Bruno Mars dropped a pleasant surprise on fans at his show in Auburn Hills on Saturday. The “Uptown Funk” singer stopped the show and informed the audience that he and Live Nation, the group promoting his current tour, would be diverting proceeds from the concert to The Community Foundation of Greater Flint in order to help those affected by the Flint water crisis. The residents of the city have dealt with water contaminated with lead after the city shifted sources in 2014 and the issue gained wider recognition in 2016.
Bruno Mars released a statement on the decision, calling the situation in Flint a “disaster” and hoping it would do part to avoid any similar situations from happening in the future:
“I’m very thankful to the Michigan audience for joining me in supporting this cause,” Mars said in a press statement. “Ongoing challenges remain years later for Flint residents, and it’s important that we don’t forget our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster. As people, especially as Americans, we need to stand together to make sure something like this never happens in any community ever again.”
According to The Fader, The Community Foundation of Greater Flint is made up of members of the Genesee County community and has been raising money to help those affected by the water crisis in Flint. The decision by Mars should provide much needed help to the citizens in Flint, but there is still a lot of work to be done and a lot of people that need to be held accountable.
Ξ Bruno Mars Donated One Million Dollars To Flint, Michigan! Ξpic.twitter.com/ATB4mBvENx
— #BRN (@BlackRailNation) August 13, 2017
(Via The Fader / The Hollywood Reporter)
