Celebrities have been contributing significant amounts of money for hurricane relief in the US, following the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Earlier this month, Hurricane Helene made landfall across the Southeastern states of the US, causing widespread damage to cities such as Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and many others. The hurricane resulted in hundreds of fatalities, with numerous individuals still missing.
Yesterday, Hurricane Milton struck Florida, with President Joe Biden describing it as ‘the storm of the century.’ The non-profit organization Feeding America disclosed that Taylor Swift has made a ‘generous $5 million donation’ to aid in the recovery efforts. This donation will be utilized to ‘help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.’
Their statement further read: ‘Together, we can make a real impact in supporting families as they navigate the challenges ahead. Thank you, Taylor, for standing with us in the movement to end hunger and for helping communities in need.’ Swift, who relocated to Tennessee during her teenage years, joins Dolly Parton, who donated $1 million ‘from her own bank account’ to relief efforts following Hurricane Helene.
In addition to her personal contribution, Parton announced last week that she, along with her companies Dollywood Parks & Resorts, The Dollywood Foundation, Dolly Parton’s Stampede, and Pirates Voyage, is partnering with retail giant Walmart to provide flood relief across the Appalachian region. Parton’s companies are also pooling their resources to match her donation to the Mountain Ways Foundation with an additional $1 million contribution.
‘God has been good to me and so has the public, and I feel that if there’s anything I can do to give back in any way I can, I’m always willing to do that. I want to feel like I’m doing my part,’ said the country music icon. Among other initiatives, country singer Morgan Wallen assisted in collecting supplies and posed for photos with fans at a food drive in Knoxville, Tennessee on Wednesday, after previously donating $500,000 to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief.
Rock legends Metallica have also announced that their All Within My Hands Foundation has donated $50,000 each to the World Central Kitchen and Team Rubicon to support their efforts. Many meteorologists predict that Hurricane Milton could be one of the most destructive storms on record in Florida, while Hurricane Helene was the second-deadliest to strike the US mainland in the past 50 years, surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina nearly 20 years ago.
