NEW JERSEY (1010 WINS) — The governor of New Jersey announced Tuesday he’s teaming up with a music legend to raise funds to help feed Ukrainians displaced by the conflict with Russia.
Along with his wife Tammy, Gov. Phil Murphy is working with longtime friends and neighbors Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea to raise $2 million in aid.
The goal of the fundraiser, which will also support local businesses, is to raise $1 million which will then be matched by a coalition of eight sponsors. Both the Bon Jovis’ and Murphys’ foundations are part of the sponsors, with the Bon Jovis already committing $500,000 in matching funds.
The money will be donated to celebrity chef Jose Andres’ non-profit, World Central Kitchen, which provides meals for people in crises and has already been distributing food to displaced Ukrainians.
Speaking to NJ.com, Tammy Murphy said she and her husband are constantly being asked what they could do to help Ukrainians.
“There’s a lot of areas we could try to venture into,” the first lady told NJ.com. “But this one — food security — literally impacts the youngest to the oldest. It doesn’t matter who you are. This country has gone from the breadbasket of the world to suddenly being food insecure ... It’s something everybody can understand.”
The Bon Jovis have a history of attempting to fight hunger in the past. The couple runs several pay-what-you-can restaurants throughout the state and have partnered with Andres on projects in the past.
“Fighting hunger and food insecurity is central to our philanthropic work for the past several decades, in New Jersey and beyond,” Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi, said in a statement.
A new non-profit overseen by the Community Foundation of New Jersey called “Together for Ukraine” will collect the fundraised dollars.
Donations can be made at cfnj.org/ukraine.
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