The Weeknd continued his recent spate of major charitable giving with a $300,000 donation to the victims of the recent explosion in Beirut.
The singer’s manager, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, announced on Wednesday (Aug. 12) that Abel has pledged to donate $300,000 to the Global Aid for Lebanon campaign to help the Lebanese city emerge from the devastation of the Aug. 4 explosion that killed more than 220 and injured 7,000, while leaving 300,000 homeless after what’s been called one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in modern history.
“I am so honored and humbled to work with artist’s who have such deep care for the world and right now for our brothers & sisters of Lebanon who are in pain and need our collective help. I want to thank my brother @theweeknd for his generous and class act of donating $300,000 to the Global Aid for Lebanon campaign,” wrote Slaiby on Instagram, also calling out Live nation CEO Michael Rapino for adding in a $50,000 donation.
The donation is just the latest major check The Weeknd has written to benefit a charitable cause. On June 1, he pledged $500,000 in donations split between Black Lives Matter Global Network, Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp and National Bail Out. “Keep supporting our brothers and sisters out there risking everything to push for actual change for our black lives,” he captioned an Instagram slideshow announcing the donation. “Urging everyone with big pockets to give and give big and if you have less please give what you can even if it’s a small amount.”
On June 19, the XO commander ponied up $1 million for pandemic relief, with $500,000 goign to MusiCares and the other half to front line hospital workers of the Scarborough Health Network.
Finally, the singer’s interactive virtual concert on TikTok raised $350,000 for the Equal Justice Initiative thanks to sales of new and limited-edition Weeknd x TikTok merch.
