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Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper has continued to set an example for his gracious generosity by donating large sums of money towards disaster relief, most recently towards the Coronavirus pandemic. 

The David A. Tepper Foundation donated $2.65 million to help the local Carolina community- as well as other parts of the country - last month in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Monday, Tepper’s donations have exceeded $22 million, according to Forbes. This is not the first time Tepper has stepped up after natural disasters. In 2012, he donated money to help support New Jersey and New York following Hurricane Sandy’s destruction while also assisting the Carolinas in 2018 after Hurricane Florence.  

“Generally when you have a [hurricane], people have lost their possessions and everything else, but in a month or so, they’re back to work and there’s rebuilding that’s going on,” David Tepper told Forbes. “Here, it’s people losing their ability to make money, and that time period doesn’t have a certain end, which also creates a specific challenge for what you do with any kind of philanthropy… You want to see how long this lasts, what the government response is, but there are some things you know you need to do now, and some things you know that will not be covered.”

Tepper has connections to both New Jersey and North Carolina, where most of his donations are focused, where his primary concern is getting money into the hands of those affected by the virus as well as food distribution to those in need. He looks to support those who are not financially supported by the government, in terms of stimulus money, as well as those who are unable to work to put food on the table, pay bills and accommodate the daily expenses life demands. 

“There’s this big question before the money gets in from the government and the people who won’t get any government money: How will they eat?” Tepper said.

Tepper is not finished donating to assist those in need amid the COVID-19 pandemic and hopes that his generosity will create a domino effect where he hopes others follow his lead. “People have to step up if they have the ability.” 

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