In an astounding display of global generosity, Celeste Barber has rallied fans on social media to lead an incredible donation drive for the Australian bushfires.
In the thick of one of the worst bushfire seasons in Australia’s history, celebrities, brands and media personalities across the globe are taking to social media to raise awareness and much-needed funds for the bushfire relief effort. Leading the charge is Australian comedian Celeste Barber, calling on her 6.6 million social media followers to give back to those at the front-line of the bushfire crisis.
The social media star and comedian rose to fame in recent years for her ‘#celestechallengeaccepted’ series on Instagram, seeing her recreate iconic celebrity and model poses on her own Instagram feed. Since launching the series in 2015 Barber’s relatable, dry tongue-in-cheek sense of humor captured audiences across the globe, now boasting millions of follows across Facebook and Instagram.
After witnessing the damage and destruction caused by the recent Australian bushfires, Barber took to social media to launch a heart-felt fundraising campaign for the NSW Rural Fire Service. In just 5 days Barber’s Facebook fundraiser has raised a whopping $45 million (and counting), the largest fundraiser ever created on the Facebook platform globally. For Barber, this is a cause close to home as her mother-in-law Joy Robin was forced to evacuate during the crisis from her home in Eden on the NSW South Coast.
This fundraiser has captured the hearts of users across the globe, with donations flooding in from countries such as Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Ireland, America, the UK and beyond.
The NSW WIRES organisation has also launched a Facebook fundraising campaign, receiving an outstanding $11 million (and counting) in donations since launching on January 4th.
But Barber is far from the only celebrity helping to raise funds for the Australian bushfires. Australian celebrity couple Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have taken to Instagram to share they are donating $500,000 to the RFS, encouraging their followers to do the same. Fellow Aussie Russell Crowe has also announced he’s handed over $105,000 to RFS Captain John Lardner to help with the firefighting effort.
Other prominent pledges from celebs and public figures include:
- Actor Chris Hemsworth has announced he and his family are donating $1 million to assist the bushfire recovery effort.
- Singer and The X-Factor Winner Dami Im has donated $10,000 to the Australian Red Cross.
- World number 1 women’s tennis player Ash Barty has pledged to donate all her prize money ($383,000) if she wins the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament.
- Singer and performer P!nk has donated $500,000 to Australia’s local fire services.
- Aussie actress Margot Robbie has shared a moving video with her 17 million Instagram followers urging them to donate to the Australian bushfires.
In such a challenging time, these acts of generosity are a testament to the ability of social media to unite users across the globe to work towards helping those in need.
Want to find out how you can give back to the Australian bushfire crisis? Check out our guide to the practical steps you can take to make a difference here.