Team Trees
Every once in a while, there’s an idea for positive change that spreads across the internet like wildfire. Some of these come in the form of viral challenges, such as the ALS Association’s Ice Bucket Challenge, which picked up steam in July of 2014 and managed to raise over $220M for those afflicted with the disease. Others, meanwhile, have come about from the concentrated efforts of public figures. YouTubers and streamers, in particular, have had an increasingly large role in gathering donations for charitable causes. In 2013 (and again in 2016), Felix Kjellberg, better known by his internet alias “PewDiePie,” ran a campaign to collect $100,000 in donations for Charity: Water, a non-profit organization which aims to bring clean water to those who need it all around the world. More recently, Twitch streamer Ben Lupo, also known as “DrLupo,” set a world-record breaking precedent when he raised $920,000 in just 4 1⁄2 hours while livestreaming, with proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
As of yesterday, October 25th, 2019, YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, more widely known as “Mr. Beast,” became the latest online personality to use his immense influence for good. Donaldson, known for his outrageous projects such as "World's Largest Game of Dodgeball" and "I Put 100 Million Orbeez in My Friend's Backyard," decided to take a break from his normally goofy material to promote a cause which has been receiving massive media attention lately: the environment. After months of planning, Donaldson posted a video announcing he has teamed up with hundreds of content creators, including the likes of Mark Rober, PewDiePie, Ninja, CircleToonsHD, Casey Neistat, Rhett and Link, and many more to help plant 20 million trees by the end of 2019, with the help of the Arbor Day Foundation, who says that it will plant a tree for every dollar donated. As of 10/26, just 24 hours after posting his video about the project, over 3.8 million dollars have been donated, and both Donaldson and Mark Rober’s videos sit atop YouTube’s trending page.
"I personally haven't always been the most environmentally friendly. We've burnt the box fort, and we've done many other dumb things. And a lot of you may be of the mindset of the old me that was basically, y'know, someone else will figure it out. But that's not how it works. We genuinely need all the help we can get....I've literally tried my best to do everything I can, and now it's you guys' turn...We only have one Earth, and it's important we take care of it."
Jimmy Donaldson, A.K.A. Mr. Beast
If you’d like to help Mr. Beast, and join the thousands of people who have helped Team Trees, visit teamtrees.org!
