Nude photos are just one Los Angeles export helping battle the tragic wildfires Down Under.
Not all heroes wear clothes.
It began as a simple offer on her Instagram account. 20-year-old model Kaylen Ward, aka The Naked Philanthropist, promised on her Instagram account to send nude photos to anyone who donated to the efforts to fight the massive fires in Australia.
When she began her campaign, she had a modest amount of followers. But word spread, Instagram took down her account for unknown reasons, possibly stemming from her scantily-clad content. She then focused her attention on the more forgiving Twitter. At the time, she had 30,000 Twitter followers which have blossomed to over 300,000 thanks to her unusual promise.
“I tried to see if I could get some of my loyal followers to raise some money,” Ward told the Washington Post on Saturday. “I maybe expected to get maybe a few thousand in donations from my followers.”
Over 10,000 people have sent the L.A. model receipts of their generosity, she says.
Meanwhile, in the Valley, adult actress Riley Reid has also encouraged her fans with a similar offer. The petite porn star tweeted to her 1.7 million (warning, adult content exists on that link) followers that if they emailed her proof of their donation that she would send photos and videos.
Reid was in Australia over the holidays and saw the devastation up close. A day after she sent out her plea, she was overwhelmed with the outpouring of support in exchange for images that could easily be found all over the web. Sometimes it’s the thought that counts?
“My heart is so full because of all of you,” Reid said in an Instagram Story after she received over 1,000 emails of proof. “Thank you to everyone who has donated already. It’s so amazing. It’s so beautiful … I know Australia is going to be so thankful. I know the animals will be so thankful.”
Some heroes, however, do wear clothes.
In what is assuredly the most courageous gift coming from L.A. to Australia are the 20 firefighters who flew across the globe Monday to help fight the blazes. Yesterday, 20 Hot Shot crew members from the Angeles National Forest traveled to the devastated continent to volunteer their efforts.
“Our thoughts and prayers, with our deepest condolences, are with the Australia firefighters and public who have lost their lives and homes,” U.S. Forest Service Fire Director Shawna Legarza said in a statement. “We are proud to provide personnel from the United States and will continue to support Australia with the resources needed during this unprecedented fire situation.”
It is not unusual for foreign countries to send fire crews across the world in times of emergencies. In 2018, 138 Australian and New Zealand wildfire management personnel were sent to the U.S. for almost 30 days to assist with wildfire suppression efforts in Northern California and the Northwest that August. The last time U.S. firefighters flew to Australia was in 2010.
“Our Australian sisters and brothers have helped us over the years,” veteran fire-prevention technician Jonathan Merager told the Los Angeles Times. “It seemed natural to reciprocate that assistance.”