MIAMI – Casey DeSantis, Florida’s first lady, has stepped into the spotlight following Hurricane Ian, taking on a lead role in efforts to raise money for hurricane relief.
Until the storm, the governor’s wife kept a relatively low profile.
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She planned to speak about aid for Hurricane Ian victims on Friday morning in North Venice.
The first lady was scheduled to speak at the Tervis Tumbler Headquarters, at 201 Triple Diamond Blvd. She has been promoting the Volunteer Florida Foundation’s The Florida Disaster Fund, a public-private partnership.
The list of corporate donors included Walmart with a donation of $1.5 million and Amazon, Florida Blue, and Lennar with $1 million each. She also thanked Tom Brady for helping to promote the fund. Josie Tamayo, Volunteer Florida’s chief executive officer, is also scheduled to speak.
To contribute to the effort, visit this page, or text DISASTER to 20222, or mail a check to the Volunteer Florida Foundation, at 1545 Raymond Diehl Road, Suite 250, Tallahassee, FL 32308. For more information about the fund or how to volunteer, call 1-850-414-7400 or info@volunteerflorida.org.
Here is a list of donations:
o Walmart: $1.5 million
o Amazon: $1 million
o Centene Charitable Foundation: $1 million
o Ian MacKechnie: $1 million
o Florida Blue: $1 million
o Lennar: $1 million
o Boeing: $750,000
o Publix: $500,000
o TECO: $500,000
o Simply Healthcare: $350,000
o AirBnb: $250,000
o Wells Fargo: $250,000
o Verizon: $125,000
o CVS: $100,000
o Duke Energy: $100,000
o Goldman Sachs: $100,000
o Rumble: $100,000
o Florida Power and Light: $50,000
o National Christian Foundation: $50,000
o PGA Tour: $25,000
o Horne: $25,000
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