MIAMI _ The Miami Heat stepped forward on several fronts Thursday in the wake of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Irma.
The foundation of Heat owner Micky Arison, the chairman of Carnival Corporation, and his wife, Madeleine, announced an immediate $2.5 million donation to Direct Relief, UNICEF and United Way of Miami-Dade County, to support most urgent hurricane relief efforts.
In addition, Carnival Foundation and the Heat Charitable Fund plan to team to raise $5 million in relief funds, with the Arison foundation pledging to match that commitment.
Beyond the financial considerations, Carnival Cruise Line is deploying 11 ships to deliver emergency supplies to affected ports in Florida and throughout the Caribbean.
Earlier, the Heat announced that they will team with the Golden State Warriors to airlift more than 100 pre-Hurricane Irma pets from local Miami-area animal shelters to no-kill animal shelters in Oakland.
The relocation of pre-storm animals, through the assistance of FedEx, is designed to create space in Miami-area shelters for animals displaced by the storm.
A FedEx MD-10 will arrive in Miami prior to the rescue airlift with more than $11 million worth of relief for victims of Hurricane Irma from Direct Relief International.
Heat captain Udonis Haslem and coach Erik Spoelstra as well as Heat staffers will assist Friday in loading more than 100 dogs and cats from the Miami-area shelters.
The animals will then be flown to Oakland, where Warriors players Zaza Pachulia and Jordan Bell, assistant coach Willie Green and other Warriors staffers will unload them.
The animals will be delivered to no-kill shelters in the Oakland area where they will have the opportunity to be adopted by local families.
"Hurricane Irma has devastated many families and cities that mean so much to us," Heat President Pat Riley said in a statement. "As a long-time resident of South Florida, I have witnessed the resiliency of our communities; watching neighbors come together to overcome adversity. The South Florida community has supported our organization throughout the years, so it is only fitting that we are there to support and help uplift this community in its time of need."
Carnival's ships are being deployed with crucial supplies, including food, water, clothing, diapers, medical supplies and generators, among others. The effort benefits impacted destinations including Grand Turk, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Antigua-Barbuda and affected Bahamian islands.
The Hurricane Irma support and relief efforts follow the recent announcement that Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Corporation and the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation provided a minimum of $2 million for Hurricane Harvey recovery across the Gulf Coast region, including some of the hardest hit areas of Texas.
