Published 20:54 IST, January 23rd 2020
Formula One organises auction to raise money for bushfire relief
Formula One is the latest sport to raise money for bushfire relief and to help the victims and firefighters. Several entrepreneurs have contributed so far.
Formula One is the latest sport to enter the campaign to assist the victims of the Australian bushfire. In an official statement released on Wednesday, the authorities announced that it will be establishing an F1 Auction to raise money.
Formula One contributes
The statement read, "Formula 1 has joined forces with others from around the world and, thanks to the cooperation of everyone in the F1 family, drivers, teams, the FIA and partners, an F1 Auction will take place from 22 January, with all proceeds going to four charity and non-profit organisations."
The four organisations are Red Cross Australia, Country Fire Authority Victoria, Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, WWF Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund.
There will be multiple items to auction, including a few of ‘money-can’t-buy’ experiences. A meet and greet with various drivers is also up for auction. These drivers include - Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, Red Bull’s Alex Albon and Max Verstappen, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, Racing Point’s Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll, Williams’ George Russell and Nicholas Latifi, as well as Mattia Binotto, Team Principal at Ferrari, Toto Wolff, the Team Principal of six-time world champions Mercedes, and Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal at Williams.
Australia has been battling multiple bushfires since September which have spread across the island nation. The intensity of the fires has only increased over time with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying the fires will take months to blow out. Firefighters have been brought on from various countries to combat the raging fires.
The fires have claimed at least 28 lives since September, destroyed more than 2,600 homes and razed more than 10.4 million hectares (25.7 million acres). Recent rains have eased the fires but the danger remains.
The region has also been facing hailstorms and flood warnings, leading to serious climate change concerns amongst climate scientists and environmentalists.
Recently, Tennis Australia organized a charity match to raise funds for the victims of the Australian bush fires and collected almost AUD 5 million for the cause. A few days ago, Cricket Australia also announced a charity match that will help raise money for the victims.
Updated 20:54 IST, January 23rd 2020