Filed under: News
Mega-celeb Will Smith is giving back to the community where he was born and bred by helping a West Philadelphia school replace some 30 computers that were stolen last month.
The Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation and Charlie Mack Cares philanthropic organization will be donating 29 Apple laptops and one desktop on Friday to the West Philadelphia High School.
Charlie 'Mack' Alston is a local community activist and longtime friend and business partner of Smith, who paid a direct tribute to his buddy on the song "Charlie Mack (1st Out the Limo)" on the hit 1988 album 'He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper.'
Mack plans on delivering the goods to the school sans the blockbuster film star, Smith, who has another commitment elsewhere.
When the high school was robbed in the wee hours on Feb. 21, according to investigators, 58 laptop computers, two desktops and one LED projector -- equipment valued at between $80,000 and $100,000 -- was stolen. Police have only been able to recover half of the laptops and the projector thus far.
Since then, two 17-year-old students have been caught, arrested and charged with burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and related offenses. The break-in was the second at West Philadelphia High this year and the latest in a string of thefts from Philadelphia public schools, where nearly 350 computers have been stolen, totaling half a million dollars in equipment.