Pistons Owner Pledges $10M to Flint, Cites Private Sector Role

DETROIT, MI – Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, a Flint native worth $3.3 billion, said Thursday he would raise $10 million to address the water crisis in Flint, where residents and children were exposed to dangerous levels of lead.

In a series of tweets on the Pistons’ Twitter account, Gores said the crisis “won’t be solved solely through government intervention and emergency support” and that the “private sector needs to play a role.”

It’s unclear how much Gores, who is also chairman and CEO of Platinum Equity, will personally give to the effort. NBA.com reports that he plans to tap business and civic leaders to give to the immediate and long-term, multi-pronged relief effort to help Flint deal with the public health crisis and economic issues.

The city switched back to water from Lake Huron in October, a month after a blistering report showed the proportion of Flint children with above-average levels of lead in their blood had nearly doubled since switch.

Fixing the problem could cost more than $1.5 billion, according to some reports.

Gores has created an internal team headed by Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem and his Platinum Equity partner, Mark Barnhill, to lead the fundraising issues.

“Families and children who live in Flint are suffering, but this is a national issue,” Gores said in a statement. “Flint was once a cornerstone of American industry that gave a lot to this country. We need help now more than ever and ask that people from coast to coast continue stepping up.”

Related

• Pediatrician Exposed Crisis of Lead in Flint Water
• State Delayed Action on Lead in Flint Water
• DEQ Director Resigns Over Flint Water Crisis
• Justice Department Looking at Flint Water Crisis
• Governor Declares Emergency in Flint Water Crisis
• Lawsuit Asks Court to Force State to Fix Flint Water Lines
• Former Prosecutor, Ex-FBI Chief Lead Flint Probe
• 2 DEQ Workers Suspended In Flint Water Crisis
• Congress Launches Inquiry Into Flint Water Crisis, $80M Aid Approved
• Flint Water Crisis and Scandal: 5 Things to Know

» Photo: Detroit Pistons Media Guide