A Midweek Check-in from the LA Wildfires

Hello there, Saturday Matinee friends. I wanted send out a quick, midweek note to update you on the Los Angeles wildfires and let you know about some fundraising plans we have. We’re still safe, and we feel thankful to be in a position to help others. Initially, I was going to include all of this in my usual Saturday newsletter, but then I thought it was important enough to share separately. Plus, I’m so excited about what we’re doing that I couldn’t wait to tell you about it.

First off, Alonso and I are turning our Oscar Nominations Livestream into a fundraiser. Yes, the idea of awards season seems more frivolous than ever, but we’re hoping to turn it into something meaningful. All the Super Chat and Super Thanks donations our viewers send in during the stream will go directly to a few charities we've selected (details on that below). Join us at 8am Pacific time on Thursday Jan. 23, the morning the Academy will announce this year's nominations, and we'll talk about who's in, who's out, and what you hope to see happen. Link to that coming soon. 

Then, for the next 10 people who sign up for a Table for One review (actually 8 now, a couple of spots have filled up), we'll donate 100% of that money to charities. Several of you already have done these videos, where you get to choose the movie you'd like to review with us, then we send it to you to keep. They're one of our favorite ways to connect with our audience. Now, we can make these discussions even more worthwhile. If you’ve been thinking about doing a Table for One with us, hopefully you’ll find this is the right opportunity. You can sign up at ChristyLemire.com.

As for the charities we plan to support:  

Entertainment Community Fund is a non-profit that provides resources and financial aid for people who work in every facet of the entertainment industry, up and down the line, especially in times of crisis like this. Find out more about their work here.

Pasadena Humane Society is caring for animals who've been lost, left behind and injured, particularly during the Eaton Fire. That's dogs and cats but also horses, rabbits and even a peacock who need medical aid. Here’s a link to their wildfire relief page.

World Central Kitchen, founded by Chef José Andrés, has been doing excellent work feeding displaced people and first responders during humanitarian crises around the world. Now, they could use your help providing meals to folks here in LA. Learn more about what they do here.

Thank you SO much for considering taking part in these fundraisers, either by chatting with us or donating to these charities directly. We’ll keep a running tally of the amount we’ve raised so you’ll know how much good you’re doing.

A week into this widespread nightmare, crews are making progress. The winds have died down a bit near the Palisades and Eaton fires, only to pick up in other parts of Southern California. It’s going to be a long road ahead, with reverberations for months and years to come. Every day, I think of some new aspect of the damage or hear about another friend who’s lost everything. It all feels overwhelming, but it’s also been incredible watching people come together and support each other in the groundswell of recovery efforts. We look forward to being a part of that, and we thank you for helping us help the city we love.