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Jennifer Lopez Donates $1 Million to Puerto Rico Relief Effort
Jennifer Lopez has announced that she will donate $1 million to the relief effort in Puerto Rico following the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
The singer, who was born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents and has family on the Caribbean island, said at a news conference on Sunday that she would be donating proceeds from her Las Vegas residency to those affected by the hurricanes.
“Hurricane Maria has devastated our island,” Ms. Lopez said. “Given the loss and devastation, we need to pay attention and to urgently support Puerto Rico and the Caribbean through donations and contributions.”
The news conference was held by Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, who announced a statewide relief effort for Puerto Rico, for which Ms. Lopez is a co-chairwoman. The drive asks New Yorkers to make donations of goods, services and funds.
Ms. Lopez said that she had not been able to make contact with relatives who live in Puerto Rico.
On Wednesday, Hurricane Maria made landfall on the island, days after Hurricane Irma hit. Maria was a Category 4 storm, one of the strongest to strike the island, and brought down its entire power grid. The death toll is currently at 10 but is expected to rise.
“Puerto Ricans are American citizens and today Puerto Rico needs our help,” Ms. Lopez said.
A number of other celebrities are also joining in the recovery effort. Ms. Lopez said that the Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and the New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner were both “giving a significant contribution to this cause.”
The airline JetBlue pledged $1 million in services to help transport goods to Puerto Rico.
Other musicians and notable figures have previously made million-dollar philanthropic donations in the aftermath of natural disasters. After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Jon Bon Jovi donated $1 million to the recovery effort, as did Lady Gaga.
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