After the devastating wildfire on Maui, celebrities including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Oprah Winfrey have pledged ten million dollars to help those in need.
The ex-talk show host and The Rock both own properties in Hawaii. Winfrey said she was moved to assist in organizing the People’s Fund of Maui fundraiser after learning that Dolly Parton had donated $10,000 to 900 families affected by a wildfire in Parton’s area in Tennessee in 2016.
At least 115 people perished, and hundreds of acres were destroyed in the August 8 wildfire, making it the worst incident in the United States in over a century.
In a video with “Fast and Furious” actor Johnson released to social media on Wednesday, Winfrey said they were so anxious about what was happening in Maui that she and Johnson “were messaging back and forth.”
After the devastating wildfires in Lahaina and Kula, Johnson announced that every adult resident of the impacted region would receive $1,200 per month to assist them in recovering.
The People’s Fund of Maui has an online application form available for locals to fill out. Winfrey and Johnson also made donation requests.
Winfrey promises that 100% of the money donated “will go to one of the numerous individuals who have been evacuated in Maui.”
Johnson, 51, said he knows many folks are having difficulty trusting where the money goes and wondering what organizations they should contribute money to and how to assist.
Oprah explained in this instance, that the fund that they developed — with a lot of hard work from a lot of industrious individuals who all care about these people of Maui — is straight from you, directly to their hands.
The most important thing after a calamity like this, Johnson said, is to have cash on hand.
“Our mission is to deliver to the people today what they need to have their agency and make choices for themselves and their families,” Winfrey added.
