In the past month, Mexico has been rocked by an astounding 312 earthquakes and while many of them have gone undetected, others haven’t. On September 8, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake killed at least 90 people and destroyed countless homes and buildings. Less than 2 weeks later, on September 24, the country would be hit once again by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake. The country’s capital, in particular would be left devastated by more than 300 deaths and the significant destruction it left behind.
Fortunately, there are plenty of people who are donating money and supplies to help those affected begin to recover. Several of these people just happen to be famous stars, who are not only donating their own money, but using their celebrity status to encourage others to do the same. Here are a few of the celebrities who have been most generous with the Mexico earthquake relief efforts.
Salma Hayek
Salma, who was born in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico and lived through the 8.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Mexico in 1985 has donated $100,000 to victims via UNICEF. She has also started a fund through Crowdrise to support UNICEF’s relief efforts. She matched the first $100,000 donated and the George Harrison Fund is matching the next $200,000. As of September 26, she had raised more than $661,000.
Shawn Mendes
Shawn was actually in Mexico preparing for a show when the first earthquake hit, allowing him to see firsthand just how extensive the damage was. He, along with his fellow AG artists, donated $100,000 to the relief efforts. He also started a Crowdrise account to raise money for the Red Cross’s relief efforts. As of September 26, he had raised $179,525
Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook
The Facebook CEO has pledged $1 million to Cruz Roja Mexicana Sede Nacional (Mexican Red Cross). He has also partnered with UNICEF to waive fees for any donations received.
Tim Cook and Apple
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook reported the company had donated $1 million toward recovery efforts in Mexico. Though he didn’t specify exactly where the donation would be going, Apple often donates through the International Red Cross.
Daddy Yankee
The Puerto Rican born rapper placed a message on social media requesting donations for both the victims of the Mexico earthquake and the Puerto Rico hurricane. Before long, he had amassed four truckloads of everything from diapers and baby formula to flashlight batteries, mosquito repellant, and bottled water. He is working with the Hispanic Foundation, the Puerto Rican Family Institute, and the National Puerto Rican Day Parade to disperse these donations.
Maná
The popular Mexican rock band donated around $200,000 to benefit earthquake victims. Typically, the band keeps quiet about any donations they have made, but issued a statement saying, “Maná doesn’t usually publicize the actions of solidarity it’s done for more than 20 years. But the difficult situation our country is going through makes it worthwhile to say that with this donation we want to motivate more people to join us.”
They also encouraged people to donate through the Carlos Slim Foundation, which is matching each peso received with 5 pesos. Other stars who have donated money to the relief efforts include Formula One driver Sergio Perez ($170,000), baseball player Luis Cruz ($889), and author J.K. Rowling (undisclosed amount).
In addition, Mexican-American singer and actress Ana Brenda Contreras has set up a GoFundMe page that has raised close to $150,000 as of September 26. Other stars who created donation pages include Shakira (a UNICEF Ambassador), Sia, Shay Mitchell, Sofia Carson, Janelle Monae, and Lauren Jauregui of Fifth Harmony.
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