Taylor Swift donates $250 K to schools on her 20th b-day

Z100's Jingle Ball 2009 - Show

Taylor Swift turned 20 years old over the weekend, and she celebrated the event with so much class. I just love this girl – she decided to donate $250,000 to public schools around the country that she’s been associated with over the years. The money will go towards books, programs and teachers’ salaries. Part of her birthday celebration was also performing at the 2009 Jingle Ball (which sounds dirty, right?), and these photos are from that event. It’s looks like that gorgeous, flat-ironed, high-fashion look was only temporary, because at the Jingle Ball, Taylor was back to her big Southern hair.

Taylor Swift is no longer a teen: The country superstar marked turning 20 with a Christmas-themed birthday party for friends, her band and her tour crew at her family’s home in Hendersonville, Tenn.

“It’s more like an end-of-year Christmas party that happens to be on my birthday,” says Swift, who spent the night before at home, baking butter cookies and gingerbread cookies with cream-cheese icing for her guests.

The biggest gift came from Swift herself. The singer has donated $250,000 to schools around the country that she’s either attended or worked with. The money will pay teachers’ salaries as well as buy books and fund various educational programs.

“Something I wanted to do at the end of this amazing year and especially on my birthday was give back to something I really believe in, which is education,” says Swift. “The schools that I went to and the amazing people I got to learn from really turned me into who I am, and I wanted to give back.”

[From People]

Taylor (“Swifty”) didn’t come out for her boyfriend Taylor Lautner over the weekend, though. He was the host of Saturday Night Live, and instead of playing coy about Swifty, Lautner spent his opening monologue talking about Swifty and the Kanye incident. After the show, Lautner went out partying with the SNL cast, and Swifty was still a no-show. I wonder if there’s a trouble in cutie paradise? Probably not. Lautner seems enamored with Swifty. As he should. She’s pretty awesome.

Z100's Jingle Ball 2009 - Show

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20 Responses to “Taylor Swift donates $250 K to schools on her 20th b-day”

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  1. Firestarter says:

    Good for her!

    Super gift!

  2. irishserra says:

    Class Act! (so far…)

  3. birdie says:

    Her hair looked pretty straight, but in all fairness her hair is naturally curly, and she looks good au naturale too.

  4. Rae says:

    I heard a song over the weekend by Evan Taubenfeld called Merry Swiftness. It was hilarious. It’s all about how all he wants for Christmas is Taylor Swift. Very catchy. I had to download it on itunes and add it to my Christmas playlist.

  5. lucy2 says:

    That’s nice that someone so young can really appreciate her education, and made such a donation.

  6. wow says:

    Love these two.

  7. lilred says:

    I think she showed an incredible amount of class , it’s a nice change of pace from what we usually see from other celebs.
    Good show Taylor.

  8. KelBear says:

    The pics you have from Dlisted. She is wearing a wig. Thats not her real hair. Her real hair would have been longer and not so bright blondish. Just look at the way its parted and how in one of the pics her hair looks lifted off her head some.

  9. JustMe says:

    I agree with birdie: her naturally wavy hair is a far better look than the plebian straight-iron.

    Love Taylor: she is a generous soul.

  10. J-Lin says:

    I’m so sick of this broad!!!! She should be on her hands and knees thanking sweet Jesus for Kanye West because she lacks talent.

  11. Beth says:

    “Lacks talent?” Girl’s been writing her own songs and playing the guitar since before puberty. I’m pretty sure they call that “talent.”

  12. snowball says:

    kelbear, I knew it was a wig too – she had bangs, something Taylor’s normal hair didn’t. I love it curly – I’m green with envy, although I don’t think I’d be happy with it on a humid day.

    What would Kanye West have to do with whether or not she has talent? She’s been doing pretty well on her own for a while now.

  13. JustMe says:

    J-Lo: Is that you Ho from the block?

  14. QB says:

    Taylor Cd’s when Platinum way before Kanye.

    I like this girl alot , she is such a sweet girl with great people around her to guide her.

  15. J-Lin says:

    Going platinum has nothing to do with talent and everything to do with marketing.

    Just Me – I got your ho.

  16. luvher says:

    Is that actually a halo I see behind her?!

  17. ButteryBuddha says:

    @Luvher: Probably! LOL!
    Omg, I can’t stand Taylor. I swear she is too perfect. She makes cutesy songs, wears such cute clothes, has a 17 year old cute boy toy, really nice, charitable, MUST I GO ON!?! GAH! She makes me feel like such a failure b/c I am her age and have done NOTHING besides school! LOL! Still <3 her though. But I am taking a break! :0P

  18. Ana says:

    Lainey pointed out that for Miley’s last birthday, she charged people for admission to a concert. But Taylor gave back!

    I need to be rich and famous so I can start my own animal shelter!!!

  19. lilred says:

    @ J-Lin: If you don’t like her style of music that’s fine, I’d hardly call her talentless. (you must be very talented to think that, your bar must be set very high.)

  20. J-Lin says:

    Lilred – Good music is good music regardless of genre. I like Faith Hill, Wynona Judd, and the Dixie Chicks.

    Myabe my bar is set high because I’m an accomplished cello player.

    Looking average while squawking like a wounded owl is hardly talent.