Curtis 50 Cent Jackson and the G Unity Foundation, along with Bette Midler and the New York Restoration Project, opened the Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Community Garden. Located at 165th And Foch in the Baisley Park section of Queens, the garden, which was secured by Bettes NYRP group back in 1999, was fully funded by 50’s G Unity Foundation.
50 Cent spoke of how much the community meant to him and that it was great to see so many people that he grew up with and what a wonderful feeling it was to give back.
"I called and nagged him," Midler said, describing how she got 50 Cent involved with the garden. "His G-Unity Foundation gives a million dollars away every year in grants to non profits all over the city ... They're just brilliant."
50 said, "I wish I had this to come to when I was growing up around here," he said. "The opportunity to create this garden for the youth and the community is a great one." Besides, he noted, "When Bette calls you don't say 'no.' Not if you want your reputation to stay the way it is."
The garden will be tended by the community, led by local devoted gardener Gertrude Duncan. It will be an invaluable learning tool to the local school children, who will also assist in the upkeep. The garden will produce a wide variety of heirloom fruits and vegetables and when harvested, the proceeds will go to benefit the area schools. It features rain collecting funnels that will store rain water in a tank under the garden and can be accessed via an above ground pump.
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