Taylor Swift Donates $1 Million to Tennessee Tornado Victims
Taylor Swift has donated $1 million to the Tennessee Emergency Response Fund, an arm of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, in response to the deadly tornadoes that ravaged the state over the weekend.
Proceeds from the Emergency Response Fund are ear-marked for immediate disaster response, including "direct financial assistance, food, temporary housing, debris clean-up and animal sheltering," according to the Community Foundation's website. Any remaining funds are then funneled towards long-term needs, such as home rebuilding, legal aid, counseling and mental health assistance and more.
Organization CEO Hal Cato confirmed Swift's donation to the Tennessean on Monday (Dec. 11). Of course, Swift has extensive roots in Nashville: She attended high school in Sumner County and skyrocketed to stardom during her time living in Music City and performing as a country singer.
Even after her transition into pop, Swift still owns a home in Nashville, and her office is still in the city.
The storms, which swept through middle Tennessee on Saturday night (Dec. 9), claimed the lives of six people in Clarksville and Madison, including two children, according to the Tennessean. Eighty-three more people were hospitalized for tornado-related injuries. The region is also reckoning with extensive property loss and damage, as well as downed trees and loss of power.
Swift became a billionaire in 2023, propelled largely by the extraordinary success of her Eras Tour, according to Bloomberg data. But she's also made headlines for giving back this year. In addition to making large food bank donations at every U.S. stop on her Eras Tour, the singer shelled out sizable bonus checks to the crew who worked on her tour, including $100,000 for each of her long-haul truck drivers.
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes