California governor Gavin Newsom has selected NBA legend and Dodgers part-owner Earvin ¡°Magic¡± Johnson, Dodgers chairman Mark Walter and 2028 Summer Olympics organizer Casey Wasserman to lead a new initiative aimed at supporting wildfire recovery and rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles.

The Mark Walter Family Foundation and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation have provided an initial commitment of up to $100 million to fund the philanthropic effort, which is known as LA Rises.

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¡°Los Angeles will rise again -- stronger, more united, and more resilient than ever,¡± Newsom said in a statement. ¡°Just as California came together to fight the fires, we¡¯ll work together to rebuild. With Mark, Earvin and Casey¡¯s proven leadership and deep commitment to Los Angeles, we¡¯ll tap into the enormous creativity, experience, and resources of the private sector, alongside local, state and federal efforts, to deliver a recovery that benefits all Angelenos.¡±

Partnering with other business leaders and public officials, LA Rises plans to secure additional funding through private donations, with the goal of delivering significant resources to help those most impacted by the catastrophic fires, which have ravaged communities and killed at least 29 people.

Johnson said he will lead the effort to rebuild Altadena, a racially and economically diverse community that has long served as a refuge for Black families avoiding discriminatory housing practices elsewhere, offering them the rare opportunity for generational homeownership. According to The Associated Press, the Black home ownership rate in Altadena is at 81.5%, almost double the national rate. However, the wildfires have threatened to disrupt this progress.

¡°My focus will be on Altadena because those people may be left behind, and I want to make sure that that doesn't happen," Johnson said at a press conference on Tuesday.

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The Palisades and Eaton fires first ignited on Jan. 7 amid powerful Santa Ana winds, while the Hughes Fire broke out north of Los Angeles last week. All three blazes are nearly fully contained at this point but have burned more than 40,000 acres, destroyed more than 15,000 structures and caused estimated economic losses exceeding $250 billion, in addition to the 29 lives lost. More than 180,000 people were under evacuation orders during the worst of the fires.

¡°The L.A. fires have wreaked havoc on L.A.¡¯s neighborhoods,¡± Walter said. ¡°It¡¯s time for those with means to come forward and make a positive impact to build back better.¡±