Apple partners with Red Cross to accept donations to fight Australia bushfires

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Apple partners with Red Cross to accept donations to fight Australia bushfires
Apple made a donation back in December.
Photo: Cult of Mac / Picturesofmoney

Apple is making it easier for people to make donations to the Red Cross to help efforts in Australia as it battles back against the terrible bushfires the country has experienced.

Users can make Red Cross donations of between $5 to $200 through iTunes and the App Store. Apple is not taking any commission or processing fees for the donations, which will go entirely to charity.

Currently the donation system seems to be up and running only in the United States and Australia. In both places, the donations will go to the national version of the Red Cross, although contributing specifically the Australian wildfires. Banners appear on the local Apple.com webpages, along with the local App Store.

In December, Tim Cook tweeted that Apple would make a donation to relief efforts in Australia.

Fighting Australia bushfires

This is not the first time that Apple has partnered with the Red Cross for charitable efforts. Previously, the company has accepted donations on the Red Cross’s behalf during a wide variety of humanitarian incidents. These include Hurricane Sandy, the Japanese Tsunami, the Philippines’ Typhoon Haiyan, and far more.

While it is possible to donate in other ways, Apple’s page streamlines the donation process for anyone with an iTunes account. It also helps raise awareness of the issue to people who might otherwise not be prompted to donate.

The Australian bushfires are the result of record-breaking temperatures and severe drought. Thousands of firefighters and volunteers have been called into service. More than 6.3 million hectares (63,000 sq km/15.6 million acres) of bush, forest and parks have burned. 24 people have died as a result.

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