Rodgers donating $1 million for wildfire fund
Los Angeles (AFP) –
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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday he is donating $1 million to help with relief efforts from the devastating wildfires in his native California.
Rodgers, who grew up near Paradise, the northern California town of 30,000 which was wiped off the map by a deadly wildfire, made the announcement in a video posted on Twitter.
Victims of the Paradise blaze are living in temporary shelters in neighbouring Chico, Rodgers' hometown.
"As many of you know, the California wildfires have devastated countless communities," Rodgers said in the video.
"In Northern California, where I was born and raised, the city of Paradise burned to the ground, and many of the residents that got out are now displaced in my hometown of Chico and across the north state.
"I personally reached out to my friends and the mayor of Chico to find out how to be of the most help, and raising money for both immediate needs and the long-term recovery is what's needed most right now.
"This is why I'm partnering with the North Valley Community Foundation and donating $1 million to help with recovery and eventual rebuild of these communities."
Rodgers said his long-time sponsor, insurance giants State Farm, will donate up to $1 million towards the relief effort.
At least 81 people were killed in the fire in Paradise, which ripped through 152,000 acres of land and destroyed more than 12,600 homes after it erupted on November 8.
A second massive blaze in Malibu in southern California claimed three lives.
© 2018 AFP