The Weeknd has reportedly made a $50,000 donation to the University of Toronto to start an Ethiopic studies program.
According to the Toronto Star, the Weeknd, whose parents both emigrated to Canada from Ethiopia, immediately responded when the University reached out to him for assistance. “It’s unbelievable,” Tam Gebeyehu, board member of the Bikila Award organization told the newspaper. “He grew up in Toronto as an Ethiopian-Canadian, and now he’s giving back to the community.”
The Weeknd has a history with the Bikila Award organization which dates back to 2014 when he was bestowed an award from the institution for professional excellence. “Back then he was doing a lot of stuff, but was still a boy from Scarborough just rising to fame,” Gebeyehu said. “His donation helps us preserve our culture and share it with everyone else.”
The Bikila Award is named after Abebe Bikila, an Ethiopian Olympic hero, who won two gold medals while running barefoot in the marathon in the 1960s. The organization itself was created to promote volunteerism among Ethiopian-Canadians and to assist the growth of academic, professional and business excellence in that community.
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