Topics: celebrity, celebrity_rewind, dominican republic, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, salsa, singer
Marc Anthony to build new orphanage facilities in the Dominican Republic
by Nina Terrero, @nina_terrero Follow @NBCLatino
10:30 am on 11/26/2012
He's a renowned salsa singer, political activist and father, taking time from his concert schedule to build new facilities for children in need at the Children of Christ orphanage in the town of La Romana in the Dominican Republic.
Anthony, who broke ground Friday on his new project alongside music and sports producer Henry Cardenas, plans to build a new residence hall, baseball field and classrooms for the orphanage.
Entrepreneur and music/sports producer Henry Cardenas (l) and salsa icon Marc Anthony (r) are pictured with Children of Christ orphanage residents during their new facilities groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo/Courtesy Blanca Lasalle)
Sonia Hane, the director of the Children of Christ Foundation, said that Anthony's philanthropy was inspired by a previous visit to the orphanage; a shelter founded in 1996 for "children who were abused or abandoned or whose parents were unable to care for them," reports the AP.
"This day not only marks the beginning of a new life for these children, who are in much need of our support, but it's also the start of a labor of love for us that began last year and today comes to fruition," said Anthony in a statement.
Anthony, whose model girlfriend, Shannon de Lima, accompanied him on the groundbreaking ceremony, founded Maestro Cares with Cardenas earlier this year. To date, Maestro Cares has raised more than $200,000 for the expansion project, to be built on a 10,000 sq. yard piece of land donated by a local sugar company.