Kevin Hart challenges celebrities to donate to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts
HOUSTON -- Kevin Hart wants to start a new internet challenge: He wants his famous friends to follow his lead and donate money to flood relief efforts in Houston.
The comedian announced a $25,000 donation to the American Red Cross for victims of Hurricane Harvey. In an Instagram video posted Sunday, Hart said in a "serious moment," he was starting a celebrity challenge to donate money to the cause. Beyonce, Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jerry Seinfeld are among the stars he called on to make their own pledge.
A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real) on
"This is a serious matter," Hart said in the video. "I think the people are in bad shape and they need help. I'm going to lead the charge and step it up in this way." He wrote in a caption for the video that he is calling it the Hurricane Harvey Relief Challenge.
Also Sunday, country star Chris Young announced on Twitter that he has started an online fundraiser for the Red Cross and donated $100,000 to it. The campaign had taken in an additional $50,000 by midday Monday.
Drake wrote on Instagram early Monday that he and his manager were working with local relief groups to help Texas affected by the hurricane. The Canadian rapper wrote that Houston "has truly been a home to me over the last 8 years."
While only a few stars announced donations to flood relief efforts, many have used their massive social media followings to encourage people to give what they can.
Katy Perry, who boasts Twitter's largest following at more than 103 million, urged viewers to donate while she hosted MTV's Video Music Awards on Sunday night, and she tweeted a link to the Red Cross' donation efforts.
Hurricane Harvey's floodwaters are expected to continue to rise for several more days. Officials say they expect 300,000 people to end up in emergency shelters and 450,000 people to register as disaster victims with federal government. Here's how you can help.