EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — As crews continue to clean up from the East Palestine train derailment, Ohio native and actor Luke Grimes is partnering with the Jeff Ruby family to raise funds for residents.
On Friday, Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton in "Yellowstone," joined the Jeff Ruby family, who owns and operates steakhouses in Ohio, to distribute 250 water filtration systems to families in East Palestine.
“Luke Grimes and his team reached out to discuss how we could jointly assist the people of East Palestine in providing resources,” said Britney Ruby Miller, CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment. “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.”
During their visit, Grimes, the Jeff Ruby Family, and Ohio philanthropists Dave and Wendy Herche also presented East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway with a donation of over $100,000.
“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,” said East Palestine Mayor Conaway. “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. We are grateful for everyone’s commitment to ensuring our community's health and safety.”
Additionally, all proceeds from the merchandise sold for Grimes' new single "Oh Ohio" will benefit 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,” said Grimes. “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.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above previously aired on 3News on March 28, 2023.