John Grisham donates $5 Million to Katrina relief

[cynatnite]

TUPELO, Miss. - Bestselling writer John Grisham and his wife will contribute $5 million to a relief fund they established this week at a Tupelo bank to help Mississippians rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

"We don't normally publicize gifts. It's something we keep extremely private," Grisham said Friday during a conference call with the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal and officials with BancorpSouth.

"But in these very, very rare circumstances — this tragic time — we hope the gift will get some attention and inspire other people to contribute money and help our fellow Mississippians on the Gulf Coast," said Grisham, who maintains a home in Oxford, Miss.

The Grishams will deposit the money at BancorpSouth in Tupelo. The bank will then handle all money for the effort, named the Rebuild the Coast Fund Organization.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_en_ot/katrina_grisham

[Swamp Rat]

1. How about New Orleans and Southern Louisiana? n/t

[Dogmudgeon]

4. I think it's for the entire Gulf Coast

Several celebs from Mississippi have kicked in, including Morgan Freeman. None of them are placing geographic restrictions on their gifts, as far as I know.

--p!

[Swamp Rat]

12. I hope so.

New Orleans needs help BAD! :cry:

[Kenroy]

2. Good for him...

I'm so sick of people bitching about rich people who haven't done "enough" in the minds of some people.

[Lindsay]

6. Yup. Gotta be a few rich people in Louisiana

who can match his gift.

Good on him.

[Autonomy]

8. Yeah, the rich are always getting the shaft!

[Kenroy]

16. I'm not saying that

I'm just saying people who spend more time worrying about what the rich are doing than worrying about what they themselves can do are just spinning their wheels.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Let's hope this encourages

other authors to contribute, if not in Mississippi, to relief efforts elsewhere. How much do you predict Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, and their ilk will contribute?

[cynatnite]

7. I haven't heard of any RW celeb donating big money

Is it possible to guilt them into it? :eyes: Yeah, crazy idea, I know.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

19. remember that Free Republic and the RNC

didn't do much about posting links to hurricane relief,so it doesn't really surprise me.

[Liberal In Texas]

10. Coulter and O'Reilly? Those goofs won't give a dime! n/t

[Field Of Dreams]

5. That's serious cash

thank you Mr. and Mrs. Grisham

[madmax]

11. Damn right!

Very generous indeed. O8) :applause:

[kestrel91316]

9. Ok, so where the heck is Ann Rice with a few million??? Ann???? Hello??

[QC]

13. Grisham is a Democrat, and a very generous man.

There have been rumors for years about him running for Senate in Mississippi.

[Olney Blue]

14. John Grisham's love of the South is reflected in his books...

I remember his descriptions of New Orleans in The Pelican Brief.

I admire the Grisham's generosity.

[cynatnite]

15. The Chamber is my favorite

He does have a strong love for the south and he seemed very progressive to me when I read his stuff.

I'm glad he went public with this gift.

[tjdee]

17. I won't be embarrassed now to say I've read all his books.

:silly:

Five mil is fantastic. Good for him.

[Sgent]

18. Mississippi

Has been devestated as well. As a MS native and former member of the legislature from MS, Grisham will help everyone, but does have some special ties to his home state.

Similarly, I saw on WWL where Eli & Peyton Manning personally chartered a cargo plane and bought tonnes of diapers and baby food, and flew it down to NOLA today. Peyton also had gatorade kick in huge amounts of water and (of course) Gatorade.

The two of them then toured the city, visiting shelters in Jefferson Parish and the northshore, visibly lifting the spirits of the people there.