November 25, 2024
Stars donate millions to Florida shooting victims
Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney and Steven Spielberg are helping fund a march in Washington DC to call for tighter gun control.
SEVERAL A-list celebrities have joined George and Amal Clooney in pledging $500,000 to the March For Our Lives movement.
The list includes Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Kate Capshaw and Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg, who have also said they will participate in the march on Washington DC next month.
The donations, which translate to about £360,000 each, will be given to the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida after a mass shooting last week killed 17 people.
Students have into turned activists following the attack, which has rekindled the debate over gun control in the US.
George Clooney said in a statement: “Amal and I are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women from Stoneman Douglas High School.
“Our family will be there on 24 March to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country, and in the name of our children Ella and Alexander, we’re donating $500,000 to help pay for this groundbreaking event.
“Our children’s lives depend on it.”
Oprah Winfrey followed with a tweet, pledging the same amount.
“George and Amal, I couldn’t agree with you more,” she wrote.
“I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation to March For Our Lives.
“These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we’ve had ENOUGH and our voices will be heard.”
The alleged gunman, 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz, is reported to have been legally sold the assault rifle used in the attack despite having a history of mental health issues.
Survivors, stars and politicians have all called on the Republican Party and US president Donald Trump to impose stricter gun controls.
Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw followed, and said: “Young students in Florida and now across the country are already demonstrating their leadership with a confidence and maturity that belies their ages.
“Kate and I applaud their efforts to take a stand for the benefit of this and future generations. They are an inspiration to us all, and we are joining in this movement with a donation of $500,000.”
Studio boss Jeffrey Katzenberg also said he was “proud to stand with the brave young leaders from Parkland, who have turned their pain and grief and turned it into action”.
On Wednesday, Donald Trump signed an order recommending a ban on devices that turn rifles into machine guns, saying: “We must do more to protect our children.” – news.sky.com
