‘It’s truly devastating for me to see the damage that Hurricane Florence is doing to my beloved home state.’
Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina on Friday morning, and the life-threatening storm that brings with it heavy rains and flash flooding was met with a vow from NBA legend Michael Jordan.
The North Carolina native and Charlotte Hornets owner announced an initiative to assist the hurricane relief efforts of a handful of local charitable organizations. According to a statement from Jordan, the NBA and the Hornets have already joined him in making undisclosed donations.
“It’s truly devastating for me to see the damage that Hurricane Florence is doing to my beloved home state of North Carolina and to the surrounding areas,” Jordan said in the statement. “The recovery effort will be massive, and it will take a long time to repair the damage and for families to get back on their feet. Together with the NBA, we have launched a platform to aid those most impacted. Please join me, the Hornets organization and the NBA and donate to one of the local organizations assisting in the relief and recovery efforts. To all those affected, stay safe and know that we’re here to help.”
Jordan, who won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and became the first billionaire athlete in history, returned to Charlotte as the franchise’s owner in 2006. He has long been active in the community, recently donating $2 million to The Institute for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in 2016 and another $7 million last year for medical clinics in Charlotte.
Florence has forced a number of coastal communities in the Carolinas to evacuate. Many local sporting events have been rescheduled as a result. Football fans displaced by the storm have been invited to attend games at the universities of Tennessee and Florida for free, in hopes that it carries some light through the darkness of the storm. You can donate to Jordan’s initiative here.
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Ben Rohrbach is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
