Bon Jovi Contributes $5,000 to Repair Ben Franklin's Gravestone

The fundraising effort has been successful.

ByABC News
November 16, 2016, 3:42 PM

— -- Benjamin Franklin is credited with coining the phrase "A penny saved is a penny earned," but we have a hunch he'd approve of the money that Jon Bon Jovi just spent on his behalf.

A GoFundMe campaign to save Benjamin Franklin's gravestone in Philadelphia has reached and surpassed its goal, thanks to a large contribution from Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The couple gave $5,000 to the cause on Tuesday afternoon, his rep confirmed to ABC News.

The GoFundMe campaign was launched to restore the gravestone, which had developed a large crack on top. In addition, the marble tablet has become pitted from years of people tossing pennies on it.

The campaign had raised $66,000 before it launched the GoFundMe campaign to raise an additional $10,000. With the musician's contribution, the GoFundMe total now stands as nearly $12,000. The goal is to have the stone fixed by April 2017, the anniversary of Franklin's death.

Franklin died in 1790 and his grave is located at Christ Church Burial Ground. He's one of seven signers of the Declaration of Independence who are buried there.

Due to Philadelphia's proximity to Bon Jovi's home state of New Jersey, the musician has had strong ties to the city. In fact, he used to own the Philadelphia Soul arena football team.