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Lin-Manuel Miranda Visits Vega Alta, Puerto Rico To Discuss Hurricane Relief Efforts

Source: Gladys Vega / Getty

From the very beginning, Lin-Manuel Miranda has been at the forefront of helping Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria. Now, he’s giving back to the island in a brand new way.

Miranda has created a multi-million dollar fund to support arts and culture in Puerto Rico. He will be donating all of the proceeds of his performance of Hamilton, where he will be reprising his role as the title character, to the community.

“As someone whose life has been transformed by the power of the arts, and who has witnessed the incredible healing, growth, stability, and wellbeing that cultural institutions can bring to local communities, I cannot stand idly by and watch Puerto Rico’s arts and culture scene suffer,” he said.

On Sunday, in preparation for the official announcement, he tweeted that the organization is called the Flamboyán Arts Fund and said he’d be announcing the first five grants. One of the first orgs to receive a grant is the theatre company Y No Habia Luz. The company was reportedly forced to cancel events for several months after the hurricane.

“This will allow us to start dreaming again, to come up with new ideas to visit more cities,” said Julio Morales, the artistic co-director of the theatre company. “This will allow us to breathe.”

The company will receive $180,000 from the fund, the Theatre of the University of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Museum of Art will each receive $1 million, while an art education program and a dance school will receive $900,000. Miranda tweeted the news from his plane ride to the island noting that he is working towards a funding goal of $15 million for the future.