Maroon 5 decided to donate $500,000 ahead of their Super Bowl performance

Maroon 5 and Adam Levine surprised their detractors with a generous donation to a children's charity.

Detractors and critics of Maroon 5's performance at the 2019 Super Bowl have remained mum about a recent report about the band's generosity.

On February 5, 2019, verified sources revealed that Maroon 5, the NFL and Interscope Records made a joint donation to a children's charity before the Super Bowl game.

"Playing the Super Bowl has been a dream of our band for a long time. We thank the NFL for the opportunity and also to them, along with Interscope Records, for making this donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters."

REACHING OUT A HELPING HAND

The combined donation of $500,000 was made to the non-profit organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America ahead of the much-maligned game.

The 2019 Super Bowl has come under fire for what critics describe as Maroon 5's lack-luster performance at halftime; and the game itself, in which the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams 13 - 3.

The performance of the song "Sweet Victory" was a result of an online petition to honor the series' recently deceased creator, Stephen Hillenburg.

WHAT IS "BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF AMERICA"?

What is Big Brothers Big Sisters of America? The organization was founded in 1904 by a New York City court who noticed that the young boys who were being charged had little or no support to prevent recidivism. He started a group of volunteers willing to act as Big Brothers to the boys, and give them much needed support and stability.

THANK YOU FROM CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD

Since its inception over 115 years ago, Big Brothers Big Sisters has grown, and now supports children at risk in 50 states and in 13 countries around the world, including Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Korea, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Big Brothers Big Sisters' President and CEO Pam Iorio expressed her gratitude for the donation:

"We believe that all of our nation's youth need someone who believes in their potential, and we are so honored that the NFL, Interscope Records, and Maroon 5 are supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in our important mission."

REMEMBERING SPONGE BOB'S CREATOR

One of the surprise moments during Maroon 5's performance was their rendition of "Sweet Victory", a song from the popular animated children's series "Sponge Bob Square Pants."

The performance of the song "Sweet Victory" was a result of an online petition to honor the series' recently deceased creator, Stephen Hillenburg.

The song is from a 2001 SpongeBob episode that was performed during the "Bubble Bowl," and the petition garnered over 1 million votes. While Maroon 5 sang "Sweet Victory," Sponge Bob was displayed on the giant screen, much to the fan's delight.

If you factor in Tom Brady's daughter's adorable intervention at the podium, it looks like the kids took the over the Super Bowl, big time.

CONTROVERSY OVER MAROON 5'S PERFORMANCE

Maroon 5 has been the target of severe criticism, not just for the performance, but for having accepted the coveted gig.

The band had not been the organizer's first choice but had been contacted after Rihanna and Pink had refused to perform at the Super Bowl.

Maroon 5 accepted the invitation but struggled to find guest artists to accompany them.

Artists Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lauryn Hill, and Nicki Minaj were among the performers who turned down the band's invitation.

This reaction on the part of performing artists - and the criticism leveled at Maroon 5 - iis due to the NFL's ostracism of player Colin Kaepernick who refused to stand for the National Anthem as a protest against racial discrimination.

In a related story, Adam Levine opened up in an Instagram post after being shamed for controversial Super Bowl performance.