Carmelo Anthony has pledged to donate $50,000 and has begun a relief fund for Puerto Rico following hurricanes Maria and Irma heavily damaging the island. The fund, which was launched via a YouCaring crowdfunding campaign, has a goal of raising $1,000,000. As of this writing, $126,868 has been raised from 533 donors. Anthony posted a heartfelt message to the Players' Tribune detailing why he's taking a leadership role in helping to spearhead funding efforts.
"Right now, as I’m sitting here on Thursday night, there’s thousands of little kids sitting in the dark. They might not have a roof over their heads anymore. Their houses might be totally destroyed. Their refrigerators aren’t running. They might not have much food or clean water to last them the week.Where are they sleeping tonight? What are they gonna eat tomorrow? What the hell is going to happen to these kids? This is what’s running through my mind right now.We have to do something to help these kids and their families," he wrote.
"I’m half Puerto Rican, and I’m proud of it. Puerto Ricans are my people. But this is about more than that. Puerto Ricans are our fellow Americans. Puerto Ricans are our fellow man. They need our help," he continued.
Puerto Rico has sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Maria. Most of the island is without power and the Guajataca Dam has broken, endangering the lives of tens of thousands.
