Matthew McConaughey Surprises Hurricane Harvey First Responders in Houston to Give Thanks

Matthew McConaughey marked National First Responder's Day in a special way

Matthew McConaughey marked National First Responders Day in a special way.

The Oscar winner took a trip to his native Texas to spend the day with the first responders on the front line of Hurricane Harvey relief. McConaughey, 48, surprised a group of police officers, firefighters, 911 operators, and emergency room doctors and nurses in Houston as part of the Wild Turkey Gives Back campaign.

The actor was directly involved with relief efforts in his home state after Hurricane Harvey brought mass flooding in Sept. 2017. The massive storm took a total of 107 lives and displaced thousands of residents around the Texas Gulf Coast. The actor serves as creative director for the Whiskey brand Wild Turkey and organized the event.

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McConaughey also shared a video from outside a fire station in Houston explaining why he was meeting with first responders. In the video, the actor says they donated money to Team Rubicon, an organization that helps veterans get training to become first responders.

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“I’m Texas born and raised, so acknowledging the hard work and dedication of first responders in Houston is meaningful to me personally,” McConaughey said in a statement. “Over the past year alone with the hurricanes in Puerto Rico, the Carolinas and Florida and the fires in California, the number of heroic men and women on the front lines of natural disasters is staggering.”

He continued, “I am glad to make it to Houston to recognize how important these folks are and I am proud to work with Wild Turkey, who is making first responders a key focus of its Wild Turkey Gives Back campaign for 2018.”

Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner thanked McConaughey on Twitter for his efforts. “Honored to welcome him to our city and thank him for spending time and recognizing our @houstonpolice, @HoustonFire, and 911 dispatchers for their service,” he wrote.