If you didn’t know already there has been a massive water crisis in the U.S city of Flint in the state of Michigan.
It all started in 2014 when a lady by the name of LeeAnne Walters noticed that her son would get rash every time he got into the swimming pool.
An investigation ensued after a while and it was found that the water in LeeAnne Walters house had a very high level of lead (104 parts per billion (ppb) – anything over 15 ppb is considered unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). When they tested the water again in March 2015, they found it had lead levels of 397 ppb.)
The city previously bought its water from Detroit (where lead levels are 2.3 ppb) but as of April 2014, it switched its source to the Flint river to cut costs. The measure was always intended to be a short-term fix while city planners waited for a new pipeline from Detroit’s Lake Huron to be built. The water from the Flint river was highly corrosive and therefore damaged the lead pipes that it flowed through, but officials did not implement corrosion control to prevent lead from leaching into the water.
Almost immediately, citizens began to make complaints about the quality of their water.
Fast forward into 2016 and a few known faces from the hip-hop community have promised to come and help out in this crisis.
Big Sean has launched the #HealFlintKids fundraiser alongside his Sean Anderson Foundation in response to the current toxic water crisis in Flint, Mich. Additionally, Sean has donated $10,000 to the cause, which will help families with kids in Flint who have been exposed to toxic water.
“I am devastated by the water crisis that has put the entire city of Flint in a state of emergency,” Big Sean said in a statement. “In recognizing the great work that the Community Foundation of Greater Flint Michigan has been doing, it is my hope we can help by raising the money needed to ensure that the children who have been hit the hardest receive the care that they need today and well into the future.”
Anyone who donates at least $10 to the fundraiser will be entered into a contest with a chance to win VIP tickets to a Big Sean concert in 2016. The campaign will wrap up on April 30, when five winners will be announced. Sean is the latest member of the hip-hop community to take notice of what’s happening in Flint, as Meek Mill announced yesterday that he sent 60,000 bottles of clean water to the area to help out.