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Flint native Andre Dirrell committed to helping solve city water crisis

Flint native Andre Dirrell committed to helping solve city water crisis

Andre Dirrell no longer lives in Flint, Mich., where he was born and raised, but the one-time Olympic bronze medalist and former super middleweight world champion still has many ties to his city.

And the water crisis that has given many children irreversible lead poisoning as a result of drinking tainted city water, hit close to home. Dirrell still has many family members who live in Flint and have been impacted by the crisis.

It's driven Dirrell to action. An aunt has already raised $50,000 and worked to try to find a solution. Now, he's lending his time, money and connections to the effort. Not only has Dirrell already donated time and money, he's set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money to buy potable water for those in the city who need it.

"God has blessed me and I have a job I love and the ability to make a lot of money doing it," Dirrell told Yahoo Sports. "I'm reaching out to other athletes in the boxing world just like me who have the ability to make a difference. We've been blessed, and we can make a lot of money in one fight. This is a tragedy that is happening before our very eyes and it's something we can do something to help."

FLINT, MI - JANUARY 24: A shirt worn by a man during a rally displays a poisonous logo alongside the text 'City of Flint MI Water Dept.' on January 24, 2016 at Flint City Hall in Flint, Michigan. The event was organized by Genesee County Volunteer Militia to protest corruption they see in government related to the Flint water crisis that resulted in a federal state of emergency. Boxing champion Andre Dirrell of Flint is now trying to help. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Flint is the second poorest city in the country, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report from last year, leading only Youngstown, Ohio. More than 40 percent of the city's population lived in poverty in 2014, the report said.

That's a big reason, Dirrell believes, for the crisis. Flint city officials switched the water supply from Detroit's to the Flint River in 2014 in order to save money. Not long after, a General Motors plant in Flint stopped using the city's water supplying, complaining that it corroded parts.

Dirrell said that Michigan politicians, including Gov. Rick Snyder, have not acted swiftly enough because it is such a low-income area.

"This is basically gentrification," Dirrell said. "They're quickly closing down schools. My high school, middle school and elementary school are gone. Big-time supermarkets are being closed down. They're shutting the city down to rebuild it, and I believe they want to run the poor people out."

Many of those poor people are family and friends with Dirrell, and they have nowhere to go and need help badly.

So Dirrell said he's going to speak out and do what he can to make a difference.

"These kids getting that lead poisoning from drinking the water, it's something that is tragic and that is going to have a long-term impact on many lives," he said. "We're going to do what we can do to try to help the people and to find a solution to this problem.

"You're a kid and you're out playing and you come in and you get a drink of water without even thinking about it. And then kids doing what they do, playing and having fun and getting a drink when they're thirsty, it turns out they're putting themselves at risk. That's wrong. That's just not right. We have to do something."