MACON, Ga. — The Knight Foundation just announced a big grant to help the Otis Redding Foundation, which will help kids in Bibb County and throughout Central Georgia.
Since 2007, the Otis Redding Foundation has been focused on music and arts education programs.
"Through our various programs from summer camps to year-round programs that encourage songwriting, we write the songs," Vice President and Executive Director of the Otis Redding Foundation Karla Redding-Andrews said.
Redding-Andrews says they've helped thousands of students stay on a beat to the music.
"We've got so many young people that have graduated, gone on to major universities across the world, from Mercer to Nashville," Redding-Andrews said.
With the foundation continuing to grow the KNIGHT Foundation stepped in to help the Otis Redding Foundation get into a new space.
"For a number of years, we have been outgrowing our space here on Cotton Avenue, and have actively been thinking and wanting to engage in plans to develop to see if we can develop a new Otis Redding Center for creative arts," Redding-Andrews said.
With the $200,000 grant from the Knight Foundation, the new center is closer to becoming a reality.
"They do really great work that is important both on a local level but also nationally, it is national visibility for community-engaged work that they do," Director of Arts at the Knight foundation Priya Sircar said.
The Knight Foundation hopes this grant helps the Redding Foundation plan for the future.
"We are just grateful to have the support that we have in this community," Redding-Andrews said.
Redding-Andrews says they hope to build the new center in downtown Macon by 2023.