Taylor Swift donates money, tickets to US school for deaf after online contest prank

The Associated Press

BOSTON - Taylor Swift is giving $10,000 and concert tickets to a U.S. school for the deaf after a prank involving an online contest promising an on-campus performance by the Grammy-winning singer.

Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Boston was disqualified from the contest because many of the votes were from Internet pranksters who thought it would be funny for the school to win tickets to a live concert.

The Boston Globe newspaper reports that instead, Swift and contest sponsors will donate a combined $50,000 to the school, and VH1's Save the Music program will donate $10,000 in musical instruments.

Swift says every student at the school will receive a ticket to her next local concert.

Principal Jeremiah Ford tells the newspaper: "Are we the winner? Absolutely."