Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Donate $500,000 to Joplin Tornado Relief

The Jolie-Pitt Foundation announced a donation on Friday of $500,000 to aid recovery efforts in Joplin, Missouri, after a tornado brought death and destruction to the area last month.

"With the devastating loss of 30 percent of the city, the Joplin community faces great challenges ahead," said Brad Pitt. "Having spent much of my childhood there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient."

Angelina Jolie added: "Our hearts go out to the families in Joplin who have lost so much."

The Kansas City Star reports that the couple's donation will benefit the Joplin Recovery Fund.

The tornado that directly hit Joplin in May destroyed miles of the city, including a hospital, in mere minutes. The death toll has topped 150. In the aftermath, victims are now reportedly fighting a lethal fungus stirred up by the twister.

Pitt's ties to Missouri run deep. Born in Okalahoma, Pitt was raised with his sister and brother in Springfield, Mo., attending Kickapoo High School and the University of Missouri. Pitt left the college weeks before graduating to launch an acting career in Los Angeles, where he took odd jobs and acting lessons until fame struck. The actor knows a thing or two about rebuilding after a natural disaster, ever since he became actively involved in designing housing for hurricane-ravaged New Orleans in recent years.

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