Tom Brady Pledges to Donate to Florida Hurricane Ian Disaster Fund; Casey DeSantis Says More Than $10M Raised

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has pledged to donate to Florida Disaster Fund after Hurricane Ian brought destruction to the state.

According to Bleacher Report, Brady is also encouraging others to donate, calling for any help in the funding on his Twitter account. Brady and his Tampa Bay team relocated to the Miami Dolphins' facilities to train this week in an attempt to avoid the direct path of Hurricane Ian.

The Buccaneers are scheduled to play against Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and are still set to play on the said schedule. The contingency site of the game was U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis if the game could not be played in Tampa Bay.

Brady did not say how much he would be donating. However, he said it is time to return the favor after their neighbors "support us endlessly." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' wife, Casey DeSantis, has also commended Brady's gesture as she detailed the budget raised so far.

Florida Hurricane Ian Disaster Fund

Florida's first lady announced that the state had raised more than $10 million in one day to the disaster fund while noting that it "demonstrates the kindness and compassion from people" across the state and country.

Volunteer Florida CEO Josie Tamayo said they were grateful for Casey for her "continued leadership," including those who donated to the disaster fund.

Major donations from companies were cited in a press release issued by the Governor's Office, which included Walmart having donated $1,500,000. Amazon, Ian McKechnie, Florida Blue, and Lennar also donated $1,000,000 each.

The Florida Disaster Fund and Volunteer Florida are working with the Department of Children and Families, including Sunshine Health, through the state's First Lady's Hope Florida Initiative.

The private sector has also partnered across the state and the country to provide assistance to those affected by Hurricane Ian. Volunteer Florida, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Paypal's Braintree have waived their fees so that every dollar will be placed directly on efforts helping victims.

Hurricane Ian in Florida

Ian became a hurricane again on Thursday night after hammering Florida with heavy rains and powerful winds, which resulted in a rising death toll and leaving thousands of residents needing rescue.

According to USA Today, Ian had been downgraded to a tropical storm on its way out of Florida. It is expected to head toward the Carolinas and Georgia. As of late Thursday, Ian's sustained winds had increased to 85 mph.

The National Hurricane Center noted that it could bring "life-threatening floods, storm surge, and strong winds" to those states affected. Ron DeSantis said Ian caused a "500-year flooding event," adding that the Coast Guard helicopters were plucking trapped residents from the roofs of homes.

The Florida governor further noted that communities across the state were or will be swamped by the rising waters. DeSantis said Florida has never seen a "flood event like this," including a "storm surge of this magnitude."

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

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