Amid Gary blackout, food blogger Keith Lee to host relief event

Popular food blogger Keith Lee is partnering with the Salvation Army, the City of Gary and Tyrese Haliburton for a community flood and power outage relief event in Gary, Indiana, on Aug. 24.

Lee's announcement comes as thousands of residents in northwest Indiana continue to be without power since the Aug. 11 derecho. Among the hardest-hit communities is Gary, a predominantly Black city. Faith leaders recently called on the state to send more aid amid the dayslong blackout there.

"I know it's not turning the power back on, but it is a place for community. If you want some supplies or need some supplies, come get some," Lee said in a TikTok video that has gathered more than 200,000 likes and nearly 1 million views.

The social media influencer, who rose to prominence for his straight-faced food reviews, said the event will feature a DJ provided by the city and dozens of food trucks. There will also be Salvation Army trucks with supplies including flood recovery clean-up kits.

In a previous TikTok video, Lee said he was working with the mayor's office and the Salvation Army to coordinate relief efforts after learning the city had been without power for eight days. He announced Gary as the first stop on his Midwest food tour, which had already been planned before the flooding.

"I think this should be national news, and it's crazy to me that this isn't being talked about," Lee said in the initial video, in which he asked Indiana viewers to send him suggestions on how he could get involved. "Everyone has a think piece on everything. Why not a think piece on the fact that communities that look like mine have been without power for eight days?"

Haliburton, a point guard for the Indiana Pacers, matched Lee's financial donation. Information on how to donate or volunteer is available on the Salvation Army's webpage detailing the event.

"Gary, Indiana, we'll see y'all soon" Lee wrote in the caption of both videos.

He listed the event location as Roosevelt Park Pavilion, 2145 Harrison St. in Gary, but an exact time has not been provided.

Grace Randolph is an Ida B. Wells investigative intern for IndyStar. She can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Amid Gary blackout, food blogger Keith Lee to host relief event