Walmart, President Trump and Others Give Big Ticket Donations in Aftermath of Harvey

By Nancy Flory Published on September 2, 2017

In the aftermath of Harvey, the “worst disaster the state’s seen,” according to FEMA director Brock Long, corporations and individuals are coughing up supersized donations to help the victims of the hurricane. Celebrities, businesses and even the president have been extraordinarily generous in helping people affected by the storm.

J.J. Watt, Texans’ Defensive End

As of Friday morning, J.J. Watt’s Houston Flood Relief Fund has raised over 14 million. Watt’s original goal was 200k. Some individual donations, like Walmart’s $1 million obliterated the goal and it’s been climbing steadily since. He is leaving the link open to see “how high it can get.” “My focus is very much on getting this money directly back to the people, as I’ve said the whole time,” Watt explained in a Thursday morning video post. “We have the semi trucks being filled up, coming down here to donate the supplies this weekend. That’s … going to be the first phase of our operation, to get as immediate an impact as we can. We have things like water, food, clothing, generators, baby supplies, cleaning supplies — if there’s something I’m not thinking of, please leave it in the comments [of his Twitter feed].”

Walmart

In addition to donating $1 million to J.J. Watt’s efforts, Walmart has pledged in a YouTube ad that it will match two times the amount donated to the Red Cross at Walmart or at Walmart.com. Watch the ad:

 

Tyler Perry

Writer, actor and producer Tyler Perry of the Madea movies will be donating $1 million to help those with “boots on the ground,” he posted on Facebook recently.

 

Sandra Bullock

Actress Sandra Bullock recently made one of the largest personal contributions, donating $1 million to the Red Cross, reported People magazine.

“There are no politics in eight feet of water,” said Bullock. “There are human beings in eight feet of water. … I’m just grateful I can do it,” she says. “We all have to do our part.”

Leonardo DiCaprio

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio also donated $1 million to Harvey victims through his Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to the United Way. United Way Worldwide President and CEO Brian Gallagher said in a statement, “We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Leonardo DiCaprio and his foundation. Responding to Hurricane Harvey requires the best of all of us — and that’s what this gift represents. United Way’s Harvey Recovery Fund will provide much-needed help for the communities along the Gulf Coast where lives have been changed forever.”

President Trump

President Trump has pledged to send $1 million of his personal funds to help Harvey victims. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said Thursday that, “He would like to join in the efforts that a lot of the people that we’ve seen across this country do.” According to the New York Times, President Trump’s contribution is the largest ever given to a charitable cause by a sitting president.

 

 

If you haven’t already, please consider helping the victims of Tropical Storm Harvey. LIFE Outreach International, the parent organization of The Stream, is collecting donations here. The Red Cross is also collecting monetary gifts and blood. See here for more ways to help.

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