Kylie Minogue pledges $500,000 for Australian bushfire relief: 'Devastation is heartbreaking'
Kylie Minogue became the latest celebrity to donate half a million dollars toward supporting the fight against the Australian bushfires still raging Down Under. The 51-year-old Aussie singer took to Instagram on Monday and pledged the sum of money, which she said, was for "the immediate firefighting efforts" and "ongoing support."
"Last year I had the incredible opportunity of visiting some of the many beautiful places in my homeland for the first time. Returning home to such devastation throughout much of the country is heartbreaking," Kylie captioned a picture of herself standing against a backdrop of picturesque Australian farmland.
"As a family, we’ve donated $500,000 towards the immediate firefighting efforts and the ongoing support which will be required. Big or small, from near or far, any support will help those affected by the devastating bushfires. With love, The Minogue Family," she added.
Her post ended with a list of charities that her followers could donate too, including the Australian Red Cross, NSW Rural Fire Service, Country Fire Authority, SA Country Fire Service and WIRES Wildlife Rescue.
Her pledge came on the same day it was announced that Tourism Australia had temporarily pulled their latest $15 million advertising campaign due to the growing threat of bushfires. Kylie was the face of the commercial which targeted British vacationers to visit the Down Under in order to escape their Brexit-related woes.
The singer also wrote and performed on a song dubbed 'Matesong' in campaign video which depicted an array of Australian landscapes. She joined a growing list of Australian-born stars that have pledged money to fight the bushfires. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban donated $500,000 to the Australian Rural Fire Service on Sunday. Comedian Celeste Barber has raised more than $32 million. Other stars like Margot Robbie and Olivia Newton-John have used their influence on social media to urge their fans to donate toward helping the bushfire victims.