Michael Jordan, the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, says he’s just trying to take care of home by contributing $2 million to relief and recovery efforts after Hurricane Florence devastated the region.
“You gotta take care of home,” Jordan, who was raised in Wilmington, N.C. told the Charlotte Observer.
“Wilmington truly is my home. Kept thinking about all those places I grew up going to,” he added. “And the deaths – it was so sad about the babies [that died.] You don’t want to see any of that anywhere, but when it’s home, that’s tough to swallow.”
Jordan will be giving $1 million each to the American Red Cross, which is providing food and shelter to people displaced, and the Foundation for the Carolinas Florence Respond Fund, which directs funds to non-profits directly in North and South Carolina.
This allocation of funds was intentional, as Jordan explained to the Observer that he is not only trying to address the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, but also the long-term impact on those who have been most severely impacted.
“People need to understand this will not be a week-long process. This is going to have a huge disruption on people’s lives – not for 10 days, but for years,” Jordan said.
Jordan is hoping that his contribution will move others to donate. And the Hornets will be launching two other initiatives to also help with the aftermath. On Friday, team members, in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of the Metrolina and Food Lion are expected to pack up thousands of disaster food boxes. The team is also partnering with Fanatics on a hurricane relief T-shirt. Net proceeds from the Hornets’ “Carolina Strong” tee will go toward the Foundation for the Carolinas relief fund.
“I hope people understand the importance of this and direct their attention to making things better,” Jordan said. “It’s going to take a lot of performance all over the Carolinas.”
