Brad Paisley and Jennifer Garner are urging fans to lend their support to the victims of the devastating flash floods in their home state of West Virginia.
Rain storms hit West Virginia last week (ends25Jun16), destroying homes and claiming the lives of at least 23 people.
Now, two of the state's most famous former citizens are using their celebrity for good to provide support and aid for those affected by the disaster.
Country music star Paisley has launched a crowdfunding campaign for flood relief on GoFundMe.com, and on Wednesday (29Jun16), he set a goal to raise $1 million , and personally donated $100,000 to kick off the charity drive. All funds donated will be distributed through his The Brad Paisley Foundation based in West Virginia.
Meanwhile, Garner, who grew up in Charleston, is using her existing partnership as a trustee of organization Save the Children to help raise awareness about the tragedy and support the victims, especially kids left without homes or cars.
"My heart is breaking for beautiful West Virginia," she said in a statement. "The people of my home state are the most resilient you will find, but the damage caused by the storm and deadly floods has been catastrophic for these families and communities. I am relieved to know that Save the Children will continue to be on the ground in West Virginia throughout the cleanup and recovery, to make sure basic needs are met."
Singer Billy Ray Cyrus also is pitching in by spearheading a TV fundraiser. The Achy Breaky Heart singer will be a big part of the two-hour Rebuild West Virginia telethon, which will be staged on Friday night (01Jul16) from the studios of local TV station WVVA-TV. The TV special will also be shown online.