NBA legend Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson comes to Fort Myers Feb. 12 to help raise money for the Quality Life Center in the Dunbar community. The non-profit Center is facing a potential funding crisis.
Quality Life Center has a $900,000 debt from money borrowed from Fifth Third Bank to renovate its facility and to buy more land for its property along Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Magic Johnson’s appearance will help raise funds for a balloon payment due on the Center’s mortgage in March.
“We have commitments for about $230,000 and we’re looking to raise a total of $1.5 million,” said Quality Life Center Founder and Executive Director Abdul ’Haq Muhammed. “Part of that money will complete our obligation to the bank and at the same time have some dollars to continue our programs.”
The Center, known as ‘The Q,” offers early learning education and after school programs for kids ranging from 2 ½ to 18 years old as well as summer camps, a teen leadership initiative and employment programs for adults. Muhammed says on any given day during the school year, the Center serves about 130 kids and even more throughout the summer months.
“Over the recent years, like many non-profits, we have experienced a decline in funding from the state level as well as the local level,” said Mohammed. “As a result that has caused us to decrease the amount of services that we’re providing and that impacts this community that has historically been neglected.”
Magic Johnson is scheduled to attend private meet-and-greet event at the Center Wednesday. Sponsorships at the $3,500 level are still available for the private event. At 7:30 p.m., Magic Johnson will speak at a fundraising party in the park at the S.T.A.R.S. Complex in Fort Myers.
