After receiving CMPC’s donation: Desafío Levantemos Chile reaches its campaign goal of helping victims of forest fires

The company has donated 500 million Chilean pesos to the campaign launched by the NGO, which seeks to help the thousands of people affected by the forest fires that have recently occurred in south-central Chile.

The goal of the “Desafío Levantemos el Sur” [Let’s Help Out the South] campaign organized by Desafío Levantemos Chile was to raise two billion Chilean pesos to help the thousands of families affected by the forest fires that happened in south-central Chile. This goal was reached in record time. CMPC donated 500 million pesos today to help make sure the aid reaches the families, surpassing the goal that had been set.

The resources will first be used to acquire materials to begin the construction work in the areas that were affected by the fires, and direct monetary aid will go to the affected people. After that, Desafío Levantemos el Sur will focus on providing a safe home for all of the families affected by the fires.

Company CEO Francisco Ruiz-Tagle is in the affected regions supervising the prevention work being done in the field and the forest firefighting carried out by the company’s specialized crews. “We’ve decided to go to the aid of the thousands of families affected by this tragedy by providing water systems, delivering basic kits to issue beds, stoves, and refrigerators for the damaged homes. We’re also providing support in the form of boxes of food. Another very important thing here in the agricultural, rural lands of the south is building fences on the farms and providing animal fodder. We also wish to reiterate our absolute commitment to the reconstruction work of the areas affected by the fires,” said Ruiz-Tagle.

Desafío Levantemos Chile’s executive director Ignacio Serrano said, “We are very grateful for CMPC’s generous contribution. As a strategic partner, the company has always aided us in our efforts to support the communities in southern Chile. Collaborative work is the best way to reach them with emergency solutions more efficiently and quickly.”

This aid is in additon to what the company offered to families in Biobío and La Araucanía a few days ago through its Softys subsidiary, in which it donated more than 100,000 personal hygiene items such as hand sanitizer, bar soap, toilet paper, child and adult diapers, feminine hygiene products, and more.

Forest fires have hit the south-central area of Chile in recent days, which have so far affected more than 320,000 hectares of land by the flames and nearly 5,600 people. Additionally, 1,180 homes have been destroyed. Although firefighters and specialists are fighting them day and night, the situation is challenging due to the high temperatures expected in the upcoming days.