Los Olivos teen raises nearly $20k for LA fire relief
UPDATE: As on Tuesday, the Teens 4 L.A. campaign has raised an impressive $19,905, surpassing its initial expectations. Every dollar contributed will go toward providing mental health resources and skill development services for youth across Los Angeles. The funds aim to support programs that empower young people with the tools they need to thrive, especially in the wake of the devastating wildfires that have impacted countless communities.
LOS OLIVOS, Calif. — A local high school senior has raised more than $10,000 in just three days for Los Angeles fire relief efforts.
Aliyah Redding, a senior at Dunn School, and his friend Kyle Godwin felt compelled to act after watching large portions of Los Angeles County burn in devastating wildfires last week. However, they knew they would need help to get started.
Redding and Godwin partnered with Another Awesome Day, a nonprofit organization focused on teen mental health.
“We’ve been doing work in L.A., so one of the trusted adults in Aliyah’s life reached out and said, ‘Is there a way that we can support Aliyah?’ And so that’s really how the conversation began—it was just active brainstorming,” said Shana Douglass, founder of Another Awesome Day.
Together, they launched Teens 4 L.A., a digital fundraiser that has grown to five figures in just three days.
“Using the power of crypto, we were able to mobilize so much support in such a short amount of time, raising $10,000 in just three days,” Redding said.
Thanks to the infrastructure provided by Another Awesome Day’s platform, Teens 4 L.A. has been able to leverage global currencies, including cryptocurrency, to broaden its reach.
“We are a decentralized Web3-native community,” Douglass explained. “What that means for us is that we’re leveraging a global community and global currencies to rapidly raise awareness and deploy funds to spaces that students don’t typically have the opportunity to access.”
With support from his teachers at Dunn School in Los Olivos, Redding plans to host an in-person donation event on campus to accommodate those who may not have access to the latest technology.
“My hope is to raise money for my school, help rebuild schools I used to attend, and hopefully expand this initiative statewide—or even globally,” Redding said.
The Teens 4 L.A. campaign remains open, with active QR codes for donations. Organizers encourage anyone, regardless of location, to contribute to the cause.