Yellowstone‘s Luke Grimes is stepping up in a big way for the state where he grew up as the city of East Palestine, Ohio, still reeling from the devastation of the recent train derailment and subsequent issues caused by it. The town of around 5,000 has been struggling since early February, and Grimes is partnering with the Jeff Ruby family to provide assistance.
Grimes released a song titled “Oh Ohio” on March 17, an ode to the state in which he grew up and the places he once called home. The city of Dayton helped shape Grimes as a man, an actor, and a songwriter, and the devastation in East Palestine has been hard to reason with for the Ohio native.
This Friday, March 30, Grimes will visit East Palestine with the Jeff Ruby family to donate a check for $100,000 to help with recovery efforts in Ohio after nearly two months of fallout from the derailment. On Feb. 2, 2023 — a Norfolk Southern Freight Train carrying hazardous materials derailed in the northern Ohio city. A recent New York Times article spells out the timeline and everything taking place since then.
Grimes says he hopes his visit to Ohio encourages others to find ways to help as they can.
“With this visit and the dedicated fundraising, we hope we are able to continue to shine a light on this devastating incident and inspire others to step up and help too.”
Britney Ruby Miller, CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, shared a statement via a press release that shared her excitement about Grimes’ team reaching out to them and finding a way to assist the Ohio residents. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouses are luxury restaurants in the areas of Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee that provide upscale dining and also have a mission to find ways to give back to their communities.
“Luke Grimes and his team reached out to discuss how we could jointly assist the people of East Palestine in providing resources. Our foundation core values are helping people during disasters with immediate relief so we knew we had to help those in East Palestine. [Grimes] was eager to partner for immediate impact. We are honored he chose us for the mission.”
East Palestine mayor Trent Conway shared his gratitude to Grimes and the Jeff Ruby family for coming together to help the city he loves. There will also be several water filtration systems, 250 to be exact, that they’ll hand out on a first-come-first-serve basis beginning Friday morning at The Original Roadhouse in East Palestine.
“We are extremely grateful for this generous donation from Luke Grimes and the Jeff Ruby Family. Their support will help us move forward toward our vision of a thriving and resilient community.”
In addition to the visit to Ohio, Grimes is also giving back by donating money from the sales of his single, “Oh Ohio,” to East Palestine and doing the same for a special edition t-shirt you can purchase here.
