English Singer-songwriter, Elton John has joined the list of celebrities who have pledged donations to combat the devastating Australian bushfires that have ravaged the country since September.
The legendary artiste who was performing on Tuesday made the announcement to fans attending his concert at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, that he would be donating $1 million to relief efforts.
“We should all be in the awe of the work the firefighters are doing,” he told the crowd. “There are people out there who have lost their lives trying to save homes, there are people who have lost their lives and their homes.”
He continued: “And lastly, there’s the plight of the animals, a loss of their habitat that frankly is on a biblical scale and it’s heartbreaking. Therefore tonight, I will be pledging $1 million dollars to support the bushfire relief fund.”
Elton John’s donation was met with a standing ovation by the crowd.
“As I said earlier, this is a magnificent country and I love it here, so much and to see what is happening here breaks my heart, so we have to come together, we have to fight and this is my bit towards it and I love Australia so much,” he added.
The blazes, which have been burning across Australia for months, have razed homes and wiped out entire towns. Nearly 18 million acres of land have been burned and the total number of animals affected could be as high as a billion.