During a worldwide internet fundraising event to support the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s (OCAq) future marine wildlife rehabilitation center, internet supporters stepped up in a major way, raising more than $25,000.
The online fundraising event, held July 16, was led by marine biologist Kristyn Plancarte, who raises awareness about marine life via her social media channels under the screenname KPassionate. Plancarte hosts online charity events to rally the growing KPassionate community — a following which is currently 200,000 strong and growing — in helping raise funds for wildlife organizations.
Plancarte describes her online community as a “diverse group of people from around the world, united under a shared passion for sea life.” The idea to host a streaming event benefitting OCAq was suggested by one of Plancarte’s followers, who is also on the aquarium’s newsletter mailing list. Noting OCAq’s call for support in building the new rehabilitation center, they shared it with Plancarte, who then organized the live-stream fundraising event.
During the 12-hour live-stream event, donors contributed a total of $25,720 — the largest amount raised during a KPassionate charity event to date.
“I was pretty confident that we would break $10,000 just based on the enthusiasm I was seeing amongst my community,” said Plancarte. “I did not think we’d break $25,000. Our previous record was the $22,000 we raised for the Elakha Alliance during a 24-hour live stream. [This event] broke that record in half the time, so this was pretty special.”
The stream featured a guest appearance from Oregon Coast Aquarium’s Curator of Marine Mammals Brittany Blades, who shared sea otter origin stories, behind-the-scenes bloopers, and insight on the aquarium’s rehabilitation efforts.
The interview with Blades was particularly impactful, explained Plancarte, giving viewers a rare opportunity to engage with someone they wouldn’t otherwise have access to — and allowing those who already love animals to learn more about how much work goes into marine animal care.
Throughout the stream, Plancarte fielded questions (“who has more devious motivations: ferrets or sea otters?”), hosted community games, held live raffles, and highlighted each donor that contributed to the cause. Donors could select varying amounts to help feed animals, purchase medical supplies, and build the marine rehab facility.
The leading donors, screennames PayItForward and Evilnav, gave a total of $10,200. Once the stream was finished, Plancarte confirmed the donation link would remain open, allowing viewers to continue showing their support.
“A lot was going through my mind at the finish line but also nothing at all,” reflected Plancarte. “Together, we’ve now raised over $75,000 for ocean conservation efforts like this one, and I’m excited to see what we do next.”
Sees-Ha Xwee-Nish Marine Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Oregon Coast Aquarium aims to build a new marine wildlife rehabilitation center to expand its capacity for marine animal medical care and rehabilitation. In recognition of the indigenous peoples of Oregon’s central coast, the aquarium partnered with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz to name the center Sees-ha Xwee-Nish, meaning Ocean Life, using Athabaskan words from their heritage, including Na-Dené, Alsea, and Yaquina. The aquarium will break ground on the new facility in 2024.
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is one of only three facilities in the Pacific Northwest authorized to provide critical care to endangered marine wildlife, like sea turtles, snowy plovers, and sea otters. While the KPassionate live stream is finished, additional support is needed to close the funding gap. Find out how you can help aid Oregon’s vulnerable wildlife by visiting aquarium.org/donate.
