Yellowstone actor and Ohio native Luke Grimes is traveling to East Palestine to raise funds for residents and distribute water filtration systems in the wake of the train derailment that spewed toxic chemicals into the environment, leaving the small town in disarray.
Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton in Yellowstone, is partnering with the family of Jeff Ruby — an Ohio entrepreneur who owns and operates steakhouses throughout the state — to distribute 250 water filtration systems to families in East Palestine, according to a report by WKYC.
Additionally, all proceeds from the merchandise sold for Grimes’ new single “Oh Ohio” will go toward the residents of East Palestine. Merchandise can be purchased here.
“Once I saw the news of the train derailment in East Palestine, I knew I had to do something to help the residents get back on their feet,” Grimes said. “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, added that “Luke Grimes and his team reached out to discuss how we could jointly assist the people of East Palestine in providing resources.”
“Our foundation’s core values are helping people during disasters with immediate relief so we knew we had to help those in East Palestine. Luke, an Ohio native, was eager to partner for immediate impact. We are honored he chose us for the mission,” Ruby Miller said.
The group’s visit to the small Ohio town on Friday will also include presenting a $100,000 donation to East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway.
“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,” Mayor Conaway said.
“While our water is already safe to drink, the generous donation of water filtration systems will provide an extra layer of protection and peace of mind for our residents while further enhancing the quality of our water supply,” the mayor added. “We are grateful for everyone’s commitment to ensuring our community’s health and safety.”
Meanwhile, crews continue to clean up the environment affected by the disastrous February 3 train derailment. A few weeks ago, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Michael Regan said he expects the cleanup in East Palestine to take three months.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.