Bruno Mars gave more than just a great show to his fans when his 24K Magic World Tour rolled into Detroit Saturday night.
The “Versace On The Floor” singer announced that he would be donating $1 million from the night’s show to provide aid to the victims of the Flint, Michigan water crisis.
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“I’m very thankful to the Michigan audience for joining me in supporting this cause,” Mars said in a statement to ESSENCE. “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.”
He continued, “As people, especially as Americans, we need to stand together to make sure something like this never happens in any community ever again.”
The Flint water crisis began in 2014 when the city started drawing water from the Flint River without first treating it against lead contamination. High levels of lead were found in the blood of Flint children in September 2015, causing doctors to urge Flint to stop drawing water from the river.
But it took more than a year for change to occur, following the ruling in March 2017 by a judge that water lines in 18,000 homes in Flint be replaced.
The funds from Mars’ Detroit concert will be directed to The Community Foundation of Greater Flint, an organization that is at the forefront of addressing the issues brought on by the Flint water crisis.