Musician Chris Young Donates $100,000 Towards Relief For Victims Of Hurricane Harvey

Country music star Chris Young has pledged to donate $100,000 towards relief efforts aimed at victims of Hurricane Harvey on Sunday.

In an announcement made on Twitter, Young promised to donate the money directly to a GoFundMe account the star created for those affected by the storm flooding East Texas for the past several days.

“I have family and friends there and I’m fairly positive my house down there may have to be torn down as it was in one of the hardest hit areas by wind and flooding,” Young said in the video.

“But that’s the least of my concern. I’m worried about the people there. Like I said, my friends, family, neighbors and I want help.”

Young also encouraged his fans and others to contribute to the GoFundMe account as well.

“I love you guys and every little bit helps,” he said. “In times like these, you turn to your friends to help those in need and that is exactly what I’m doing. I hope you’ll donate. And Texas, we love you.”

In the first 21 hours since the account’s creation, $144,652 has been raised, including Young’s initial $100,000 donation. It has a set goal of $500,000.

Young is one of several celebrities to reach out to their fan base and their celebrity friends with the hopes of raising money for aid.

In a video posted to Instagram on Sunday night, comedian Kevin Hart pledged to donate $25,000 to the Red Cross for relief efforts. Dubbing the act the Hurricane Harvey Challenge, called on several of his celebrity friends to follow his lead, including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Dave Chapelle, Justin Timberlake, Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, and Jerry Seinfeld. 

The storm, which hit land on Friday, was initially ruled a Category 4 hurricane. While it was downgraded to a tropical storm, an onslaught of rain has brought Texas cities including Houston, Corpus Christi, and Rockport to a stand-still. Harvey, according to The New York Times, has already killed at least five people, left many injured, and has destroyed an unknown amount of homes, buildings, and other property.