Perhaps channeling her inner Khaleesi, Beyoncé is spreading mercy, benevolence and charity throughout the land, as is expected of a good queen. Months ago to further solidify her reign, Queen Bey dedicated herself during her Formation World Tour to raising funds targeting citizens affected by the Flint, Michigan water crisis. Now, she’s set to disclose how much money she has raised in that effort, and also share another philanthropic endeavor developing as an initiative for Detroit.
Members of Bey’s team will host a media event in Michigan this Monday to reveal how much money she raised towards Flint’s relief efforts, according to the Detroit Free Press. Beyoncé will be in Michigan as her tour wraps up its first U.S. leg with a Ford Field show on Tuesday.
Readers may recall Bey’s fundraising for Flint began with ticket buyers on the 23-city run being directed to the funding site CrowdRise.com, where they could make donations and enter a random drawing for seat upgrades. Contributions benefit the United Way of Genesee County and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, earmarked to help residents affected by the city’s water crisis.
“Beyoncé is a woman who is always touched with compassion to not only help people, but to use her platform to engage others to help as well,” said Ivy McGregor, who runs the BeyGood Foundation as part of the singer’s Parkwood Entertainment.
The announcement follows through on a promise to aid Flint, which accompanied the announcement of Beyoncé’s Formation tour during February’s Super Bowl.
“Flint residents represent us all,” McGregor said. “They represent the tour family, Parkwood, all of us. They’re everyday people that faced issues and circumstances that could happen in our backyards.”
McGregor declined to provide details about Monday’s announcement, but the expectation is set that the contribution to Flint will be a “large amount.” The foundation will also announce a new effort benefiting Detroit.
“It would be remiss of us to be in Detroit and not do something for the city,” she said.
Volunteers in BeyGood T-shirts roam the venues ahead of Formation tour shows. They talk with fans about Flint and Beyoncé’s charitable causes — with some fans being handpicked for upgrades to “the best seats in the house,” McGregor said. “We like to have the conversations with them…We use the old adage that charity begins at home, and spreads from there.”
The tour will head off to Europe after the Detroit show, then return to the U.S. in September. Beyoncé’s partnership with the United Way and CrowdRise will be ongoing, McGregor said.
