Cher donates 180,000 bottles of water to Flint, Michigan during water crisis
Cher is pitching in to help out Flint, Michigan, during the city’s ongoing water crisis.
As part of a partnership with Icelandic Glacial, Cher is donating 181,440 bottles of water to Flint after the discovery of lead contamination in the city’s drinking water.
According to a press release, the bottles will be shipped out on Monday and begin arriving in Flint on Wednesday, where they will be distributed to those in need. Most of the donations will go to low-income housing areas in Flint, focusing on community centers, food banks, and fire houses.
“This is a tragedy of staggering proportion and shocking that it’s happening in the middle of our country,” Cher said in a release. “I am so grateful that Icelandic Glacial has come on-board to help the city of Flint. I cannot wait for the water to get there to help these people who have been poisoned because the water they’ve been getting out of their taps has been polluted for so long.”
On Saturday, President Barack Obama declared a federal emergency in Flint, a city of 100,000 people, as residents have been unable to use tap water for cooking, drinking, or bathing. In 2014, the city tried to cut costs by switching its water supply source from Lake Huron to the Flint River, causing increased levels of lead in city’s drinking water. Government officials have since been accused of ignoring public complaints and not acting quickly enough once the lead contamination was discovered.
Cher has been following the crisis in Flint for some time now, and on social media, she’s been an outspoken critic of Gov. Rick Snyder’s involvement in the crisis. She also tweeted that she’s been working with Flint’s mayor, Karen Weaver.
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