TEXAS – During February’s devastating winter storms Texans rose up, overcame, and showed the world what it means to be a Texan.

However, a month later, many Texans are still struggling. For that reason, it’s an honor for Spectrum News 1 to partner with actor, philanthropist and Texan Matthew McConaughey for his “We’re Texas” event, which will raise money for those Texans who remain in need.

When the power went out and the pipes froze for millions of Texans, McConaughey vowed to do something about it.

Spectrum News 1 anchor Alex Stockwell spoke with the Austin resident about the event as well as his hometown pride and why he’s stepping up to help his neighbors weather the ongoing storm.

“We have a ‘We’re Texas’ event coming out, and our goal is to help restore Texas, help revive it, and let’s have a show that feels like a revival that we’re gonna stream to the world – they’re gonna see it, and it’s gonna be on Spectrum where all the world is gonna see it,” he said.

“And you’re gonna see Texans helping Texans through time and donations, you’re gonna see the rest of the world going ‘Hey, here’s a way I’d like to help out,” McConaughey continued. “This can help rebind us as a state … And again, here we go, we go wait a minute, after last year and COVID and everything else, now this comes on us and pounds us – yeah, as Texans we’re not one to go ‘Unbelievable,’ or ‘I can’t believe it.’ No, we go ‘Here we go again. What do we gotta do? We gotta deal.' So hopefully it’s gonna help rebind us.”

McConaughey is hopeful that the enthusiasm and devotion to one another shown by Texans will be contagious.

“Hopefully, my big hope is that since so much of the world’s gonna see this – we do this right, and we’re already on the way to doing this right – the world’s gonna see a state working together in a way that would be better for a lot of other people and places in the world to work together,” he said.

"We're Texas," presented by Matthew McConaughey, to benefit victims of the Texas Winter storms, will be televised on Spectrum News 1 Sunday, March 21 at 7 p.m. CDT. All week, Spectrum News 1 will highlight interviews with McConaughey and some of the people affected by the storm.