Koala Hospital overwhelmed with support after fires
The devastating impact the bushfires are having on Australia has been heard across the world, motivating thousands of people to help firefighters, communities and animals by donating money.
The generosity of those wanting to help has resulted in crowd-funding website GoFundMe seeing its biggest campaign to date, according to the organisations Year in Giving report.
A little under $2 million has been raised to help Port Macquarie Koala Hospital save the lives of the injured marsupials who were burnt in the bushfires, making it the biggest Aussie GoFundMe ever.
Other campaigns that have topped the list this year include a fund for Australian Survivor contestant, Luke Toki, which raised over $550,000 and the “Free Her” campaign aimed at amending laws that see people who are unable to pay fines face jail time, which raised more than $460,000.
The top 10 Australian GoFundMe campaigns for 2019
- Help thirsty koalas from fires – more than 44.3k donations raising $1,986,530
- Luke Toki: Australia’s true survivor – more than 16.1k donations raising $550,390
- Free Her – more than 9.1k donations raising $460,368
- For Love – more than 5.8k donations raising $275,155
- Singleton family devastated by fire – more than 5k donations raising $275,011
- The Blueboys 2019 Christmas Appeal – more than 4.1k donations raising $153,907
- Eleanor’s Fight – more than 3.5k donations raising $329,080
- Money for Eggboi – more than 3.3k donations raising $80,241
- Marko’s smile – more than 3.2k donations raising $250,107
- Navar Herbert’s journey home – more than 3.2k donations raising $117,090
Over 44,000 donors from 95 different countries have helped raise money for the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, which has so far cared for 31 koalas brought in from bushfire affected areas.
“The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital has been overwhelmed by the kindness, good wishes and support from the Australian and international community for the wildlife icon, the koala,” wrote the hospital.
“The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, and National Parks and Wildlife Service crew leaders, have spent weeks searching for koalas following the devastating bushfires in the Port Macquarie area.”
The original target for the campaign was $25,000, but after surpassing that amount, they can now make bigger plans.
“The number of drinking stations being built has now been increased and they will be shared with other wildlife organisations in fire affected regions across New South Wales. Two are being built for dispatch to the Northern Rivers fire area next week,” the page reads.
“We are also purchasing a water carrying vehicle with fire fighting capabilities to replenish the drinking stations with water as needed.
“Donations have now reached an incredible amount and we are extending the project to establish a wild koala breeding program.”
All in all thanks to the generosity of people, an incredible amount of money has been raised for the bushfires.