PAIt’s Sad But True: Australia is turning to ash. Animals are dying by the millions and at least 25 people have been killed in the devastating bushfires, so legendary rock band Metallica has joined the list of celebrities to donate a whopping amount of money to bushfire relief efforts.
Currently, it’s estimated that more than a billion animals have died across the country as a result of the raging blazes. In New South Wales (NSW) alone, an area particularly afflicted by infernos, 1,588 homes have been destroyed and a further 653 damaged.
Amid the never-ending adversity the country is facing, musicians, actors and other celebs have announced donations to aid Australia, and now Metallica, the legendary rock band, has pledged $750,000.
The band took to Instagram to comment on the ongoing bushfire crisis, announcing its donation to the NSW Rural Fire Service and to the Country Fire Authority in Victoria to help with relief efforts across the country.
The band wrote:
We are totally overwhelmed by the news of the wildfires sweeping through millions of acres across Australia, with major impact in New South Wales and Victoria. The resulting destruction and devastating effects on all residents, animals, the environment and the incredible land in Australia is truly heartbreaking.
Please join us and do whatever you can to assist as we, along with our @allwithinmyhandsfoundation, are pledging A$750,000 to the NSW Rural Fire Service and to the Country Fire Authority in Victoria to aid in the relief efforts.
PAThe post also acknowledges the incredible work of the NSW Rural Fire Service, ‘the world’s largest volunteer firefighting organization’, and added ‘all funds donated during this State of Emergency are directed toward services related to and victims of these particularly destructive Australian bushfires’.
The County Fire Authority, ‘a volunteer and community-based fire and emergency services organization which helps to protect 3.3 million Victorians, and works together with communities to keep Victorians safe from fire and other emergencies’, also received praise.
PA ImagesWhile many praised the band’s donation, others had further ideas about how the world’s musicians could pull together. One user wrote: ‘Y’all should do a fundraiser concert with a bunch of other rock bands like Live AID but you donate funds to Australians affected by the fires.’
Just yesterday while performing in Sydney, Elton John announced he’d be donating $1 million to the bushfire disaster relief fund, telling the audience: ‘We should all be in the awe of the work the firefighters are doing. There are people out there who have lost their lives trying to save homes, there are people who have lost their lives and their homes.’
PA ImagesOther high-profile celebrities to donate money to the crisis include Chris Hemsworth, Kylie Jenner, Margot Robbie and P!nk.
You can donate to the Australian Red Cross here. Alternatively, you can donate to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service here, or the Queensland Fire Service here.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.