Friday, 6 October 2006

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Bon Jovi to restore rundown Philly homes

Singer continues community service effort after Hurricane Katrina

Jon Bon Jovi on Thursday announced an effort to renovate 15 rundown houses in Philadelphia's blighted north side.

With Bill Clinton by his side, the Bon Jovi singer, 44, introduced the Phase V Homeownership Project before a crowd of about 350 people in Philadelphia.

The effort is sponsored by Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation and the Saturn car company, working in conjunction with Project HOME and Habitat for Humanity – and Bon Jovi said Clinton was on board as well.

The former president, 60, "was intrigued enough that he offered his services, and said, 'If I can help you in any way, don't hesitate.' And we didn't," Bon Jovi told the Associated Press.

Clinton told the audience, "I don't care who is running the government and what the policies are, there will always be a gap between where we are and where we need to be, and those of you out there in the audience have to step into that gap," the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Thursday night, Clinton and former president George H.W. Bush were honored at the 2006 Liberty Medal ceremony at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center. At the same event, Bon Jovi received the City of Brotherly Love Award from Mayor John F. Street.