VICTORIA -- Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, who was born in Vancouver, has reached his fundraising goal for Victoria-based conservation group Pacific Wild.
The fundraiser, called "Make Ryan Pay," was raising money for B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest, a 6.4-million hectare area of the province’s north and central coast.
The forest gets its namesake from the one-of-a-kind Kermode bear, or Spirit Bear, that lives in the area and has all-white fur.
Through his “Make Ryan Pay” campaign, the Deadpool actor promised to match donations to Pacific Wild up to $50,000.
As part of the fundraiser, Reynolds joked, "Here's the best part. If you've ever panned one of my movies or hated one of my movies, then this is your chance for revenge – make me pay for it."
The campaign, which launched just last week, reached its fundraising goal on Monday with a total of $100,000 going towards the Victoria-based group.
Following the success of the fundraiser, Pacific Wild says another anonymous donor was inspired by Reynolds’s campaign and has offered to match even more donations to Pacific Wild.
Until Aug. 3, which is B.C. Day, the anonymous donor will match up to $25,000 in donations. As of Tuesday morning, roughly $7,000 had been raised.
Last year, Reynolds helped narrate a documentary on B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest that was created by Pacific Wild. It aired in IMAX theatres across the country, including in Victoria.
“We thank our superhero, Ryan Reynolds for his passion and his commitment to helping Pacific Wild protect the last remaining, pristine places along British Columbia’s wild Pacific coast,” said Pacific Wild in a fundraising update.
