All five living former U.S. presidents put divergent politics aside and converged on Saturday inside a college sports arena here to raise money and awareness for hurricane victims in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"We’ve seen the spirit of America at its best," former president Barack Obama said, "when ordinary people step up and do extraordinary things."

Democrats Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter joined Republicans George H.W. and George W. Bush on stage during a rousing concert that set politics aside to promote their joint venture in raising money for those battered by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

A website accepting donations, OneAmericaAppeal.org, was created with 100% of proceeds pledged to hurricane relief. The group, started shortly after Hurricane Harvey hit South Texas in August and expanded to help victims of other disasters, has so far raised $31 million.

"There's still work to do," Clinton said. "It can be a new beginning if we just do what we ought to do and prove that the heart of America, without race or religion or political party, is greater than our problems."

This wasn't the first time former presidents joined forces for post-disaster fundraising. George H.W. Bush and Clinton raised money together after the 2004 South Asia tsunami and Hurricane Katrina the following year. Clinton and George W. Bush combined to seek donations after Haiti’s 2011 earthquake.

When former presidents get together, they create a viable force for raising awarness and funds for disaster relief and send a powerful message to the rest of the USA, said Jeremi Suri, a University of Texas at Austin history professor and author of The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office.

"It shows people hurricane relief is not about being a Democrat or a Republican," he said. "It's good for this country that these people are getting together and trying to bring attention for hurricane relief."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2017/10/21/5-living-ex-presidents-attend-hurricane-relief-concert-texas-a-m/787128001/