Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Offers $10 Million Match to Rebuild Texas Fund at Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief Telethon

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation announced today that it will match the first $10 million donated, dollar for dollar, to the Rebuild Texas Fund during Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief on Tuesday, September 12 at 8pm ET. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation created the Rebuild Texas Fund in collaboration with the OneStar Foundation.

Hand in Hand, organized by Houston native rapper Bun B and SB Projects founder Scooter Braun, is set to broadcast live and commercial-free on multiple networks including ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX in addition to many others at 8pm ET and will be replayed on the West Coast at 8 p.m. PT, and live-stream via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The Rebuild Texas Fund is one of the charity beneficiaries, in addition to Direct Relief, Feeding Texas, Habitat for Humanity, The Mayor's Fund for Hurricane Harvey Relief (administered by the Greater Houston Foundation Fund), Save the Children and United Way of Greater Houston. Comic Relief USA will be responsible for collecting donations in addition to managing and distributing grants through the Hand in Hand Hurricane Relief Fund.

Michael and Susan Dell's $10 million match brings their total commitment to the Rebuild Texas Fund to $41 million. They launched the Fund with an $18 million commitment, matched donations over the Labor Day weekend, and are now matching the first $10M raised for the Rebuild Texas Fund from Hand in Hand Benefit.  The Dells also gave an additional $5 million to cover the telethon production costs so that all money raised by the telethon goes directly to organizations supporting families and communities affected by the storm.

"Our ultimate goal is to raise $100 million in the Rebuild Texas Fund for the long-term relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts for all affected communities in Texas," said Susan Dell. "We are in this for the long haul."

Both Michael and Susan Dell are Texas natives, and Michael Dell is from Houston. "We created the Rebuild Texas Fund to help with the long-term recovery of Texas communities – big and small – that have been devastated by Hurricane Harvey," said Michael Dell. "We will be rebuilding for years to come."

"We are honored to have the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation step up and give back in such a huge way," said SB Projects Founder and Hand in Hand producer Scooter Braun. "Their support ensures the money we raise goes directly to those who need it most and makes viewer's donations during the telethon even more powerful."

In San Antonio the same night, George Strait will perform in a concert that will be an additional part of the Hand in Hand Benefit and will feature other fellow country stars. Select performances from Strait's concert in San Antonio will also be broadcast on television as part of Hand in Hand.

"I'm proud to be joining forces with fellow Texans Michael and Susan Dell. Two more dedicated and generous people could not be found," said George Strait, Country Music Hall of Fame member. "When we reach the $10 million-dollar mark and they match that making it $20 million, I'll be celebrating a great achievement for the Rebuild Texas Fund. We need so much more though so ours along with other's efforts will need to continue and they will."

The four focus areas of the Rebuild Texas Fund include: health and housing; schools and child care; workforce and transportation; and capital for small businesses. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation will be contributing significant time, staff and expertise to the effort over the next one to three years.  All administrative costs will be covered either by the OneStar Foundation or the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, which means 100 percent of donations will go directly towards relief, recovery, and rebuilding.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation (www.msdf.org) is dedicated to improving the lives of children living in urban poverty around the world. Headquartered in Austin, TX with additional offices in New Delhi, India and Cape Town, South Africa, the Dell foundation funds programs that foster high-quality public education and childhood wellness, and improve the economic stability of families living in poverty. The foundation has committed more than $1.32 billion to global children's issues and community initiatives to date.

SOURCE The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

Related Links

http://www.msdf.org