Taylor Swift is showing off her generosity ahead of the holidays. The American Heart Association announced on Tuesday (Dec. 23) that the pop superstar had donated $1 million to support the non-profit organization’s mission to help fight heart disease and stroke. The gift was made in honor of her dad, Scott Swift, who underwent heart surgery earlier in the year.
“Taylor Swift’s remarkable generosity will create lasting change far beyond its financial value,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the AHA. “Her family’s experience with cardiovascular disease is all too common, affecting nearly half of American adults. Her commitment to supporting her father will make so many others aware of the need to take their own heart health seriously, strengthen prevention efforts and improve controllable risk factors — ultimately helping more people live longer, healthier lives.”
“Taylor has long been associated with the symbol of heart hands. At the American Heart Association, we proudly use that same gesture to honor all who have been affected — our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, spouses and so many others,” Brown continued in her statement. “My hope is that together, we can raise our collective heart hands and drive meaningful change against this disease, shaping a healthier future for generations to come.”
The 14-time Grammy winner previously discussed her dad’s procedure — a quintuple bypass to treat five blockages — and how she helped take care of him during her appearance on now-fiancé Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast in August. “He came out of surgery, tried to give guitar picks to all the nurses and doctors, but he wasn’t wearing pants, didn’t have pockets, hospital gown, you know?” the performer shared at the time. “It was kind of wild, because it was like, very parent-child reversal in a lot of ways. I’m like, this dude built play sets and swing sets and cribs for me. I’m building his shower chair and his walker.”
Earlier in the day, the global superstar — who is known for making large donations to causes close to hear heart — donated another $1 million to Feeding America. Said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of the organization, in a statement: “This holiday season, her continued support is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we unite to end hunger.”
Her donations came on the same day that the final two episodes of her The End of an Era docuseries arrived on Disney+.
