Celebrities reach out to Australia in the midst of the fires

The outbreak of wildfires in Australia has heavily influenced celebrities around the United States and pushed them to do something to help. Since the fires began in June, there have been 500 million animals and about 30 people found dead. Over 10m hectares have been burned, resulting in about 3,000 homes to be destroyed.

Many celebrities have started non-profit charities and donated to organizations that were created to raise money to help stop the ongoing fires. Oscar-winning actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, started an organization by teaming up with The Australian Wildfire Fund. They were able to raise a total of three million dollars. Singer, Elton John, made an announcement at a show in Sydney, Australia, about how many individuals have lost their homes, animals, and most importantly lives. As a result, he announced he would be donating 1 million dollars to the relief fund.

According to People.com, “The organization, which DiCaprio co-chairs, shared on Twitter that its donation is meant to ‘assist firefighting efforts, aid communities, enable wildlife rescue, and support long term restoration.’”

Actor Liam Hemsworth has also become involved in the relief efforts by announcing on video via Instagram that he and his family would be donating a total of one million dollars. He encouraged his fans to donate as much as they could, as it would make a difference in the Australian citizens lives. He created a GoFundMe and left the URL in his Instagram bio. Celebrity couple, Nicole Kidman and Country singer, Keith Urban were the first to donate money, starting a trend within the influencer world. The couple was born and raised in Australia, so they left a $500,000 donation to their hometown. Shortly after, singer Pink, donated half a million dollars as well.

“The Australia wildfires have been really devastating for everyone. It has been really inspirational that celebrities have been speaking out and encouraging people to fundraise and donate,” senior Mina Tavakoli said.

Celebrities around the United State have joined together to accomplish something so amazing inspiring. The influencers have not only encouraged their fans, but also encouraged fellow celebrities to help raise money. They hope to make a large impact by bringing awareness to this situation and by asking people to open up their wallets to GoFundMe’s. They all believe that a little can go a long way.