Shailene Woodley, best known for her lead role in Divergent, has found herself at the frontlines of several protests against the North Dakota Access Pipeline and is doing all she can to help with the cause, even if it is as simple as designing an awesome T-shirt.
Her involvement didn’t make headlines until October when she was arrested while cooperating with authorities while live streaming to as many as 40,000 viewers. She has since pleaded not guilty to the charges of criminal trespass and engaging in a riot and is due to stand trial in January. If convicted she faces a possible two months in jail and $3,000 in fines. In light of the situation, she has clearly left her mark by drawing national and global attention to the continuous outrage sparked by the pipeline.
Backed by her organization Up to Us, Woodley joined forces with Standing Rock to protest the building of the pipeline. The building of this pipeline poses a serious threat to the water supply of many Native American tribes and over 18 million residents who live along its course. Many people who are just now learning about it, given the lack of news coverage, have been wondering what they can do to help. Countless people have been making donations and purchasing products that claim to donate to the cause, but many are cautious because of scamming.
The Up to Us organization quickly sought a solution to this problem and jump-started a fundraising campaign on Omaze.com with a simple T-shirt design and a strong message. According to their page, “When you buy this shirt, not only are you showing the world that you demand change to protect our waters, but you’re also helping fund Up to Us. They’re dedicated to organizing, educating and activating communities on how to become leaders who are willing to stand up in the face of adversity and demand dynamic change to create a world that works for all of us.”
Originally the campaign was meant to run for only a few weeks, but has required to be extended more than once to meet the growing demand. The official Standing Rock Shirt, now advertised by several public figures including Mark Ruffalo and Sen. Bernie Sanders, is priced at $25. The original sales goal was 1,000 shirts. In a matter of days the fundraiser far surpassed this goal. Now on another extension, there have been more than 25,000 shirts sold, making the percentage funded an astounding 2500 percent and rising.
