event at the Dunbar Rec Center,” the department shared last week on Twitter. “@tylerperry donated 1,000 Kroger gift cards to give out to the community. Thanks to all of those stopped by & to our partner agencies. #APDCares #WeLoveATL”
It's been such a good day! We went from Zone 3 to Zone 1 to give out more of the @kroger gift cards provided by @TylerPerry. Thanks to everyone who spent time speaking with us. #OneAtlantapic.twitter.com/JgAyi1XcYe
— Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) July 16, 2020
Protests grew increasingly violent following the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy’s parking lot in Atlanta. Brooks’ shooting compelled Perry to pay for his funeral and supply college tuition for all four of Brooks’ children.
Due to his personal relationship with the local police, Perry thought to try and bring unity between the people in his new home and the authorities.
“Atlanta has been the dream. It has been the promised land,” the “Madea” actor added in his statement. “So when I got here, this whole state and city has been amazing to me and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
Perry is known for his philanthropy. In April, Perry used some of his $600 million fortune to gift several employees at one of his favorite restaurants in Atlanta.
According to TMZ, Perry visited the West Paces location of Houston's in Atlanta and left a $500 tip for everyone on staff. In total, he gave $21,000 to the 42 "out-of-work" servers employed at the restaurant while grabbing a to-go order for himself.
