BALTIMORE — R&B singer-songwriter Brent Faiyaz partnered with the Boys and Girls Club and Baltimore Ravens to host his annual Faiyaz Freedom to Breathe Foundation Holiday Party, bringing festive cheer and new creative opportunities to hundreds of local children.
Over 300 children from Baltimore and Howard County filled the gym at the new Ravens Boys and Girls Club for the celebration. The young attendees danced, received gifts, won prizes, and met special guests, including the Ravens mascot Poe and Faiyaz himself.
"It feels great to watch it elevate, to see it so much bigger than it was last year and the year before that," Faiyaz said.
The annual holiday party is the singer's way of giving back to his community, which his mother says is his favorite part of the year.
"It's important never to forget that he was someone who came from the same type of environment, and this is what he is doing with his blessings. It means a lot," said Jeannette Wood, executive director of the Faiyaz Freedom to Breathe Foundation.
This year, the foundation expanded beyond the holiday celebration by creating a content studio space at the Boys and Girls Club. The new facility allows young people to explore their creative passions through various entertainment media.
"One thing about the DMV and about Maryland specifically is that everything is always pretty much based on like either education, sports or politics so just to take entertainment and take something that so much of these kids grow up on and bring it back home you know where you can create you can record, you can have a podcast you can be a YouTuber you know you can entertain is something I think it needed out here so I am happy to bring that," Faiyaz said.
Jeff Breslin, CEO of Boys and Girls Club Metro Baltimore, emphasized the importance of these partnerships and community events.
"The energy in the building. This is why we built this club, the energy for kids to be kids, to come together to know that folks care about them. You know, the Faiyaz family, the ravens bringing that energy to this community, and when you do that, there's a spark that could happen, and the kids in the wonder in their eyes is pretty incredible," Breslin said.
Faiyaz expressed his commitment to continuing his community support and helping local children realize their potential.
"I really, more than anything, just want to give that gift of not just creativity but possibility, so that you know you can do anything you want to do and be anywhere you want to be. That's you know the most important thing that were trying to drive home while were here," he said.
The singer hopes to make next year's holiday party even bigger than this year's celebration.
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