Kenny Chesney is known for being a beach loving guy and owns a home on the beautiful island of St. John in the Virgin Islands that has played a part in many of his beachy-themed music videos. So it was no surprise that when Hurricane Irma devastated the U.S. Virgin Islands, Chesney decided he had to get involved for the relief efforts.
Immediately following the natural disaster that impacted his second hometown, Chesney started the Love For Love City Foundation (“Love City” is the nickname for St. John Island).
“I don’t know right now how we’re going to do this. But I want to help. I want to enlist my friends to figure out the best ways to make a difference, to help in whatever ways, small or larger, that we can . . . Give us a few days to figure this out” Chesney said.
It has now been announced that Chesney is back in the studio recording new music that will directly raise money for the foundation along with special merchandise his fans can buy. All the money raised from the foundation will go towards rebuilding St. John island.
However, Chesney didn’t stop there. The island-loving singer heard about two teenage boys that were stranded after being in a home that was destroyed by the storm. The boys recounted to CNN their experience when Irma hit:
“Five minutes later, the roof just ripped off our head,” Jah-Haile recounted.
“That’s the moment where I was terrified, because I felt like Irma was a spirit … I felt like I saw the hand grab the roof, squeeze it and throw it off into the wind. It was just — it was crazy” Jah-Haile’s brother Jahbioseh said.
The teenagers and their grandfather survived the hurricane, though they lost everything and were transported by private boat to St. Croix where they were stranded by lack of commercial flights to get to their mother in Philadelphia.
Somehow, Chesney heard about the boys and decided to anonymously donate is own private jet to fly to boys to their worried mother. CNN was able to track down the jet donor and discovered it was none other than the generous Kenny Chesney.
Visit Chesney’s store HERE to purchase items that help raise money for the victims of Hurricane Irma.
