Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have cut a check to help with hurricane relief efforts.
The couple donated $1 million to Feeding America that will be used to for basic necessities and supplies in the wake of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, devastating storms that have raged parts of Florida and North Carolina. The news comes on the heels of a $5 million gift from one of their closest friends, Taylor Swift.
“We’re incredibly proud to support Feeding America,” Reynolds and Lively said in a statement. “Thank you to the amazing people on the ground providing essential needs for families who’ve lost so much in this brutal disaster. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the double tragedy of these hurricanes. If you’re able to get involved, check out the Feeding America website for more info.”
In return, Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot thanked them for donating to the disaster relief fund. “Their longtime support of Feeding America in times of crisis has helped our network on the ground before, during and after disasters. These funds will help food banks provide basic needs like water, ready to eat food and supplies to communities facing heartbreaking loss and a long recovery.”
Reynolds and Lively previously donated $500,000 to Feeding America in the early days of the pandemic in 2020 to support of the organization’s COVID-19 response fund.
It’s been a brutal time for states affected by the back-to-back hurricanes. The full extent of the damage is far from being assessed as Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday, resulting in at least five deaths and leaving three million people without power as of Thursday, per The Associated Press. It hit just two weeks after Hurricane Helene, which wreaked havoc in the southern states.