New Orleans Saints owner and New Orleans Pelicans governor Gayle Benson made a $1.25 million donation to the Greater New Orleans Foundation in mid-July of 2024, a contribution which was put to use this week in the wake of a deadly truck attack in New Orleans' French Quarter early Wednesday morning.
"In the wake of the tragic events on Bourbon Street this New Year's, we are fully committed to supporting the victims and their families," Gayle Benson said in a statement. "Through the Greater New Orleans Foundation's disaster relief fund, we will provide vital assistance to those affected, ensuring they have the resources they need during this challenging time."
The GNFO, which serves the 13-parish region of metro New Orleans, helps ensure speedy assistance to those impacted by disasters in the area. Benson's donation, made after last summer's devastating Hurricane Beryl, became the Gayle and Tom Benson Disaster Relief Fund.
Unfortunately, the relief fund was needed this week for a different sort of disaster after Wednesday's attack, in which 14 people were killed and dozens more injured when a truck drove into a New Year's crowd at Bourbon Street.
"It is our collective responsibility to support our community in times of hardship," Benson's statement continued, "and I will continue to stand with New Orleans as we heal together."
