Tyler Perry Liberates Rooftop Reverend With Huge Donation

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Feb 25, 2012 5:30PM

Friday evening Chicago's Rev. Corey Brooks ended his 94-day occupation of the rooftop of a decrepit motel after a $100,000 donation from movie mogul Tyler Perry closed the gap to meet his fundraising goal.

Brooks, 43, became known as the "Rooftop Reverend" when he set up camp on top of a South Side motel after the gang-related shooting of 17-year-old Carlton King Archer. He only came down a couple times—once for a doctor's appointment and twice to preside over funerals for murder victims and comfort their families.

He described the motel as "a hotbed of drugs and prostitution" and needed to raise the $450,000 needed to demolish it. The plan is to replace it with a $15 million community center.

Perry was running a contest to give away a Harley-Davidson motorcycle to a church as part of a promotion for his new movie Good Deeds, and a member of Brooks's New Beginnings Church nominated Brooks to win. During an appearance on Tom Joyner’s morning radio show, Perry learned about Brooks's project and decided to give him cash instead of a motorcycle to raffle.

The Sun-Times writes:

“This is all legit? This has all been vetted? How much money is he trying to raise?” Perry asked Joyner.

Joyner and his sidekicks told Perry that Brooks was indeed legitimate and needed $98,000 to complete the deal .

“OK, OK, I tell you what. You guys have vetted this? This is all real and legit?. I’ll do that. I’ll give him the $98,000,” said Perry, who later changed the gift to an even $100,000.

“If this is all real and it’s a community center that’s going to help stop some of the crime that’s going on there — I love the people of Chicago, I’m in,” said Perry.

Brooks said when he got the phone call he cried tears of joy. He descended from the rooftop Friday evening to much fanfare. Watch video below.