The water crisis in Flint, Mich. has moved Puff Daddy and Mark Wahlberg to action. The co-owners of AQUAhydrate have reportedly donated one million bottles to the city. The rap mogul and actor are contributing 5,000 cases of their water in response to Flint’s lead poisoning scandal, and have added a commitment to continue to donate more water until the issue is solved, ABC 10 reports.
The devastating health issue has affected the nervous systems and developmental abilities of 8,657 children in the city. High levels of lead were found in Flint’s water after city officials switched from purchasing water from Detroit to getting its water from the Flint River in 2014. Previously, the Detroit municipal system treated the water supply to prevent lead from entering the water supply. With the Flint River system however, no corrosion prevention was in play, and the water contained higher levels of chloride, leading to lead buildup.
President Obama recently allocated $80 million in federal funding for assistance.
“Our children should not have to be worried about the water that they’re drinking in American cities, that’s not something that we can accept,” Obama said.
Puff Daddy and Wahlberg are teaming up with Eminem and Wiz Khalifa for their AQUAhydrate effort. They are now joining a host of other celebrities who have lended a helping hand to Flint, including Big Sean, and Meek Mill.