Dec 4 2007
Brad Pitt and residents of the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans today launched a national fundraising campaign to help the city recover from the lasting devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, starting with the Lower 9th Ward.
Brad Pitt launching home rebuilding project
Pitt was in the Lower 9th Ward today on the site of his "Make It Right" project's first initiative -- 150 affordable and sustainable homes in an area leveled by Katrina that are being built in partnership with Steve Bing.
"The families of New Orleans need the help of families across America this holiday season," said Pitt. "We are asking Americans this holiday season to go to our website http://www.makeitrightnola.org and send a contribution that will help us rebuild homes for these families -- and rebuild their lives."
Pitt was joined by the homes' architects, who unveiled their groundbreaking designs for the community. In addition to high-quality, sustainable design, the project incorporates the spirit and
culture of the Lower 9th Ward and encourages it to flourish.
Today's launch was marked by the unveiling of 150 bright pink structures the size of real houses erected throughout the project site. The pink houses, which will remain for five weeks, serve as a stand in for the vibrant community that will be built.
Pitt also unveiled innovative features of http://www.makeitrightnola.org. Users are able to "walk" through houses and select which items in the house they will support with their contributions. The site also allows users to provide parts of a house on behalf of their friends and families.
Following the announcements, Pitt hosted a party for Lower 9th residents. The party included appearances by Jerry Lee Lewis, Ivan Neville, and Fats Domino.
Earlier this year, Pitt and Bing announced at the Clinton Global Initiative that they each would match $5 million in contributions to the houses, for a total of $10 million in matching funds, and challenged others to join them in rebuilding New Orleans.
Pitt became a part-time resident of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. After seeing the devastation first hand and meeting with the hardest-hit residents, he began the Make It Right project to catalyze the rebuilding of New Orleans starting with the Lower 9th Ward.
The 150-home community will address the dire need for single-family housing in the Lower 9th Ward and further spark rebuilding efforts in one of the richest cultural communities in America, an area that saw houses not just flooded by water, but swept off their foundations.