News Selena Gomez Tears Up Talking About Hurricane Harvey Victims By Olivia Bahou Olivia Bahou Facebook Olivia Solomon is a New York-based writer and editor who covers all things fashion, lifestyle, celebrity, and pop culture. She was previously the Assistant Digital Editor for InStyle, and her work has appeared in many national publications. InStyle's editorial guidelines Updated on September 13, 2017 @ 01:00PM Pin Share Tweet Email Selena Gomez is just one of dozens of stars who teamed up for last night’s telethon to benefit hurricane victims, and she got very emotional in a pre-recorded message for Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief. “Aug. 27, seven members of the Saldivar family tried to escape the rising floodwaters. Their van is swept into the bayou. Only Sammy Saldivar manages to survive,” she says, starting to tear up. “I come from Grand Prairie, about 250 miles away from the Saldivar’s home. Their story affected all who heard it, and no matter who we are, the differences we have suddenly did not seem to matter. Since that day, we have joined together, neighbor helping neighbor without stopping to think about race, religion, or anything else.” “Ricardo Saldivar has spoken out about his brother’s escape and what happened to his beloved family. He said, ‘I know they went to heaven holding hands.’ And if we are going to get through all the storms that confront us, that’s how we are going to do it: together, hand in hand,” Gomez concluded in her emotional message. The Saldivars were relatives of the late singer Selena Quintanilla. Manuel, 84; Belia, 81; Devy, 16; Dominic, 15; Xavier, 8; and Daisy, 6, died in the flooding. How Celebrities Have Helped Hurricane Irma Relief Efforts Gomez is far from the only celebrity who raised money and awareness in last night’s telecast. Click through to see the best moments from the star-studded program and head to handinhand2017.com to donate yourself.