Taylor Swift Donates $100K as Birthday Gift to Nashville Symphony
Taylor Swift handed out gifts instead of receiving them on her 24th birthday this year.
The singer, who turned one year older on Dec. 13, remembered her hometown and donated $100,000 to the Nashville Symphony, its publicist Laurie Davis confirmed. The gift was a surprise to symphony representatives who attended a meeting earlier in December held by musicians' union president Dave Pomeroy, according to the Nashville Musicians Association.
The symphony's Schermerhorn Symphony Center nearly faced foreclosure this summer, but have focused on fundraising ever since. Because of the financial problems, musicians agreed to a 15 percent pay cut in their latest contract.
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Pomeroy said in a news release that Swift is a member of the union and has always shown devotion to the greater Nashville community and its arts.
"We are profoundly grateful for @TaylorSwift13′s donation," a tweet by the Symphony read. "Thank you, Taylor, for supporting musicians & music in #MusicCity. Happy Birthday!"
The Red singer's donation came two months after the opening of the Taylor Swift Education Center in Nashville -- the result of a $4 million donation she gave to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012. Swift's love and support for her hometown of Nashville has always been present. In 2012, she also donated 14,000 books to the Nashville Public Library.
The Golden Globe nominee celebrated her birthday in Australia by having dinner with friends in Melbourne and then a garden party. Swift stopped Down Under as part of her Red world tour.
