Dan Gross: Back to his Roots for charity

TARIQ TROTTER, a/k/a Black Thought, of The Roots, hosts Let's Move It Philly, a charity concert/party for his GrassROOTS Community Foundation Feb. 18 at Sigma Sound (212 N. 12th), a place near and dear to his heart, as it is where the Roots rehearsed and recorded their first few albums.

He'll also perform at the event along with Roots drummer ?uestlove, who will DJ along with Rich Medina, Power 99's Diamond Kuts.

Nikki Jean and the Money Making Jam Boys are also among entertainers that night.

Trotter founded the organization about a year ago with sociologist and John Jay College assistant professor Janice Johnson Dias. "We have daughters about the same age, around 6, and Janice's work gave her a rude awakening as far as nutrition and obesity among young girls all over the country. She reached out to me about a year ago," said Trotter, who has been funding the charity largely on his own since that time.

We caught up with Trotter yesterday morning by phone from Indianapolis, where the Roots have played a few concerts this week around the Super Bowl festivities and also broadcast "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," on which they're the house band.

He's an Eagles fan, but grudgingly rooted for the Giants.

The Let's Move It campaign will have events in 13 cities to address childhood obesity in the African-American community.

Proceeds from the event will aid CHICKS (Creating Healthy Informed Confident Knowledgeable Selves) a GrassROOTS after-school program for girls at Harding Middle School in Frankford. Earlier Feb. 18, Trotter speaks at the Faith Assembly of God Church in a community-health forum in which Mayor Nutter is also expected.

For tickets to the Sigma event, visit grassrootscharityconcert.

eventbrite.com, or for info on GrassROOTS, visit grass-rootsfoundation.org.

Just hours after devouring a record-setting 337 wings at SportsRadio 94WIP's Wing Bowl 20 on Friday morning at the Wells Fargo Center, Japanese eating machine

Takeru Kobayashi

was at Tony Luke's (Front & Oregon) donating a $3,370 check to Philabundance from Cherry Hill Imports representing $10 for every wing he ate.

Tony Luke Jr., who was captain of Team Kobayashi, kicked in $500 for Philabundance, as well. A world-class athlete and a gentleman, Kobayashi told us before Wing Bowl, through a translator, that he tries to benefit hunger charities in part to combat criticism the sport of competitive eating sometimes faces.

LeBron James

and some Miami Heat teammates stopped for lunch Thursday at Sabrina's (1804 Callowhill) just a few blocks north of the Four Seasons, where the team was staying.

* Former Flyers wing John LeClair and wife Christina caught "The Iron Lady," the Margaret Thatcher biopic starring Meryl Streep, Friday afternoon at the AMC Plymouth Meeting.

Nadya "Octomom" Suleman will pillowfight a yet-to-be-named challenger at 9 p.m. Friday at Ware House 24 (1936 MacDade) in Woodlyn. The three-minute match is part of the Pillow Fighting Championship league. Ironically, promoter

Damon Feldman

says the fights are "raising awareness for women's causes to help women against abuse."

Chef

Marc Vetri

will teach kids to make pizzas from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Nest (1301 Locust) at the childrens' playcenter's TweetHeart Social. The event benefits Children's Hospital of Philadelphia through its Childhood Friends volunteer group and features Valentine making, music, cupcake decorating and other activities. Admission is $20 per child, $15 per Nest-member child, with kids 6 months and under free. You can register by calling 215-545-6378.

Center City watering hole Dirty Frank's (13th & Pine) will be closed starting today for about a week for minor renovations.