California firefighters to benefit from Entertainment Industry Foundation campaign
The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) is stepping up to help support California firefighters.
The philanthropic organization has relaunched its Defy:Disaster relief program, and under the banner of Lend a Hand, will benefit those fighting the ongoing wildfires in the state of California.
The program aims to provide "aid to survivors and communities affected by natural disasters to help them recover and rebuild," according to its website.
In 2018, the organization -- then called Music for Relief -- "donated funding for vital equipment, including hydration packs central to firefighters’ safety, to first responders across California and made grants to local partner organizations supporting families impacted by the wildfires."
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This time around, the campaign hopes to provide "structure fire gloves" to firefighters to aid in fighting flames in "residential, commercial, and high-rise" areas.
The coronavirus pandemic and hurricane relief efforts have also benefitted from the organization. This year, more than $10 million have been raised.
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"We have been able to address a need in the entertainment community and provide resources that inform a more impactful response on behalf of our industry in a time of crisis," said Jeff Bader, EIF Board of Directors vice chair and president of program planning and strategy at NBCUniversal, in a statement obtained by Variety.
The outlet reports that Defy:Disaster is overseen by a council of professionals from organizations such as the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and more.
"Harnessing the collective power of the entertainment community in a time of crisis is crucial to disseminating critical information to the public and to building responses that make a meaningful impact for those affected by disasters," said Irwin Redlener of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Earth Institute at Columbia University.
Music for Relief was founded by rock band Linkin Park in 2018 and joined EIF, providing the name for their official crisis response program.
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Defy:Disaster became the name to indicate a wider range of efforts, but Music for Relief will continue to operate under the EIF with music-driven relief campaigns.
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