Justice

Pearl Jam Just Donated Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars to Flint, Michigan

January 22nd 2016

The rock band Pearl Jam announced on Friday that they would raise $300,000 for a Flint, Michigan, water fund, as residents there deal with a months-long contamination crisis that has become national news.

The band said that they would be sending the money to the United Way of Genesee County's Flint Water Fund and encouraged others to follow suit on the online crowdfunding site Crowdrise.

Several major music industry companies and social justice foundations, including Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Universal Music Publishing Group, and Brandi Carlile's Looking Out Foundation, pledged about half of the $300,000 pool. At the time of writing, about $8,500 had been raised on the Crowdrise.

Related: Anonymous Just Declared War on Flint's Water Crisis

Pearl Jam is just the latest prominent music group to pledge some form of material support to the residents of Flint, who were exposed to lead and other metal contaminants in their water supply after the city switched water sources as a cost-cutting measure in 2013.

Pearl Jam and partners pledge money to FlintCrowdrise - crowdrise.com

Rolling Stone reports that the rapper Big Sean also pledged $10,000 through his personal charity and had raised more than $17,000 in a separate Crowdrise campaign. Earlier this week, Cher sent more than 100,000 bottles of water to the city. Meek Mill also appears to have donated water bottles to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in addition to a monetary donation to the Flint Child and Family Health Development Fund.

Related: Flint, Michigan Has Been Charging Its Residents for Toxic Water

Pearl Jam said that the money would go towards the purchase of water filters, bottled water, and emergency support services and prevention efforts in the town. Any remaining money would go to the Flint Child Health and Development Fund.

The outpouring of support for Flint residents comes after a turbulent week there, with a political focus on Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's administration and other government agencies for mishandling the crisis. Snyder, who took responsibility for the crisis, blamed "career civil service people" who displayed a lack of common sense. On Thursday, President Barack Obama announced the White House would give $80 million in aid money to the Flint water infrastructure, calling the situation there "inexcusable."

Share your opinion

Do you think the Flint water crisis could have been avoided?

No 2%Yes 98%