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Dell, DiCaprio Foundations Give to Harvey Relief

Many celebrities have pulled out their pocketbooks to help Harvey victims in recent days

A foundation established by Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell and his wife has pledged $36 million for Harvey relief efforts in his hometown of Houston.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation said Friday it will donate half the amount to launch the Rebuild Texas Fund with Gov. Greg Abbott, and is running a matching campaign through midnight Monday in which the foundation will match $1 for every $2 donated. The Rebuild Texas Fund aims to raise $100 million.

The announcement comes a week after Harvey made landfall in Southeast Texas. The ensuing floods devastated parts of Houston, plus Beaumont and Port Arthur along the Louisiana border.

The statement says the street in Houston where Dell grew up is under water.

Dell Technologies is based in Round Rock, near Austin.

Meanwhile, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has donated $1 million to the newly established United Way Harvey Recovery Fund which will go toward short and long term relief and recovery efforts.

United Way Worldwide said Wednesday that the national fund will distribute 100 percent of donations to recovery efforts for those affected by Hurricane Harvey.

"We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Leonardo DiCaprio and his foundation," said United Way Worldwide President and CEO Brian Gallagher in a statement. "Responding to Hurricane Harvey requires the best of all of us — and that's what this gift represents."

United Way is the world's largest privately-funded non-profit and anticipates Harvey recovery efforts will take several years.

The $1 million from DiCaprio's foundation represents the inaugural donation to the fund. It is the latest disaster relief support from the Oscar-winner's namesake foundation. DiCaprio and his foundation have previously donated to recovery efforts following the 2004 tsunami, the Haiti earthquake and Hurricane Sandy.

"We hope others will step up and support the United Way and other organizations," foundation CEO Terry Tamminen said in the press release.

Many celebrities have pulled out their pocketbooks to help Harvey victims in recent days. 

Here's a list of stars who have publicly pledged to donate:

— Sandra Bullock, $1 million to the American Red Cross

— Leonardo DiCaprio, $1 million to the new United Way Harvey Recovery Fund

— The Kardashian family, $250,000 each to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army

— Country singer Chris Young, $100,000 to the American Red Cross

— D.J. Khaled, $50,000 to the American Red Cross

— The Chainsmokers, $30,000 to the American Red Cross

— Kevin Hart, $25,000 to the American Red Cross

— Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, $25,000 to the American Red Cross

— Jennifer Lopez, $25,000 to the American Red Cross

— Alex Rodriguez, $25,000 to the American Red Cross

— Wendy Williams, $25,000 to the American Red Cross

Houston native Solange and rock band Fall Out Boy plan to donate proceeds from their concerts to help those affected.

Solange said she'll give all of the earnings from her Sept. 28 show in Boston to those affected by Harvey. The singer also said $3 from each ticket from her Oct. 3 show in New York would go to Harvey relief.

Solange said she's "committed to partnering with organizations on the ground in Houston and making contributions to uplift the city."

Fall Out Boy said all of the proceeds from their Nov. 7 show in Houston would go to Harvey relief. The Texas Tenors said they would donate all of the sales from their new single, "Rise," to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.

Houston Texans star JJ Watt has also been spearheading a fundraising campaign that recently topped $10 million.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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