Popular Fortnite streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is known for many things. He’s been a bit of a rock star, eccentric, even controversial. But no one can deny that he’s got heart.
So, what did Ninja do? A little bit of background first. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t watch the news because it depresses them, well... prepare to get depressed! Over the past three months, Australia’s mainland has been ravaged by bushfires. There have been multiple casualties, many people lost their homes, and the ecosystem is pretty wrecked. Amid the crisis, the AUS government has been a bit slow to react in fire relief.
However, people both home and overseas didn’t stand idle. They quickly set up donation efforts to multiple charities and people from all over the world contributed what they could. Amid those was Australian Fortnite streamer Lachlan Power. Even though he doesn’t live down below anymore, he wanted to do something to help. So, he set up a Fortnite fundraiser.
Centered around clearing campfires in Fortnite, the fundraising stream had the humble goal of $10,000. Lachlan said he’d also donate $500 for every campfire they cleared during the run. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? The stream progressed as normal. However, somewhere around the 2800-dollar mark, the streamer’s screen flashed: “Ninja donated $30,000!”. Jaws were dropped. Have you ever seen a grown man cry on Twitch? Now you have:
Now, Ninja had previously hinted that together with his wife, they would like to help with Australian fire relief in some way:
Please donate and support!! My wife and i will be doing something in the future for Australia but please support anything and everything you see from trustworthy content creators. Much love keem https://t.co/VGLol6FyLJ
— Ninja (@Ninja) January 9, 2020
But using the power of games and streaming to do it, especially on an Aussie’s stream, sends a strong message.
People like being harsh on streamers for always seeking attention or just for being edgy. But there is an undeniable power in being able to help people in distress from half-way around the world, just because of a game stream. You see, no one can make you donate money. It’s a conscious, willing choice. Blevins didn’t have any obligation to donate a single cent to help with the Australian fires. But he did. What will do, Ninja. That will do.
