Minnesota Vikings Players and Owners Pitch In Big Bucks For Drake Hotel Victims
Fundraising efforts have been pouring in since the day of the fire at The Drake Hotel in Minneapolis. Over 200 homeless and low income individuals and families were displaced after the fire, with monetary and physical donations such as food, clothing toys etc being donated immediately after the fire was extinguished.
Led by none other than Kyle Rudolph, Vikings players pooled their resources and came up with $25,000 which was then matched by the Vikings' ownership group to bring the total to $50,000. The Minneapolis Foundation which is the main collector for the donations has said that as of right now they have collected $278,000 to help the impacted families.
Kyle Rudolph who is the Vikings' 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, said: For me, Christmas is a time where you’re supposed to be spending time with family. Really, the whole holiday season – it’s all about spreading Christmas cheer and doing things for other people. When you hear news of a tragedy like this that displaces 250 people, and their lives are turned upside down, they don’t know where to go for help, it makes you feel like you need to do something – you need to step up; you need to help these people."
The Drake Hotel was being used as a an overflow homeless shelter when it caught on fire Christmas Day. Efforts have been made to help families and individuals find shelter and provide them with basic essentials that they need. Some families have been moved to a hotel in Bloomington or another temporary shelter by the Covenant Church in Minneapolis.
Attention is shifting to providing more long-term housing options for the homeless in the Twin Cities and Governor Tim Walz said "he's planning a bonding request for the Legislature to address this issue." For more on this story click here.