James Packer of Crown Resorts donated $4 million to various charities in to support those who have been affected by the bushfires in Australia.
James Packer Donates Millions to Bushfire Relief Charities
The bushfires in Australia have been wreaking havoc on the country since June 2019, having burned through 6.3 million square kilometres. 25 people have been killed, and millions of animals have suffered the same fate. To help those affected by the fires, millions upon millions of dollars are needed – and, many high-profile figures have jumped to action, including James Packer.
Packer, who runs Crown Resorts, have donated $4 million ($1.5 million from the Packer Family Foundation and $2.5 million from the Crown Resorts Foundation) to bushfire relief charities across the country. This is on top of the $1 million that he originally pledged in November, making it the single largest contribution made.
The money pledged by the Crown Resorts Foundation and the Packer Family Foundation will be used to support volunteer firefighter services, relief services and wildlife charities across New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria.
“My family and Crown are eager to do more and the best way we can help, is to significantly increase our donation. We hope these funds play a small part in helping our firefighters, and easing the suffering of people who have lost their homes and the poor wildlife caught up in the blaze”
– reads a statement from James Packer
Other Australian Figures Pledge Their Support
James Packer is just one of several Australians who have made significant donations in support of bushfire relief. Justin Hemmes, a hospitality billionaire, donated $500,000 to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. Anthony Pratt, another billionaire, donated $1 million to the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal which would support “the brave Australians battling the fires”.
Celeste Barber has also launched a fundraising campaign that has raised over $30 million so far. In just three days, she managed to raise $36 million using a Facebook Fundraiser that has received donations from nearly 1 million individuals around the world. Many other celebrities have made donations, as well, including Nicole Kidman, Pink, Selena Gomez and Keith Urban.
Recently, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews recently asked that people send cash donations rather than food and clothing. If you’d like to make a donation, you can visit Celeste Barber’s fundraiser page on Facebook. Other organizations that would greatly benefit from donates are the Salvation Army Disaster Appeal, Australian Red Cross, Disaster Recovery and Relief, Victorian Bushfire Appeal and NSW Rural Fire Service.