By Jennifer Butler on
18-year-old country music star Taylor Swift performed a sold-out show in Cedar Rapids on Friday. But this was no ordinary tour stop. During her concert, Swift announced that she will donate $100,000 to the local Red Cross to assist with flood relief efforts.
Cedar Rapids was submerged by the swollen Cedar River two months ago in an event now dubbed “Iowa’s Katrina.” Thousands have lost their jobs in the midst of millions of dollars’ worth of damage.
“The people in this town have been through so much loss this year, and my heart goes out to them,” Swift told People Magazine. “They’ve stood by me, they gave me a sold-out show. You’ve got to pay it forward in life – that’s all I did in Cedar Rapids.”
Swift – whose self-titled debut album was released in 2006 to critical acclaim – has already made a charitable mark, having donated merchandise sales from the CMA Music Festival to the Nashville Red Cross earlier this summer. Prior to that, Swift donated her pink pick-up truck to a camp for children with serious medical conditions. In 2007, the country star launched a campaign to protect children from online predators.
For more information and to donate to the Red Cross’ Disaster Relief Fund, click here.
Copyright © 2008 Look to the Stars
