Thursday, March 28, 2024

Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds launches campaign to support Victoria-based wildlife group

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British Columbia’s favourite Hollywood export, Ryan Reynolds, is once again demonstrating his love for the Pacific Northwest.

The Vancouver-born actor has launched a fundraising campaign titled ‘Make Ryan Pay’, in support of Victoria-based wildlife conservation group, Pacific Wild.

Through this fundraiser, Reynolds will match all donations to Pacific Wild between July 1 and August 3, up to a maximum of $50,000.

“Providing this gift, this matching challenge, is to help raise money for the critical conservation work being done by my friends at Pacific Wild,” says Reynolds in a video on the Pacific Wild website.

“This is my way of ensuring that the rainforest that I grew up with as a kid are still going to be there, wild and unique and in the world for my kids and for hopefully their kids too.”

This is not the first time the famous actor has expressed his appreciation for the wilderness across B.C.’s rugged and beautiful coastline.

Last year, Reynolds narrated a documentary about the Great Bear Rainforest, home to grizzlies, coastal wolves, large sea otters, and the rarest bear on earth—the spirit bear, for IMAX.

In launching this fundraiser, the Deadpool star made sure to include his own trademark comedic twist as another way to get people to donate.

“Now here’s the best part: if you’ve ever panned one of my movies or hated one of my movies, then this is your chance for revenge – make me pay for it.”

For their part Pacific Wild calls Reynolds their superhero, and states that the #MakeRyanPay campaign will help them achieve “lasting conservation protections for the lands and waters of BC’s Great Bear Rainforest and beyond”.

The wildlife conservation group was founded in 2008 and has since achieved several conservation milestones like a fully legislated ban on grizzly bear trophy hunting in 2018, maintaining a ban on fish farm expansion in the Great Bear Rainforest, and increasing marine protected areas like the Scott Islands.

Donations can be made on their website at pacificwild.org/make-ryan-pay.

After just two days of going live, the campaign has already raised 77 per cent of their goal of $50,000.

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Brishti Basu
Former Senior Staff Writer and Content Manager at Victoria Buzz.

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