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Los Angeles Dodgers minority owner Magic Johnson and Dodgers chairman Mark Walter are part of a private-sector group that California Governor Gavin Newsom has tapped to lead a nine-figure raise to support Los Angeles wildfire relief.
Wasserman Group founder and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizer Casey Wasserman is also part of the group, dubbed LA Rises. They will work with local and state officials to spearhead fundraising for the rebuilding effort.
“It’s not just about the state and federal government supporting local responses, it’s about the private sector, the civic society coming together,” Newsom told the media on Tuesday at an event with Wasserman, Johnson and Dodgers Chief Executive Stan Kasten. “It’s about active, engaged citizenship.”
Wasserman also spoke, telling reporters that the project is about more than just recovering from the wildfires that have ravaged the Los Angeles area over the last few weeks, killing at least 29 people.
“The private sector has to come together, both operationally and philanthropically, as part of the rebuild and in many ways, the rebirth of L.A.,” Wasserman said. “This process and this journey we’re about to start with LA Rises is not about the next month or the next year. This is about what L.A. is going to be like for the next 50 or 100 years.”
Walter and Wasserman will serve as co-chairs of the initiative, Newsom said, because of their “proven leadership and deep commitment to Los Angeles.”
Local sports teams, including the Dodgers and Lakers, have already teamed up to fight wildfires
The LA Rises news comes on the heels of 12 Los Angeles sports teams, including the Dodgers and Lakers, teaming up to raise money for wildfire relief. Their raise totals around $8 million with apparel company Fanatics pitching in $3 million in merchandise.
“We are committed as ever to Los Angeles,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said in a release at the time of the announcement. “We recognize it's not just our community that has been impacted by this. We're committed to helping people as much as we can and we're going to do that.”
The other teams involved are the Angels, Clippers, Chargers, Ducks, Galaxy, Kings, Rams, Sparks, Angel City FC and LA FC.
Dodgers players have also stepped up independently. 2024 World Series MVP Freddie Freeman and his wife Chelsea pledged $300,000 to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the Pasadena Fire Department and the Salvation Army. Taylor and his wife also started a fundraiser and are matching a portion of the donations.
