Stepping up!

HOLLYWOOD-  Leave it to celebrities to raise money for hurricane victims. The hurricane was a devastating Category 4 that made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida on September 26,2024. With sustained winds of 140 miles per hour, it was the strongest hurricane to hit the area. The hurricane resulted in catastrophic rainfall-triggered flooding and spawned numerous tornadoes, in North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia. What we need is a huge concert by many stars to come together on stage to tour and raise money. As we know, celebrities are stepping up to help those affected by Hurricane Helene.

Dolly Parton, the legendary country singer has donated millions of dollars to relief efforts. Once again she is showing why she’s beloved far beyond the music stage, stepping up with a massive $1 million donation to help victims of the Hurricane. At a press conference held at the Walmart in Newport, Tennessee, she sang a rewritten version of her iconic 1973 hit “Jolene,” adapting the lyrics to reflect the devastation: She sang “Helene, Helene, You came in here and broke us apart/Helene, Helene/But we’re all here to mend these broken hearts. Very touching press conference! The 78-year-old said the money would come “from my own bank account.” Parton’s local commercial ventures-including the Dollywood amusement park-would also donate the same amount to the Mountain Ways Foundation, which is aiding those affected by flooding in the region. At least 225 people have died due to Helene, which tore through the south-east US in late September. Helene is the deadliest storm since Katrina in 2005. Dolly has always been a giver, back in 2016, her charity pledged to donate $1,000 a month to families affected by wildfires in Tennessee. Back in 2020, she contributed $1 million towards the development of one of the Covid-19 vaccines.

Morgan Wallen, who is so loved by fans has donated $500,000 to the Red Cross via the Morgan Wallen Foundation. The money will go to helping those who have been affected by Hurricane Helene’s destruction. The “Last Night,” singer grew up in Tennessee, graduating from Gibbs High School in Knox county. In an Instagram story that he posted, he shared an update about the safety of his family and sent his “prayers,” to those who weren’t as lucky. The Morgan Wallen Foundation and Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee announced a “HELP” campaign, which will raise funds and collect food for the victims. There is a scheduled food and water drive being held in Knoxville, TN on October 9, and volunteers will be packing disaster relief boxes for victims. Wallen has also created a “HELP” T-shirt, with 100% of the artists proceeds going to the Morgan Wallen Foundation for Hurricane’s relief fund, Morgan shared on Instagram.

The country music star Luke Combs is working on a special plan to support those impacted by the hurricane.  Combs took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a message to those affected. “Absolutely heartbroken for everyone impacted by Hurricane Helene,” Combs began. He’s planning something special to help the Carolinas, which as of press time hasn’t revealed. Miranda Lambert and her MuttNation Foundation are making sure animals affected by the Hurricane are being taken care of. On October 2, Lambert took to social media to share she and MuttNation have donated $100,000 to the relief efforts.

HGTV star Ben Napier, also took to Instagram to share his connection to the areas that were hit. He shared links to several organizations if his fans wanted to donate. The NFL, along with teams like the Falcons, Panthers, and Texans, have contributed a whopping $8 million to relief efforts.  Franklin Graham and Samaritan’s Purse is actively responding to the crisis, providing aid to affected communities. The Red Cross has deployed nearly 500 disaster workers and numerous emergency response vehicles to help those in need.

Rose’s Scoop:  Ivanka Trump is stepping up after the crisis of the Hurricane. The former first daughter traveled to Hickory, North Carolina, and joined emergency relief organizations to help everyone by the disaster. She was joined by her 10-year-old son Joesph, coordinating with first responders and volunteers.