Oprah Winfrey donates $2 million for Puerto Rico hurricane relief, credits Lin-Manuel Miranda as her inspiration
Doing good by the millions! Oprah Winfrey has reportedly donated $2 million to help rebuild Puerto Rico, along with helping the hurricane-stricken country to support arts and cultural programs after Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc in 2017.
A statement released by the Hispanic Federation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund said on Monday that one half of the donation, i.e. $1 million, would go to towards the Hispanic Federation's UNIDOS Disaster Relief & Recovery Program to support long-term needs after Maria, reported Daily Mail.
The second half of Oprah's donation will be going to the Flamboyan Arts Fund, created by the Flamboyan Foundation. The fund is reportedly dedicated to fostering the island's rich heritage of arts, culture and creative development. Oprah, considered to be one of the most influential media moguls in the US., said she was inspired by the efforts of musical theater creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Fans would know that Miranda took his hit stage show 'Hamilton' to the island for a limited, 23-performance run in January. "I was so moved by Lin-Manuel Miranda´s commitment to bring Hamilton to Puerto Rico and support the community that served him growing up that I wanted to join in the revitalization efforts of an island so rich in culture, beauty, and heritage," Winfrey said in a statement.
Reports suggest that the award-winning actor sponsored 23 performances of his Tony award-winning musical in Puerto Rico earlier in the year, where he even reprised his role as Alexander Hamilton for the first time since leaving the original cast of the esteemed Broadway show in 2016.
With the help of Miranda and the run of the musical, the Flamboyan Arts Fund has raised an estimated $15million for Puerto Rican artists and art institutions. The Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program, meanwhile, has taken action in helping coordinate hundreds of donation drives on the U.S. mainland and distributing millions of pounds of food and water.
Winfrey said in her statement: "The needs of Puerto Rico and our fellow American citizens following the tragic hurricanes are still very real, and the work that has already been done by the Hispanic Federation, Flamboyan Arts Fund and other organizations on and off the island is long from over."
Along with Oprah and Miranda, other celebrities who have taken action in helping relief efforts in Puerto Rico include stars like Bethenny Frankel, Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, as well as Marc Anthony.
