Oprah Winfrey said on Tuesday that she will donate $500,000 to the March For Our Lives, the group founded by Parkland, Fla. High school students who survived last week’s mass shooting on campus and who are organizing a pro-gun control march in Washington, DC next month.
Winfrey joins a number of other Hollywood celebrities in donating to the group, including George and Amal Clooney along with Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw.
The Clooneys announced on Tuesday they would donate $500,000 in the names of their eight-month-old twins, Alexander and Ella. The couple, who plan to attend the march, declared their support for the group and its planned march, adding “our children’s lives depend on it.”
Spielberg and Capshaw also said they would donate $500,000, reported Deadline. Film studio executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife Marilyn pledged a similar amount.
March For Our Lives was born out of tragedy on Feb. 14, when Nikolas Cruz allegedly walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland and killed 17 people, including 14 students. The group has planned a march in Washington on March 24 and a national student walk-out.
George and Amal, I couldn’t agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation to ‘March For Our Lives.’ These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we’ve had ENOUGH and our voices will be heard.
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) February 20, 2018
Winfrey tweeted support for the group along with her intention to donate a half a million dollars towards the cause. “George and Amal, I couldn’t agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation to ‘March For Our Lives.’ These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we’ve had ENOUGH and voices will be heard,” a reference to 1960s-era civil rights activists in the South.