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It has reduced a nation to tears. The statistics play over and over and somehow they still don’t feel real. How can they? 1 billion animals? 25 fathers, mothers, children? 10 million acres of land destroyed? Unfathomable figures that seem all but impossible. Unimaginable. But they’re not. They’re real. This is the Australian bushfire crisis.
Images of baby koala bears clinging to their scorched mothers, violent plumes of smoke, houses – homes – reduced to rubble, the yellow of the firefighters, the red of the flames, images searing into a national consciousness. Devastation, of the worst kind.
But in darkness, humanity shines. Not just a crack of light, but a blinding, shimmering stream of goodwill and generosity. It seems generosity is contagious in this country at the moment. Everyone, great and small, is pitching in to help resuscitate and rebuild our great southern land. The outpouring, both locally and globally, fiscally and emotionally, has been of a magnitude so great it too seems surreal. As hearts collectively break into a million pieces, others are desperately trying to pick up and put those pieces back together. One of those people is eyebrow entrepreneur, Kristin Fisher, who along with over 400 of her friends is hosting a marketplace this Saturday to give back to those affected by the bushfire crisis.
“The KFE markets started with a small idea that has exploded because it’s clear many feel the way I do,”Fisher tells GRAZIA. “It’s clear that we all need to get behind these issues, do everything we can to assist anyone who has been affected and I’m so grateful to be able to provide a platform to enable everyone to get involved.”
In just five days, hundreds of business across the board – small, medium and large – have donated their goods to the KFE markets, with all proceeds going directly to the Red Cross, Wires Wildlife Rescue and Wildlife Victoria. Along with the countless luxury fashion, beauty and lifestyle pieces up for grabs on a donation-style basis, T & R Butcher Double Bay and Manu Cooling Paella will be feeding everyone with a sausage sizzle and paella (plus loads of cupcakes and cookies!), with Vittoria Coffee, San Pellegrino and Aqua Panna also on hand to hydrate, plus live music.
“The beauty of this market, is seeing so many wonderful Australian brands giving back however they can, to raise much needed funds for bushfire relief,” adds Fisher. “So many people are feeling helpless right now! So this collective has brought hundreds of brands together, along with thousands of the general public to all get together and do what they can. Aside from raising lots of money on Saturday, it’s just so nice having the community all come together on this scale, and with such short notice. It’s been an incredible response and I am truly proud to be an Australian right now.”
GRAZIA will also be attending to show their support. We’ll see you Saturday.
the details:
KFE Markets for bushfire relief
9am – 4pm
Saturday 11 January 2020
grand ballroom
interncontinental double bay
“In five short days, over 400 Australian businesses have donated their goods, services and time. What started as a small market inside KFE, then moved next door into @f45trainingdoublebay , then the lovely Mayor of @woollahracouncil got in touch and offered us Guilfoyle Park, only for this to become SO BIG that we are now holding it in the Grand Ballroom at @intercontinentaldoublebay so we can fully set up all day and night on Friday, for that 9am start on Saturday. It’s all just mind blowing, and makes me so proud to be an Australian.
My biggest thanks goes to @susanwynne who along with the team at @woollahracouncil have worked TIRELESSLY for days with me for this event. Only last night when we realised just how much stock we have been given, did we make the call to move to the @intercontinentaldoublebay .
It’s been a mammoth 5 days and I can’t thank my friends and family enough for their continuous efforts with this. Could this be the start of a foundation?! Who knows. But for now, let’s bring the community together and raise as much money as we possibly can for our Australian people and animals who need us most right now. @redcrossau @wireswildliferescue @wildlifevictoria”
