Poker Community Comes Together to Help Australian Bushfire Crisis

Australia is currently battling some of the worst bushfires in its history.

Because of them, many animals have perished and had their home destroyed. World Poker Tour hostess Lynn Gilmartin has decided to help them and inspire poker community to show their generous side.

Recently Crown Resorts, hosts of the annual Aussie Millions poker festival in Melbourne, have donated A$5 Million to Support Australian Bushfire Relief, and the rest of the poker community is also supporting the cause.

One of them is Lynn Gilmartin, World Poker Tour hostess, who started Poker Players for Australian Wildlife, a Facebook fundraiser to help wild animals whose habitats are being devastated by the fires that have been raging across the nation for months.

Since September 2019 millions of acres in Australia have gone up in flames. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate and as it was reported 24 people have lost their lives.

As for Australia’s animal population, the numbers are even more catastrophic. University of Sydney ecologist Chris Dickman estimates that the number of Australian animals to have died could be close to one billion.

“Half a billion animals,” Gilmartin said. “I just cannot comprehend that figure.”

Gilmartin took to her social media and called people to help and poker players and fans did more than that.

“We need your help. Our precious koalas are already an at-risk species, and now they are believed to have had ⅓ of their population wiped out by these fires. My heart aches,” she said.

Gilmartin’s initial goal was to raise AU$5,000. That amount was reached in a matter of hours, and just two days later, her campaign had generated more than AU$28,700, eventually reaching $A50k in donations.

All proceeds from Gilmartin’s Facebook fundraiser go directly to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors, a non-profit organization founded by Terri Irwin and her late husband Steve Irwin (“the Crocodile Hunter”).