January 06, 2020, 12:20 PM
A nude model in Los Angeles, U.S. claims she has raised over US$500,000 (S$675,142) to help with the wildfire relief efforts in Australia -- all with the help of her photos.
Kaylen Ward, 20, who goes by the handle The Naked Philanthropist on her social media accounts, put out an appeal on Twitter on Jan. 3, 2020.
She tweeted a list of charities and organisations battling the wildfires and helping with the relief efforts, such as the South Australia County Fire Service, the Australian Red Cross, and the Koala Hospital Port Macquarie.
For every US$10 (S$13.50) donated to these organisations, Ward will send one nude photo to the donor.
You can see the appeal below.
(Warning: NSFW)
https://twitter.com/lilearthangelk/status/1213284066755317761The appeal quickly went viral, with an excited Ward providing updates on how much money she helped to raise.
We’ve raised $7000 people!!!!!!!!!!!
— THE NAKED PHILANTHROPIST (@lilearthangelk) January 4, 2020
WE REACHED $30k IN DONATIONS FOR AUSTRALIA GUYS THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE... it’s STILL going. I’m not even half way through the messages and they keep coming omg #AustraliaFires
— THE NAKED PHILANTHROPIST (@lilearthangelk) January 4, 2020
The number kept going up, and by Jan. 5, Ward had raised half a million U.S. dollars.
We have hit and estimated $500k...... guys I am crying.... this is fucking crazy
— THE NAKED PHILANTHROPIST (@lilearthangelk) January 5, 2020
She managed to achieve this even after her Instagram account, with 50,000 followers was taken down.
https://twitter.com/lilearthangelk/status/1213701836517126144
Speaking to Buzzfeed, Ward said that she only expected to raise around US$1,000 (S$1,350), but the tweet "blew up."
She's hired a team of people to help her sort through her messages, confirm that they have indeed donated, and send on the photos.
Although Ward doesn't live in Australia, she said that she sympathised with their plight as her family had to flee the California wildfire in 2018.
Despite the backlash she's gotten from some people, Ward thinks it's all worth it to help those in need.
My IG got deactivated, my family disowned me, and the guy I like won’t talk to me all because of that tweet. But fuck it, save the koalas.
— THE NAKED PHILANTHROPIST (@lilearthangelk) January 5, 2020
Related story:
Top image from The Naked Philanthropist Twitter.
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