Rocker Jon Bon Jovi has donated $1 million (Gbp645,161) to officials in his native New Jersey to help the state recover from last year's (12) Superstorm Sandy.

New Jersey was hit hard by the tropical storm, which left America's East Coast devastated in October (12), and on Monday (08Jul13) the Livin' on a Prayer hitmaker presented a large cheque to governor Chris Christie to aid in the ongoing relief efforts.

Handing over the gift during a special ceremony, he said, "My being here is not political. It's emotional because I grew up here. I went to school here. I met my wife here. And, in the days following the storm, when I visited these streets and spoke to the residents, one thought that came to me time and time again was, 'What can I do?'

"I know that this million dollars sounds like a lot but it's really just a drop in the bucket. What I like to call the 'power of we', the coming together - that means you, me, us - we are taking a step today to rebuild lives."

The frontman has been very supportive of the local community since the disaster, which caused billions of dollars in damage and left more than 140 people dead - he performed at a star-studded benefit concert in December (12) and currently co-chairs a relief fund overseen by the politician's wife, Mary Pat Christie.