Oprah Winfrey Commits $2 Million to Puerto Rico Relief Efforts

Oprah Winfrey is known for her generous donations, and her latest gift is going towards Puerto Rico for its relief efforts following the destruction from Hurricane Maria in September 2017.

The Hispanic Federation and The Flamboyan Arts Fund announced the $2 million commitment from Winfrey on Monday, aimed towards the revitalization of Puerto Rico. One half of the donation goes towards the Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Disaster Relief & Recovery Program to continue developing long-term needs for the island, while the second half of the donation goes to the Flamboyan Arts Fund, focused on continuing the island’s rich heritage of arts, culture and creative development.

In a statement made by Winfrey, she said, “I was so moved by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s commitment to bring Hamilton to Puerto Rico and support the community that served him growing up that I wanted to join in the revitalization efforts of an island so rich in culture, beauty and heritage.”

For the first time since leaving the original Broadway cast of the Tony award-winning musical Hamilton in 2016, Miranda reprised the role of Alexander Hamilton for 23 performances in Puerto Rico earlier this year. The Flamboyan Arts Fund, with the help of Miranda’s run in Hamilton, has raised an estimated $15 million for artists and art institutions on the island.

Winfrey continued, saying, “The needs of Puerto Rico and our fellow American citizens following the tragic hurricanes are still very real, and the work that has already been done by the Hispanic Federation, Flamboyan Arts Fund and other organizations on and off the island is long from over.”

The Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program, meanwhile, has taken action in helping coordinate hundreds of donation drives on the U.S. mainland and distributing millions of pounds of food and water. It has seeded over $30 million dollars towards 110 community groups and initiatives on the island.