Disney donates $1M from ‘Black Panther’ to the Boys & Girls Clubs

Disney is giving US$1 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to celebrate the box-office success of Black Panther.

The money will be used by the non-profit organization to help grow their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum.

It will also be used to establish new STEM centres of innovation in 12 cities which include Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Harlem, Hartford, Memphis, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Watts, Calif.

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BGCA’s centres of innovation offer hands-on experiences with advanced technologies such as robotics and 3D printers.

“Thanks to Disney’s support, we can expand our outreach and allow more youth to find their passions and discover STEM careers,” Jim Clark, BGCA president and CEO, said in a statement Monday.

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Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman took to Twitter to thank Disney for its donation.

“The #BlackPanther movie-ment continues. Thank you to @RobertIger & @Disney for donating $1 MILLION to the @BGCA_Clubs so they can expand their youth STEM programs. You can never go wrong when you invest in kid’s futures #WakandaForver,” Boseman wrote.

READ MORE: ‘Black Panther’ roars towards record-breaking box office weekend

Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger said that Black Panther was a “masterpiece of movie making.”

“It is thrilling to see how inspired young audiences were by the spectacular technology in the film,” Iger said in a statement. “So it’s fitting that we show our appreciation by helping advance STEM programs for youth, especially in underserved areas of the country, to give them the knowledge and tools to build the future they want.”

The company said the Black Panther donations will be used to “serve and inspire kids” across the 12 communities and will also develop “high-definition video production and conferencing equipment.”

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Since its release on Feb. 16, Black Panther is setting records at the box office.

Black Panther scored one of the best second weekends ever with an estimated US$108 million in ticket sales, putting it on track to rank among the highest-grossing blockbusters ever.

It is only the fourth film to earn US$100 million in its second weekend, along with Star Wars: The Force Awakens (US$149.2 million), Jurassic World (US$106.6 million) and The Avengers (US$103.1 million).

Black Panther has grossed US$400 million domestically and US$704 million worldwide in two weeks.

—With files from the Associated Press