Lewis Hamilton donates $500k to firefighters battling the Australian wildfires

Bronwen Weatherby9 January 2020

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has donated half a million dollars to support fire and animal rescue services working in the Australian bushfire crisis.

Huge parts of south east Australia have been ravaged by fires with at least 24 people killed and more than 2,000 homes destroyed.

Hamilton, who is now a vegan and has become outspoken on the environment, is concerned about the fires’ devastating effect on wildlife and the continuing impact of climate change.

The 35-year-old Mercedes driver announced his donation in a post on Instagram, and wrote: “It saddens me deeply to know that over 1 billion animals in Australia died a painful death, no way out, not their fault.

Hamilton, who has adopted a vegan lifestyle, said he is extremely concerned about the effects of climate change
REUTERS

“My love of animals is no secret and I can’t help but grieve for the defenceless animals thought to have died so far, pushing certain species closer to extinction.

“I’m lucky enough to visit Australia often and I know first-hand how beautiful the country is. Keep fighting Australia. I’ve spent some time speaking to people in Australia who are working at the heart of this and I’m filled with admiration for everything they are doing.

“I implore you to join me in thinking about the impact we are having on our planet. Let’s work together to make small changes, and encourage our family and friends to do the same, so we can help shift the direction we’re going in.”

Hamilton added that he has donated $500,000 to WIRES Wildlife Rescue, WWF Australia and the Rural Fire Services.

He did not specify in the post if the donation had been made in US dollars or Australian.

If the sum was given in US dollars it would be worth an equivalent £382,819.

A number of other sports stars have also donated or pledged to raise funds, including Nick Kyrgios, Shane Warne and Neil Robertson.

A firefighter with a koala in Eden Hills - over a billion animals are estimated to have died in the fires
Eden Hills Country Fire Service

Renault’s Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo has also used social media to call for donations saying he had contributed.

He said he would also be signing and raffling his race suit from this year’s Australian Grand Prix to raise more funds.

Other Australian sports figures and international tennis players in the country for tournaments ahead of the Australian Open have also raised funds in support of relief and recovery efforts.

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