Matthew McConaughey and his wife have started a fundraiser to help the relatives and friends of the 19 children and two teachers slain in a school shooting last week.
McConaughey, 52, grew up in Uvalde, Texas, and his mother, Kay, worked as a teacher at St. Philip’s Episcopal School, about a mile from Robb Elementary School, where Salvador Ramos, 18, opened fire last Tuesday.
Following the shooting, the Oscar winner issued a statement advocating for gun control, and he and his wife, Camila, traveled south from Austin to the little hamlet on Friday to comfort the people as they prepare to bury the young children.
The famous couple announced the creation of their Uvalde Relief Fund through their Just Keep Livin’ Foundation on Thursday.
‘Matthew and Camila McConaughey have been on the ground in Uvalde for the last few days since the mass shooting, the loss is tragic,’ read a statement on the foundation’s Instagram page.
‘While the spirit of the community is in pain, the unanimous support of families to families and strangers to locals is beautiful,’ they wrote, adding: ‘After the initial shock, the town has now begun the funerals and the grieving process, which will continue for the surviving children, families and the entire community.
‘The community will need ongoing grief counseling and support on the long road ahead of them,’ they continued, asking for donations to support the grief counseling and help families with burial costs as well as ‘other immediate and other long-term needs of the community.’