Oprah’s Donating $500,000 To March For Our Lives & Her Message To Activists Will Inspire You

In the wake of the horrific Parkland School Shooting, student organizers have come together to plan a "March for Our Lives," during which they will advocate for congressional legislation to address the issue of gun violence in the United States. After plans for the march came to fruition, many celebrities announced that they would be donating to the cause. Indeed, Oprah matched George and Amal Clooney's donation of $500,000, announcing her decision to contribute via Twitter on Tuesday.

The goal of the March for Our Lives is to demand immediate legislative action on gun control. The march's website describes its mission in greater detail, noting, "The mission and focus of March For Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues. No special interest group, no political agenda is more critical than timely passage of legislation to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country."

George and Amal announced their contribution of $500,000 to the march in a statement on Tuesday morning, noting that they were inspired by the activism of the survivors and that they would be standing alongside those who march on March 24. Oprah followed shortly thereafter with her own announcement on Twitter, saying:

George and Amal, I couldn’t agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation to ‘March For Our Lives.’ These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we’ve had ENOUGH and our voices will be heard.

In addition to Oprah, George, and Amal, Variety reported that a number of other public figures have also now donated to the March for Our Lives. According to Deadline, in announcing his matching donation, director Steven Speilberg, along with his wife, Kate Capshaw, said, "The young students in Florida and now across the country are already demonstrating their leadership with a confidence and maturity that belies their ages ... Kate and I applaud their efforts to take a stand for the benefit of this and future generations. They are an inspiration to us all, and we are joining in this movement with a donation of $500,000.”

Moreover, film executive and producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, along with his wife, Marilyn, also announced their contribution. According to Deadline, Katzenberg said of the march, "Marilyn and I are proud to stand with the brave young leaders from Parkland, Florida, who have taken their pain and grief and turned it into action ... We will join Amal and George Clooney on March 24 to stand alongside these remarkable young people. We are also donating $500,000 to March for Our Lives to support this historic event.”

According to Variety, the event on March 24 is being organized by five survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting: Jacqueline Coren, Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Cameron Kasky, and Alex Wind. The organizers are also collaborating with Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization which seeks to end gun violence in the United States.

In addition to the march in Washington D.C. on March 24, simultaneous sister marches will be held all over the country. March organizers are currently compiling a comprehensive list of the (expected) many marches that will be taking place.

If you would also like to donate to the cause, you can to do through the March for Our Lives' GoFundMe page. The page explains that the funds will be used to help organize both the D.C. march and the sister marches — and that any leftover money will be donated to victims' funds. You can also choose to sponsor a student to attend the march by writing an email to the contact listed on the march's website.