Several companies in the sporting-goods industry are making donations to help rescue wildlife and help fight the great bushfires that have kept swaths of Australia ablaze since early September. They appear to be the worst fires on the continent since the mid-1970s. So far, they may have killed as many as a billion animals and driven certain species to extinction.
Along with an Australian retailer, Surf Dive ‘n’ Ski, the brands of the originally Australian Boardriders group – Billabong, Roxy, Quiksilver, DC Shoes, RVCA and Element – have committed all profits generated in Australia through e-commerce over the weekend of Jan. 11-12. The funds will provide aid to communities affected by the fires.
The big Australian Super Retail Group (SRG), which owns the Rebel Sport, BCF and Macpac retail banners, is donating $250,000 to the Red Cross for the fires’ aftermath. SRG is also providing paid leave to the volunteer firefighters among its employees.
Merrell is donating $25,000 to Wires, a big Australian wildlife rescue organization, which will be working on post-fire rehabilitation. Wires is also accepting donations from the public online at: www.wires.org.au/donate/online.
On Jan. 9, several brands, some 45 retailers and 1,000 stores held a charity campaign in which all profits were pledged to the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund. Among the brands were eBay, Globe, Lacoste, Seafolly, Sea Level Swim, Speedo, Stüssy, The North Face and Ugg.
