Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Joins Committee to Rebuild LA Following Devastating Wildfires

California governor Gavin Newsom has tapped former 12-time All-Star Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson to help a group of business leaders with an initiative to rebuild the city Los Angeles after it was devasted by historic wildfires, reports Tom Tapp of Deadline. The effort has been named "LA Rises."
Gavin Newsom Taps Magic Johnson, Casey Wasserman & Mark Walter To Lead $100M L.A. Rises Initiative To Rebuild City After Fires https://t.co/uHPx3fZZYZ
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) January 28, 2025
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Johnson will be joined in the effort by longtime entertainment and sports executive Casey Wasserman and Los Angeles Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter. Wasserman is the President of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, who are prepping for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. It's unclear if climate uncertainty will impact plans for that event, but for now it seems to be on track.
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Bringing Johnson aboard is a savvy move from Newsom. Johnson has been a Los Angeles icon for 46 years, and is much a part of his adopted home's firmament as anybody. Johnson originally hails from East Lansing, Michigan.
He's also a solid businessman who has made a point to help lift up underprivileged communities. Perhaps his joining the effort will help ensure that equal shine is given to all impacted people.
With the onus on cultivating “a unified recovery initiative that brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts led by the city of Los Angeles,” the Mark Walter Family Foundation and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation have already tendered $100 million towards the initiative.
According to Tapp, the LA Rises effort will seek to raise funds via philanthropic means and investments from private capital. It will look to collaborate with other philanthropic and community groups, and will try to establish a timeline with resources for Los Angeles citizens.
“Los Angeles will rise again — stronger, more united, and more resilient than ever,” Newsom noted in a statement, per Tapp. “Just as California came together to fight the fires, we’ll work together to rebuild. With Mark, Earvin and Casey’s proven leadership and deep commitment to Los Angeles, we’ll tap into the enormous creativity, experience, and resources of the private sector, alongside local, state, and federal efforts, to deliver a recovery that benefits all Angelenos.”
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