Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson
They announce direct aid for victims of the Maui fires
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Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson have announced direct payments to Maui victims. To do this, they set up a fund.
After the forest fires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, talk icon Oprah Winfrey (69) and Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson (50) promised direct payments to the victims. The mega stars have set up a fund together. The People’s Fund of Maui wants to make monthly payments of $1,200 to the thousands victims of the fires that ravaged the island this month. The two US stars donated ten million US dollars at the start of the fundraiser and ask them to do the same.
The official death toll is 115, but many are still missing three weeks after the accident. The money goes to adults whose homes were destroyed by the wildfires in Lahaina and Kula, Maui. It is available to homeowners and renters, but not to owners not residing in the destroyed buildings.
Direct aid to families and individuals
“Working closely with an advisory board and the support of the local community and respected elders, this new fund will serve as a bridge to provide money directly to affected families and individuals so they can personally decide how best to use the funds use yourself,” the two stars explain the fundraiser in an Instagram video. “We are extremely grateful to be able to work with respected Maui community leaders to create the People’s Fund of Maui. These pioneers are offering their support to ensure our fund sends the money directly into the hands of the am most affected persons.”
Earlier, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) offered an initial payment of $700 for immediate needs, which many criticized as insufficient.
Oprah Winfrey lives part-time on Maui, The Rock lived in Hawaii as a child and is of part-Samoan descent.