Posted:
13 years ago
On September 17, 2004,
during his latest child-abuse pre-trial appearances (the singer being
absolved of all counts of misconduct later in 2005), he welcomes a large
group of supporters to the restaurant "Epiphany" in Boston,
Massachusetts, while ordering pizzas for each individual, in
appreciation for their enduring commitment to him.
On December 17, 2004,
Michael Jackson invites approximately 200 people - children and their
families from 6 special centers, among which churches, church schools
etc - at his residence in California, and reiterates previous statements
regarding the access of families, as well as tourists around the world,
welcomed to spend time and tour Neverland; he also greets the gathering
families and verbally addresses them holiday wishes. Jackson's
spokesperson at the time, Raymone Bain, also present at the event, says
that it was not an out-of-the-ordinary event at Neverland (as previously
shown): "[…] And at least 2 to 4 times a month, organizations are
allowed to come here. And, since this was the last part of the holidays,
he decided he would surprise the kids by doing so and they're very
happy about that". The event was an annual Christmas festivity, where
hundreds of inner-city and underprivileged children and adults spent
their time exploring the surroundings and the singer's ranch, riding on
attractions, snacking on food and drinks, watching movies and playing in
a two-story arcade, all of these being provided free-of-charge by
Michael Jackson, and, often, even during his absence there.