John Legend, Ben Stiller, Lin-Manuel Miranda other celebrities donate money to help Dayton following 15 tornadoes

>> Rob Lowe to help raise money for Dayton tornado relief at his local show this weekend

On Thursday, Miranda, the creator of the Broadway sensation "Hamilton," and Apatow, a director and producer known for a list of comedies that include "The 40-year-old Virgin" and "Knocked Up," accepted a donation challenge from comedian Mike Birbiglia in support of the Foodbank of Dayton.

It didn't take long for a long list of other celebrities to join the cause including hometown celebrities John Legend, Beth Stelling and Nick Mangold, as well as John Mulaney, Ben Stiller, Jimmy Kimmel, Judd Apatow, Pete Holmes, Jack Antonoff, Patton Oswalt and Greg Warren.

Michelle L. Riley, CEO of The Foodbank, said Friday: “We are thrilled, in less than 24 hours, over $55K has been donated, so much of this is thanks to Mike Birbiglia encouraging other celebrities and the Twitter community across the country to support our disaster relief efforts. Recovery will be long term in the Miami Valley and we are grateful for all the support. In times like these, there are hundreds of local nonprofits doing great work to help our neighbors in need. Mike could have chosen any of them and the donation would be well received. We are humbled and grateful that he chose this platform and our Foodbank. Saying thank you does not seem to convey our appreciation.”

>> Hometown celebrities, teams show their support for the Dayton community on social media

>> Greater Dayton Disaster Relief Fund established to help those affected by tornadoes

Tornadoes ripped through cities in Montgomery, Greene and Mercer counties.

>> UPDATE: 15 Memorial Day tornadoes confirmed; 1 upgraded to EF4

ABOUT FOODBANK

The Foodbank  is a nonprofit that works with a network of partner agencies by acquiring and distributing food.

It is asking for bottled water and non-perishable food item donations, as well as volunteers to help sort food. Those can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. The Foodbank is asking for non-perishable food items that are easy to open.

Since Monday’s tornadoes, more than 900 people have volunteered for the Foodbank. More than 700 people have received water through the drive-through pantry and half a million bottles of water have been collected and distributed, according to an update from Foodbank officials Friday.

The drive-through pantry will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.

A special fund and campaign has been established for those impacted by the Memorial Day tornadoes that ripped through the area.

In partnership with Cox Media Group Ohio, the Foodbank is working to meet immediate needs of those areas impacted the most.

>> Cox Media Group Ohio partners with The Dayton Foodbank to distribute food to areas devastated by tornadoes

Cox Media Group Ohio owns Dayton Daily News, WHIO-TV, WHIO Radio, K99.1FM and Dayton.com and several other media properties.

The Foodbank is accepting online donations at thefoodbankdayton.org/donate.