PHOTOSLeonardo DiCaprio Pledges $3 Million To Australian Wildfire Relief Efforts
Jan. 10 2020, Updated 8:08 p.m. ET
Leonardo DiCaprio made a major donation to help Australia as it faces a horrific bushfire. On January 9, the Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood star pledged $3 million to the Australian wildfire relief efforts. Leonardo, 45, is known for his passion about saving the environment.
The Django Unchained actor used his recently established environmental organization Earth Alliance to establish a fund specifically to help the devastating blaze across the continent. Leonardo chairs Earth Alliance, along with philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs and billionaire Brian Sheth.
Earth Alliance has been working closely with partner groups fighting the catastrophic bushfires including WIRES Wildlife Rescue, Aussie Ark and Bush Heritage. The organization states that "All funds will go to assist critical firefighting efforts in New South Wales, aid local communities most affected by the wildfires, enable wildlife rescue and recovery, and support the long-term restoration of unique ecosystems."
According to CNN, over 17.9 million acres have been burned across Australia’s six states. 27 people have died nationwide, and 2,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged in New South Wales.
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This is not the first time the Oscar winner’s Earth Alliance has pledged money for. In August 2019, Leonardo established the Amazon Forest Fund and donated $5 million amid the raging fires in the massive rainforest. He also founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998, whose goal is to “protect vulnerable wildlife from extinction, while restoring balance to threatened ecosystems and communities.” The organization is also part of Earth Alliance.
When he won an Academy Award in 2016 for his performance in The Revenant, he took the stage and spoke about climate change. “Climate change is real, it is happening right now, it is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating,” he passionately said.
Most recently, Leonardo saved a man who fell overboard a cruise ship in December 2019. The castaway treaded water for 11 hours before Leo’s crew saved him The boat’s captain claimed that their rescue was a “one in a billion shot.”
Chris Hemsworth, Pink, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have also donated money for the Australian wildfire relief efforts.
