While the bushfires continue to blaze across NSW and rural Victoria the donations keep flooding in. The collective worldwide support and love for Australia been incredibly moving as donations have amassed to unprecedented levels. Thus, we thought it would be a good time to reflect on the most generous acts from our planets pecuniary elite. Celebrities.
But first! A quick update. 100 fires are still burning across NSW. So far some 28 people have been killed including four firefighters. 100,000 square km or 15.6 million acres of bush, forest, and parks across Australia have been burned.
New South Wales has been hit the worst with fires destroying more than five million hectares, and engulfing more than 2,000 houses, forcing thousands into homelessness.
In Victoria 1.2 million hectares have been set ablaze with the region being declared a ‘state of disaster’. In response the military has sent troops, ships, and aircraft to the region to help relocation and firefighting efforts.
An estimated 1 billion animals have been killed including 25,000 alone on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island, a veritable sanctuary for the endangered marsupial. Since 1788 Koala populations have dropped by 95%. The recent fires have pushed it up to 98%.
This utter destruction of Australia’s biodiversity has led to large scale outcry and immeasurable influx of donations towards Australian charities fighting the blaze.
Four appeals – run by the Red Cross, Victorian Government, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and St Vincent de Paul Society – have already raised $100million.
That does not include roughly $51million donated to comedian Celeste Barber’s Facebook appeal for the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS). In total there has been hundreds of millions raised for the cause including some of the biggest celebrities in the world.
Without further adieu here are the celebrities and musicians who have donated the most money to the fires.
Australia has just witnessed the largest and most destructive bushfires in history and the world has gathered to donate en masse. Here are the highest bidders.
Celeste Barber – $51M
Though it wasn’t solely donated by Celeste Barber herself it is certainly worth a mention. The Australian comedian initiated a public funding service to do her bit hopefully raise some money for bushfire charities. 1.3 million joined their hearts and wallets to amass with huge collective and Celeste Barber has opted to give it to the RFS who will distribute it proportionally to NSW, VIC, and SA as well the as the families who have lost loved ones and homes in the bushfires.
Chris Hemsworth – $1M
Last Tuesday the Thor actor took to Instagram to send an urgent message to his followers to donate to the bushfire appeals and expressing his concerns towards events as they unfolded. To top it off he pledged a whopping 1 million dollars to the cause urging everyone to help out and do their bit.
Elton John – $1M
The Rocket Man himself took to the public forum recently when he pledged $1 million to the Australian Bush Funds during his Farewell Yellowbrick Road Tour which happened to be in Australia. The legendary Elton John won the hearts of Australians for good when he later took to Twitter confirming;
“You should all be in awe of the work that the firefighters are doing… there are people out there who have lost their lives trying to save homes. As I said earlier, this is a magnificent country that I have been coming to since 1971, I love it here so much. To see what is happening here breaks my heart.”
Leonardo DiCaprio – $3.4M
Leonardo DiCaprio emptied out his pockets in a big way when he pledged a whopping $3.4 million to Australian bushfires through his company Earth Alliance. Through this organisation Leo has created the Australian Wildfire Fun in a concerted effort to bring relief to our emblazoned country and to help with the, “international response to the catastrophic bushfires”.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban – $500,000
The Country star Keith Urban and actress Nicole Kidman have also donated generously with a handsome $500,000 to Rural Fire Services saying:
“Our family’s support, thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the fires all over Australia. We are donating $500,000 to the Rural Fire Services who are all doing and giving so much right now,” Nicole and Keith wrote on their Instagram accounts.
Metallica – $750,000
American metal heavyweights Metallica have pledged $750,000 to NSW Rural Fire Service and Country Fire Authority in Victoria through their charitable foundation All Within My Hands on the 8th of January saying they were completely “overwhelmed” by the disaster.
P!nk – $500,000
Pop icon P!nk pledged $500,00“directly to the local fire services that are battling so hard on the frontlines.”
The singer took to Twitter saying, “I am totally devastated watching what is happening in Australia right now with the horrific bushfires. I am pledging a donation of $500,000 directly to the local fire services that are battling so hard on the front lines. My heart goes out to our friends and family in Oz.”
Kylie Minogue – $500,000
“Last year I had the incredible opportunity of visiting some of the many beautiful places in my homeland for the first time,” Kylie Minogue recently issued in an online statement.
“Returning home to such devastation throughout much of the country is heartbreaking. As a family, we’ve donated $500,000 towards the immediate firefighting efforts and the ongoing support which will be required.”
Nick Cave, Waren Ellis – $500,000
Bad Seeds bandmates Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have donated to the charitable fundraiser set up to help those affected by the devastating bushfires currently raging across the country.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by the fires destroying our beloved Australia,” Cave wrote on Instagram. “We are pledging $500,000 to some of the many organisations carrying out selfless and courageous work aiding and supporting communities and wildlife who have been hit by this overwhelming devastation. We urge everyone to do whatever they can to help.”
