LA Clippers James Harden donates $41,000 to save event to feed homeless families
He’s better known for his insane skills on the basketball court, but LA Clippers fans aren’t the only ones who are grateful to point guard James Harden.
DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal that 35-year-old Harden came to Harden’s rescue when an event to raise money to feed homeless families in LA was almost canceled after a major sponsor pulled out at the last minute.
Harden told DailyMail.com: “I was proud to step in at the last hour to support Kidzcon and Project Pop Drop, the non-profit organization dedicated to feeding homeless families and youth.
“Food insecurity is a huge part of the work I do through my Impact13 Foundation and my team and I strive to have a positive impact on the communities that need it most.”
LA Clippers point guard James Harden, 35, came to the rescue when an event to raise money to feed homeless families in LA was nearly canceled
Harden donated $41,000 to the nonprofit to raise money to feed homeless families
Kidzcon, an annual children’s convention that raises money for nonprofit Project Pop Drop, took place this past weekend in Downtown LA.
But the event was called off almost at the eleventh hour after organizers could no longer afford the venue due to the sudden departure of the sponsor.
Despite having a match on the day of the convention, the kind-hearted Harden stepped in with $41,000 of his own money to make up the shortfall, allowing Kidzcon to go ahead.
In an interview with DailyMail.com, organizers Niki Shadrow Snyder and Christine Peake said the disappointment had left them in hot water after event space Rolling Greens told them they would not be able to host the event without getting paid.
Harden, who was resting ahead of last Friday’s win against the Portland Trail Blazers, received a call as Kidzcon attendees arrived at Rolling Greens and immediately agreed to pick up the money using his personal credit card.
Shadrow Snyder, founder of the homeless charity Project Pop Drop, and Peake, a publicist and comedian with a residency at the Hotel Ziggy in West Hollywood, revealed that they were frantically on the phone until midnight the day before the event, until Harden came to the rescue after she approached his nonprofit organization Impact13.
Harden, who was resting ahead of last Friday’s win against the Portland Trail Blazers, finally got a call when Kidzcon attendees arrived at Rolling Greens and immediately agreed to pick up the money using his personal credit card .
Snyder and Peake were completely relieved. “This was indeed very stressful, but thankfully the show went on thanks to James Harden,” said Shadrow Snyder.
“The vendors were great and J is looking forward to feeding the homeless this Thanksgiving with Impact13 Foundation.”
Peake added: “I’ve done over 200 events in Hollywood and never cried. This one I cried twice, once from exhaustion and stress and the other time from gratitude and hope that people like James Harden and the Impact13 Foundation exist in this world to make it a better place.”
In a statement to DailyMail.com, Rolling Greens event manager Sadie Lunche said: “We at Rolling Green DTLA deliver top A-list events, and we were also desperately concerned about KIDZCON and the Project Pop Drop Foundation.
“We did our best to help them and helped them as much as we could when their title sponsor withdrew.
Harden, who grew up in the LA suburb of Lakewood, launched his own nonprofit, the Impact13 Foundation, in December 2021 with the intention of giving back to poorer communities.
The money raised at the event, which was also attended by model Rachel McCord and Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller, will now be used to provide a Thanksgiving meal for homeless families living in LA’s infamous Skid Row.
In addition to providing a Thanksgiving meal, Project Pop Drop also provides monthly food, clothing, medical supplies and beauty products to 2missions and community organizations serving the homeless hotspot
“We were so happy that LA Clippers James Harden and his Impact13 Foundation came along and saved the day so the families could have a great time at our venue.”
The money raised at the event, which was also attended by model Rachel McCord and Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller, will now be used to provide a Thanksgiving meal for homeless families living in LA’s infamous Skid Row.
In addition to providing a Thanksgiving meal, Project Pop Drop also provides monthly food, clothing, medical supplies and beauty products to 2missions and community organizations serving the homeless hotspot.
Harden, who grew up in the LA suburb of Lakewood, launched his own nonprofit, the Impact13 Foundation, in December 2021 with the intention of giving back to poorer communities.
Initiatives include teaching financial literacy, restoring public spaces and giving to grassroots organizations, including a recent $228,000 donation to the Houston Food Bank.