George Strait Visits Rockport, Texas, to Support Hurricane Harvey Victims [WATCH]
On Thursday (Sept. 21), George Strait visited Rockport, Texas -- where he and his wife, Norma, own a home -- to offer support and encouragement to the town's residents as they continue to recover from Hurricane Harvey. Introduced by Gov. Greg Abbott, the country superstar told the people of Rockport that he won't let their needs be forgotten.
A longtime Rockport resident, Strait briefly spoke to a crowd gathered outside of a local Ace Hardware. The singer promised to "keep a light shining right here on this area.”
"So much has been said about other parts of the state, and deservedly so," Strait noted, "but we still need help here, and we can’t be forgotten.”
Tweets from a photographer for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times show a large number of Rockport residents gathered to see Strait, and show Strait meeting with those in the crowd.
"We like [Rockport] just the way it was, and we want to get it back there,” Strait said during his speech. "I knew it was bad, but when I got here and saw just how bad it was, it really made me sad ... Just so you know, we're going to be here for you."
Earlier in September, after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas in late August, Strait put together a benefit concert featuring featuring Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen. A portion of the show was broadcast live nationwide as part of the Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief telethon. That event raised $44 million for Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas and Hurricane Irma victims in Florida and the Caribbean.
Born in Poteet, Texas, a small town in the southern part of the state, Strait shared shortly after Hurricane Harvey that his family and friends were “personally affected” by the storm. He did not give further details as to what that means exactly, though.
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