Neil Diamond Helping With Hurricane Relief
Neil Diamond is doing what he can for those still trying to rebuild following Hurricane Ike. The veteran entertainer, who's currently on tour, tells the "Houston Chronicle" he's promised to give all of the proceeds from concert merchandise sales to the cause. He says his motivation is simple, stating, quote, "These people are in big trouble and I want to help." Diamond laments that what his fans contribute, quote, "may only be a drop in the bucket," but that's not stopping him from making appeals at each show. He says fans have helped him raise 700-thousand-dollars so far. The money raised will go to the the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund, which was established by Oak Island, Texas Mayor Bill White. Diamond has 18 more shows left to his tour. His next performance will be in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Saturday.
Diamond explains that when he was in the Texas Gulf Coast region last month for a concert in Houston Mayor White took him on a tour of Oak Island, which inspired him to take action. He was moved by the plight of the residents, who he saw living in tents and cars next to their demolished homes, and was motivated by their determination to rebuild their community. Diamond says, quote, "My hope is to put as many people as we can back in homes as quickly as possible," and adds, quote, "Texas would be surprised at the cities that have come through for them." |