Michael Jordan donates $2 million to Hurricane Florence relief efforts
Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina on Friday morning, and the life-threatening storm that brought with it heavy rain and flash flooding was met with a vow from NBA legend Michael Jordan.
The North Carolina native and Charlotte Hornets owner, in coordination with the NBA and its North Charlotte-based franchise, announced last week an initiative to assist the hurricane relief efforts of a handful of local charitable organizations, and on Tuesday the team unveiled just how much Jordan had pledged to the cause. The 55-year-old will donate a total of $2 million divided equally between the American Red Cross and the Foundation For The Carolinas’ Hurricane Florence Response Fund.
“It’s truly devastating for me to see the damage that Hurricane Florence is doing to my beloved home state of North Carolina and to the surrounding areas,” Jordan said in a statement. “The recovery effort will be massive, and it will take a long time to repair the damage and for families to get back on their feet. Together with the NBA, we have launched a platform to aid those most impacted. Please join me, the Hornets organization and the NBA and donate to one of the local organizations assisting in the relief and recovery efforts. To all those affected, stay safe and know that we’re here to help.”
Hurricane Florence’s impact on the Carolinas
The storm has resulted in 32 fatalities, including 25 North Carolinians, and roughly half a million people in the Carolinas remain without power four days after Florence first hit, per reports. North Carolina counties have received as much as three feet of rain and qualified for federal disaster aid.
More than 100 Hornets employees aim to pack 5,000 disaster food boxes to be distributed in the Carolinas. The Hornets have also pledged an undisclosed donation to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. In coordination with NBA merchandising partner Fanatics, the Hornets unveiled a “Carolina Strong” T-shirt, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Foundation for the Carolinas.
Michael Jordan’s philanthropy
Jordan, who won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and became the first billionaire athlete in history, returned to Charlotte as the franchise’s owner in 2006. He has long been active in the community, recently donating $2 million to The Institute for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in 2016 and another $7 million last year for medical clinics in Charlotte.
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Ben Rohrbach is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
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