Kenny Chesney Is Putting the Work in for Hurricane-Ravaged St. John
When Hurricane Irma swept across the island of St. John in early September, Kenny Chesney -- a famed island dweller -- found his house destroyed.
The singer related to HLN's Morning Express with Robin Meade that he was much more upset by the overall devastation than just the loss of his home. Noting that the the disaster was "biblical in nature," he added, "That place and the people mean so much more to me than my house..It’s really odd to see such a beautiful place look like a war zone."
True to his word, Chesney has acted to aid the people of St. John, forming the Love for Love City Foundation after the disaster, which provides residents with crucial supplies.
The foundation's head, John McInnis, reported to News of St. John that in the three weeks following Irma, the Love for Love City Foundation sent between 50 and 100 loads of food, water, emergency supplies, medicine, medical equipment, chainsaws, generators, cleanup equipment and other basic supplies like bug spray, batteries and flashlights to the Virgin Islands. They did so using private jets, private helicopters, private charter boats and fishing boats, and ferries.
He added that the foundation's aid arrived even before the United States military, due to the fact that it is a private organization.
"So proud of my team down in the islands," Chesney noted in a simple message last month on Instagram.
The volunteers are currently still at work clearing roads, cleaning up beaches, and doing what they can to allow residents to return to a sense of normalcy.
There are countless other groups working together to aid the islands’ recovery and rebuilding efforts including St. John Rescue, the St. John Community Foundation, local police and fire teams, FEMA and Witt O’Brien’s, as well as the churches and many business owners.
If you'd like to help out with Chesney's recovery efforts, visit here.
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