Carlie Beard | Arts & Entertainment Writer
As we all know, the powerful Hurricane Harvey has brought devastation to the nation. This category four storm has caused an estimated total of $75 billion in damage. The two main places that were affected were Texas and Louisiana. People from around the world have teamed up to provide resources to the victims of this tragedy. Whenever a natural disaster occurs, our favorite celebrities always rise to the occasion and take action to help those affected.
The charitable Beyoncé recently visited Houston to serve the community and give back to her beloved hometown. Beyoncé has her own nonprofit organization called BeyGood. Through BeyGood, Beyoncé has been able to give back to the less fortunate all across the world. Considering that Beyoncé represents Houston in everything she does, people on Twitter did criticize Queen Bey for not speaking out about the devastation in Houston sooner. Beyonce’s mother, Miss Tina Knowles, and her daughter, Blue Ivy, were both by her side giving back to the victims of this terrible incident.
One of the most famous families in the world, the Kardashians, collectively gave $500,000. Kim Kardashian tweeted, “Houston we are praying for you! My mom, sisters & I will be donating $500,000 to @redcross and @salvationarmyus today #HoustonStrong.”
Celebrities play a huge role in today’s relief effort when events such as Hurricane Harvey occur. Besides natural disasters, Hollywood’s A-listers know how to rally together when any tragedy occurs. Celebrities use their platform to encourage others to help out during a time of need. For example, the deadly explosion that occurred during an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester shocked the entire world. Immediately following the incident, Ariana worked with artists such as Katy Perry, Coldplay, Pharrell Williams, Usher and the Black Eyed Peas to create a benefit concert. In the end, these donations had a grand total of $13 million.
The biggest names in Hollywood heavily influence how much others give. Many celebs took to social media to promote organizations. Celebs such as DJ Khaled and Kevin Hart are reasons why millions of dollars have been donated to the Hurricane Harvey relief effort. The “Hand in Hand” telethon was casted with celebrities such as Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Sofia Vergara, Justin Bieber, and Taraji P. Henson. This telethon raised over $44 million for the Hurricane Harvey relief effort. When all of these celebrities use their platforms correctly, their followers and fans see them helping out and likely want to do the same. If people are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to see their favorite artist at a concert, then they will definitely donate a small amount of money to give back to those in need. Celebrities are crucial to spreading the awareness of issues and tragedies during a time in need because they have many people who admire them and are, in fact, heavily influenced by them.
The Hampton Script 