Morgan Wallen has donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross as a way to support the relief effort in Hurricane Helene’s wake.
On September 27, Hurricane Helene delivered more than 76 cm of rain to parts of North Carolina and has claimed the lives of roughly 107 people in six states (as per the Associated Press). States in the Southeast such as Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina have become inaccessible to aid due to washed-out roads created by the intense storm.
His donation from the Morgan Wallen Foundation – which was announced yesterday (September 30), was one of the most substantial donations to relief efforts helping those who were impacted by the historic flooding which continues to devastate communities in Southeast.
The ‘Whiskey Glasses’ singer took to his official Instagram stories and wrote: “My family in East Tennessee are safe but I know many are absolutely devastated there and in multiple states. Those hills and hollers are very important to me in so many ways. It is going to take a monumental effort and I am in contact with my team and others working on ways I can help.”
Speaking about the country star’s donation, Trevor Riggin, Red Cross’ national president for humanitarian services, said in a statement (via USA Today): “We can’t thank Morgan Wallen enough for his heart and generous $500,000 donation to impact help on the ground now in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene, including his beloved East Tennessee.”
This is not the first time Wallen has donated to charity. The musician contributes $3 (£2.40) for every concert ticket he sells to his foundation. The Morgan Wallen Foundation has previously donated over $500,000 in East Tennessee alone to other causes, such as music and sports organizations.
Elsewhere, Hurricane Helene has previously impacted various shows and festivals which were set to take place in the southeast of the US.
Alabama’s South Star Festival was cancelled while some sets of Kentucky’s Louder than Life Festival were cut to due the inclement weather. Bands such as Quarters of Change, Mannequin Pussy and the likes of Billy Joel and Sting all had to cancel or postpone their gigs in states such as North Carolina and Florida due to the intense weatherstorm.