Maya Higa’s Alveus Sanctuary received a major boost when Valkyrae stepped in with a $10,000 donation during an emergency fundraising stream. The non-profit exotic animal sanctuary suffered extensive damage from recent flooding that destroyed critical infrastructure, including the main access road needed for daily animal care.
The flooding created an urgent crisis for the sanctuary. With the access road washed out, staff faced severe challenges delivering food, medical supplies, and performing necessary care routines for the sanctuary’s rescued animals. Insurance limitations for flood damage meant that outside fundraising was the only realistic way to get repairs done fast.
“Even if insurance or FEMA comes through, you don’t see a penny of that for a long time. That road needs to be rebuilt yesterday,” explained one supporter familiar with disaster recovery.
Higa, who started Alveus in 2021 as a haven for non-releasable exotic animals, quickly organized the emergency stream to get things back on track. The sanctuary runs entirely on donations and fundraising events, so support from the community is especially important right now.
Valkyrae’s $10,000 contribution came at just the right time during the fundraising effort, helping push total donations past the $100,000 mark. The money will mostly go toward fixing critical infrastructure and making sure the animals keep getting proper care while everything is being repaired.
This isn’t just about fixing property damage—it’s about keeping the sanctuary’s animals safe and continuing the Alveus mission of education and conservation. The sanctuary often puts out educational content and brings attention to wildlife issues, which has been put on pause for now because of the flood.
The streaming community pulled together in a big way, showing how effective creator-led charity can be in times of need. While Valkyrae’s donation was one of the biggest single gifts, lots of other streamers and fans chipped in to help out.
