- Celeste Barber's Facebook fundraiser for the NSW Rural Fire Services is the largest ever created on the platform globally, Facebook told Business Insider.
- Barber's fundraiser has raised more than $28.5 million in four days.
- The next largest Facebook fundraiser was created by Charlotte and Dave Willner for The Refugee and Immigrant Centre for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) in the US.
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Celeste Barber has created Facebook's largest-ever fundraiser.
Barber's fundraiser for The Trustee for NSW Rural Fire Service & Brigades Donations Fund, to support bushfire relief efforts in Australia, has become the largest Facebook fundraiser globally, Facebook told Business Insider.
The Australian comedian and actor launched the fundraiser on Friday, January 3, and in just four days it raised over $28.5 million.
Funds came in from Australians as well as people overseas, from countries including the US, the UK, Belgium, and Portugal.
In a tweet earlier this week, Barber expressed astonishment at the contributions social media users had made to the Facebook campaign.
This is incredible.
— Celeste barber (@celestebarber_) January 5, 2020
Power to the people. https://t.co/HHemX5P3KMpic.twitter.com/c4CYys3Qy7
The star also compared the response of billionaires to the Notre Dame disaster with their response to the bushfires, which have killed 20 people and roughly 1 billion animals.
Hey billionaires, Notre Dame burning down sucked. I get it. Times that by a trillion and that’s what’s happening in Australia. Feel free to flick us a quick couple of million. You make it seem pretty easy. https://t.co/HHemX5P3KM
— Celeste barber (@celestebarber_) January 7, 2020
The previous fundraiser with the biggest amount raised was developed by Charlotte and Dave Willner in the US, who raised money for RAICES (The Refugee and Immigrant Centre for Education and Legal Services) in Texas.
The fundraiser was designed to help immigrant families separated President Trump's family separation policy, which has since ended.
The fundraiser was created in June 2018 and raised $20.77 million from more than 530,000 people.
It took just six days to reach the $20 million mark.
Following Celeste's fundraiser in terms of financial donations, is a fundraiser for wildlife rescue service WIRES, which raised more than $5.49 million and one for the Victorian CFA, which gained more than $1.10 million.
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