By Tim Saunders on
Over $6 million raised by Garth Brooks is being given to charities in Los Angeles and San Diego this month to help people affected by last year’s devestating Californian wildfires.
The money was raised when Brooks played five shows in two days at the Staples Center in L.A. last January.
The money is being distributed to the charities by the McCormick Tribune Foundation, and will be granted to charities that provide aid to victims and their families, as well as to first responders of the Los Angeles and San Diego wildfires – including California firefighting departments and organizations in need of additional or replacement firefighting equipment.
“All of the credit for the millions of dollars raised for our heroic firefighters goes to Garth Brooks and his unselfish fans who donated to this incredible cause,” said Timothy J. Leiweke, President and CEO of AEG – sponsor of the initiative. “We also owe a great deal of gratitude to our partners at American Express, The Los Angeles Times and Ticketmaster for stepping up when their assistance was truly needed, and to the McCormick Foundation whose efforts were invaluable in collecting and distributing the millions of dollars of donations to the appropriate recipients.”
$1.8 million is being given out in the L.A. area, while $4.2 million in grants is being awarded in San Diego.
“Because of the generosity of citizens across the country and the active engagement of our partners in the community, the Foundation is helping to solve critical challenges facing the victims of the California fires,” said David Grange, President and CEO of the McCormick Foundation. “We believe that these grants will enable agencies to provide recovery services to at-risk families and better prepare for future crises.”
The McCormick Foundation’s communities program is a unique grantmaking effort that stimulates local philanthropy and improves community life across the country.
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