Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson start Maui wildfires relief fund with $10M donation
Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are partnering to bring relief to the people of Maui after devastating wildfires.
More than three weeks after the fires, the count of confirmed dead has stood at 115 for several days, making it the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century. An unknown number of people are still missing even as authorities say they have covered 100% of the Lahaina disaster area.
Thursday, Winfrey and Johnson launched their philanthropic effort, the People's Fund of Maui, which aims to get relief funds directly into the hands of those affected by the wildfires.
"Every adult resident (18 and over) who lives in the affected area and was displaced by the wildfires in Lahaina and Kula is eligible to receive $1,200 per month to help them through this period of recovery," Thursday's announcement read. "All net proceeds will go to those directly impacted in Maui."
The iconic show host, a part-time Hawaii resident, and the wrestler-turned-action-star have donated $10 million to the fund. Johnson, who is Samoan, also lived in Hawaii while growing up. Winfrey and Johnson announced their effort Thursday on Instagram in a video in which Winfrey shared that the two were texting about what to do. Winfrey said she was inspired by an article about Dolly Parton giving money to her community, and the idea of the fund was born.
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Winfrey has been giving updates from Maui on her website Oprah Daily. In an Aug. 13 post she wrote of the "incredible people" she's met at shelters, including a man named Julius whose "legs were covered in bandages where he had to run to escape the fire."
"He got out of his car because the tires were melting and he couldn't move forward and he just started to run," Winfrey wrote. "When I said, 'Tell me what you need,' he said, 'Ma’am, I need nothing. My life is now my greatest gift. I have my life.' I’ve seen so many families who are sharing a cot, an air mattress, and have nothing else left to their names, but they are so grateful just to have each other."
"As people around the world watched the catastrophic loss and devastation caused by the Maui wildfires, they also witnessed the great spirit and resilience of our Polynesian culture and the tremendous strength of the people of Maui," Johnson said in Thursday's announcement. "Even in the most difficult of times, the people of Maui come together, and we rise – that’s what makes us stronger.”
Donations can be made to the People's Fund of Maui online. Those impacted can apply for assistance via the fund's website.
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Contributing: Jeanine Santucci