Wanting to help combat the Australian wildfires, which have been burning since September, Diamond Bar High School senior Juhi Doshi started a schoolwide fundraiser to donate to the Australian Red Cross.

“When I first heard of the wildfires, I was devastated,” Doshi said via email. “I saw a news headline that said almost 15 million acres of land had burned and almost 500 million animals died. Seeing the images of the horrible wildfires made me very upset.” 

The fundraiser, which ends on Jan. 31, is a joint venture with USB to collect monetary donations for the “Kindness Week Challenge” via buckets that were distributed to every fourth period on Jan. 27.

The donations will be divided equally between the Australian Red Cross and the Guide Dogs of America, which trains seeing eye dogs for the blind. The Wellness Center is also accepting donations of money and toys for the GDA. According to Doshi, the period that collects the most donations will win a pizza party for their class.

“I was already planning Kindness Week along with my fellow Wellness consultants, and as soon as I saw the news, I knew that I could help out by collecting donations,” Doshi said.

This is not her first time running a fundraiser. Last March, after the Christchurch mosque shooting in New Zealand, she worked with USB and the Wellness Center to raise around $300 for the New Zealand Red Cross.

This year, Doshi aims to raise at least $1,000 for the Australian Red Cross but hopes to exceed this goal. Doshi decided to work with USB this year to get the word out to as many students as possible, seeing that USB has an established communication network with all students.

Working in the Wellness Center has inspired Doshi to help her community and those around her. The center has also facilitated these fundraisers, helping them gain momentum across campus.

“As a wellness intern, our primary job is to assist our community, whether it be the students on our campus or others in need,” she said. “The support that I have received from the Wellness Center has allowed me to make a positive contribution to those in need. In this case, it’s the communities suffering from the Australian wildfires.”