Well-known celebrities including Russell Crowe, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman, Pierce Brosnan, Joaquin Phoenix and Ellen DeGeneres, have all pledged their support for our Australian fire fighters while participating in this year’s Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on Monday.
Russell Crowe won a Golden Globe for best actor in a limited series or motion picture made for TV for his performance as Roger Ailes in The Loudest Voice. Because he had to stay home and protect his property in Australia from the bush fires, Crowe wasn’t able to attend the awards ceremony but Jennifer Aniston read out a speech on his behalf, saying:
“Make no mistake the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate-change based. We need to act based on science, move our global workforce to renewable energy and respect our planet for the unique and amazing place it is.”
Both Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman attended the Golden Globes and just prior to the ceremony, they posted on social media, encouraging people to donate to the Australian firefighters.
Later, as Nicole Kidman walked in to a pre-awards event, she spoke with Angela Bishop from Australia and said she and her husband, Keith Urban, were donating $500,000 to the bush fire cause.
Pierce Brosnan delivered a message from the Golden Globes saying: “All of us at the Golden Globes and the HFPA send our hearts to all of the people affected by the bushfires in Australia. Stay strong, god bless.”
And when Ellen DeGeneres accepted her Carol Burnett Award she said she was distressed by the fact so many animals have been lost in the fires: “My heart goes out to everyone in Australia, for all the animals you’ve lost.”
When Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor for a Motion Picture for Joker he also used his acceptance speech to say: “It’s really nice that so many people have sent their well wishes to Australia but we have to do more than that…. Together, hopefully we can be unified and make some changes.”
Other celebrities donate to the cause
Other well-known celebrities have also dug deep, pledging major donations to the bush fires cause. Aussie actor, Chris Hemsworth, announced yesterday on Instagram that he and his family have donated $1 million to assist with the bushfire recovery.
“Like you, I want to support the fight against the bushfires here in Australia. My family and I are contributing a million dollars. Hopefully you guys can chip in too,” he wrote on Instagram.
Kylie Minogue and her family including Dannii Minogue, have banded together and announced a donation of $500,000 to the cause. Kylie said on social media: “As a family, we’ve donated $500,000 towards the immediate firefighting efforts and the ongoing support which will be required… With love, The Minogue Family.”
Along with these Australian stars, the singer Pink has donated half a million US dollars to local fire services in Australia. Pink said on her Twitter feed: “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 frontlines. My heart goes out to our friends and family in Oz.”
So much world-wide attention for our Australian bush fires
The Australian bush fires have received world-wide attention but this is because this fire season has so far burned through 8.4 million hectares across Australia, destroyed thousands of home, killed thousands of animals and killed 24 people.
This year’s fire season has been much longer than normal and more intense. For more information on how this is linked to the changes in climate the world is currently experiencing, you can read this story here, written by Nerilie Abram and published on Scientific American.
If you want to know where you can help the bush fire recovery cause and also our Aussie fire fighers, take a look here at our story here on The Carousel. Or go directly to these organisations:
- Australian Red Cross Disaster Recovery and Relief
- Salvation Army Disaster Appeal
- St Vincent de Paul Society Bushfire Appeal (NSW)
- NSW RFS Donations Page
- Make an online donation to the NSW RFS Trust Fund or a participating brigade
Any help will be greatly appreciated we’re sure because Australians everywhere are concerned and wanting to support those affected by the fires and those working to control them.
