K-pop fans found Baltimore’s BTS — and helped keep it open

Lydell Henry was not very familiar with BTS, beyond the fact that his daughters enjoyed the K-pop group’s music.

Now the West Baltimore native’s nonprofit organization can thank the global superstars’ fans for helping to keep the lights on with an unexpected donation.

In a match made in acronymic heaven, BTS fans — known collectively as the BTS ARMY — have raised more than $13,000 for Beat the Streets Baltimore. Like its chapters around the country, the nonprofit organization’s Maryland location teaches wrestling and provides after-school support to low-income students in grades 3 through 12.

Henry, the lone full-time employee at Beat the Streets Baltimore, said the donation will allow operations to continue for the next six months. Without it, there was no guarantee the organization, which serves nearly 300 students annually, could continue operating, he said. The nonprofit, founded in 2011, relies on a network of funding that includes Baltimore City Public Schools, grants, individual donors and crowdsourcing campaigns, according to Henry.

“We could have shut down many times” in recent years, Henry said.

The gift comes despite Beat the Streets’ lack of connection to a BTS fan group or the South Korean hitmakers, who are set to perform in Maryland for the first time on Monday and Tuesday at M&T Bank Stadium.

“We were surprised, shocked and honored,” said Henry, a former chemistry teacher.

Sue Lewis, a Charles County resident who helped organize the charity drive, said that after the shared acronym caught her attention, she researched Beat the Streets’ mission and work and saw a connection between the students and her beloved pop group.

“Beat the Streets Baltimore serves underprivileged youth that a lot of people have written off,” said Lewis, 38. “It really echoes the same story of BTS and how they were written off and overlooked.”

Largely dismissed by the K-pop industry upon their 2013 debut, BTS — Suga, V, J-Hope, Jung Kook, Jimin, RM and Jin — has since become a defining act of the global pop music phenomenon, with tens of millions of albums sold and five Grammy nominations.

In January, the group announced a comeback tour — their first major outing since a hiatus that began in 2022 and included solo projects and mandatory military service in their native Korea. The “Arirang” World Tour, with 79 shows scheduled in 34 regions, kicked off in South Korea in April and is stopping in Foxborough, Massachusetts, this week before arriving in Charm City.

The sense of community among BTS fans could be palpable next week at M&T Bank Stadium, where ARMY members from around the country have been planning meetups for months.

South Carolina’s LaCava Norris is one of them: The 30-year-old fan is taking her longest trip ever, from Lexington, South Carolina, to Baltimore by train, to see her first concert. She’s helped raise money for digital billboards around the city that, starting Friday, will welcome BTS to Charm City in both Korean and English.

“We wanted to showcase ARMY’s love for them and hopefully have them come back,” Norris said.

Henry, who wrestled as a student at Dunbar High School, said Beat the Streets is about much more than learning how to win on the mat. Aside from the discipline and resilience the sport teaches, the organization also provides academic tutoring, SAT preparation and career development workshops for students, the majority of whom attend Baltimore City Public Schools.

Working with the kids “brings out intangible things you might not see,” according to the nonprofit’s executive director.

“It just gives kids a confidence that they could do anything,” Henry said. “Nothing is unachievable.”

Henry said he’s been blown away by the ARMY community and their commitment to helping others in the name of their favorite group. In a few short months, Henry has become a bigger BTS fan, name-dropping new favorite songs like “Swim” and “Hooligan.”

Still, the father of three daughters has some work to do before Monday.

“I’m trying to get tickets for my daughters. That’s the next step,” Henry said.

This story has been updated to correct where Henry wrestled as a student.