After asking the public at large to donate aid to Puerto Rico via several videos on her social media, Jennifer Lopez has put her money where her mouth is — big time.
Lopez flew in Sunday morning (Sept. 24) from Las Vegas to join New York governor Andrew Cuomo in a press conference announcing aid to Puerto Rico.
Lopez’s personal pledge? $1 million dollars from proceeds of her Las Vegas shows.
“Alex Roriguez and I, who are both New Yorkers, are using all our resources and relationships in entertainment, sports and business to garner support for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean,” said Lopez, speaking first in Spanish, then in English.
Aside from her own hefty donation, Lopez said that those who have already pledged to help in a major way are the New York Yankees and Major League Baseball.
Likewise, she and ex-husband Marc Anthony, who still work together in myriad projects, are working to mobilize more than 30 athletes and artists to get aid to the Caribbean and Mexico in the fastest way possible.
Lopez also said she is working with Mark Cuban and Dallas Mavericks Puerto Rican player J.J. Barea, who have two airplanes full of help and generators ready to fly to the island.
“We are working day and night to identify the needs,” Lopez said to thundering applause.
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Lopez and Anthony had both previously posted Instagram videos in Spanish (Anthony) and English (Lopez) asking the public to support the Puerto Rican first lady’s efforts through unitedforpuertorico.com.
In the wake of both Hurricane Maria and the Mexico earthquake, Latin artists have made myriad individual donations but have also banded together in several efforts, including telethons spearheaded by the Univision network (on Sept. 23) and Telemundo (Sept. 24).
In Mexico, impresario Carlos Slim is multiplying by five all donations made through his phone and cellphone companies, an effort that’s being supported by Mexican rock band Mana. The group donated $200,000 of their own money to the effort.