McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Singing diva Cher, who was the last major entertainer to perform in the Rio Grande Valley before the COVID-19 pandemic, has made a public service announcement expressing her concern for the South Texas region and especially hard-hit Hidalgo County.
Hidalgo County officials on Thursday released the 35-second PSA in which the legendary singer speaks somberly into the camera in English and some Spanish, and urges residents to be cautious against this deadly novel virus and to lift one another up “when we are down not to lose our power.”
She ends the message with, “Dios te bendiga, Spanish for God bless you.
“Hello Dear Hidalgo. When I saw how hard COVID-19 has hit your community, I had to reach out and let you know you are in my prayers. We all must keep fighting and stay vigilant. We must wear masks for our friends, our family and our community. Wear gloves when necessary, and wash your hands diligently. We must remember to keep our distance and encourage one another when we are down not to lose our power. Dios te bendiga. God bless you,” Cher says in the taped announcement.
The Grammy, Emmy, Oscar and Golden Globe-award winning actress and singer reached out to Hidalgo County officials as to how she could help when she learned the area had been one of the hardest hit in the nation with coronavirus fatalities and cases per capita.
The South Texas border county has suffered the second-most deaths of any in Texas, with 1,470 deaths from COVID-19 — including 20 on Wednesday –and over 30,000 cases.
Cher performed on March 8 in Edinburg, Texas, to a packed crowd at the Bert Ogden Arena, which was the last mass gathering in Hidalgo County prior to shelter-in-place orders that took effect just a couple weeks later.
“The Goddess of Pop” performed in the border city of El Paso, Texas, two nights before.
“Cher is a beloved treasure in our country and her desire to send prayers to Hidalgo County makes her more special to those of us in the Rio Grande Valley,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said in a statement. “I thank her for her blessings and I urge residents of Hidalgo County to listen to her message.”
