Popular Twitch streamer Maya Higa was brought to tears after Twitch donated a staggering $100,000 to her animal sanctuary, Alveus. The heartwarming moment took place during TwitchCon 2024 in San Diego, where Maya was part of the event’s opening ceremony alongside Twitch’s Head of Community, Mary “merrykish.”
The Alveus Sanctuary, founded by Maya, is a non-profit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation, rehabilitation, and education. During the ceremony, Merrykish took a moment to recognize Maya’s immense contributions to animal care and conservation efforts through her sanctuary. In front of a live audience, Merrykish shared the exciting news:
“It’s really cool that Maya actually constructed this sanctuary and does a lot of it through Twitch. We’re really proud of your work, and so Twitch wants to help you grow your sanctuary. Twitch will be donating $100,000 to Alveus Sanctuary! Congratulations!”
Maya, who was clearly caught off-guard by the announcement, couldn’t hold back her tears. She embraced Merrykish, visibly emotional as the news settled in. With laughter and disbelief, Maya Higa expressed her gratitude, saying, “They didn’t tell me that. I didn’t know they were doing that. Oh my god. That was incredible. Thank you so much. We wouldn’t have an organization without Twitch. I built it off of Twitch. …I’m so grateful.”
Her emotional reaction continued to resonate with her followers, as she later took to Twitter, humorously stating that she would be “crying for the next five business days.” Maya thanked Twitch and promised to make them proud, highlighting the impact of the donation on Alveus Sanctuary’s future.
Maya’s fans were just as thrilled, flooding her social media with supportive messages. One user commented, “So deserved! You are so intelligent, selfless, and hard-working – it makes me so happy to see your efforts being rewarded.” Another added, “This actually made me sob, this is so nice.”
Founded in February 2021, Alveus Sanctuary serves as a safe haven for non-releasable animals and doubles as a virtual educational center. The sanctuary houses a variety of ambassador animals, including a Blue and Gold Macaw named Tico, an Emu named Stompy, and a bulldog frog named Georgie, among others. Through livestreams on both Twitch and YouTube, Maya shares the animals’ stories and educates viewers on wildlife conservation.
Twitch’s generous donation is a significant boost for Alveus, ensuring the sanctuary continues its mission of promoting conservation and providing a home for its animal residents. Maya’s work, which has already inspired thousands, will now be able to expand further, thanks to Twitch’s support.
As Maya Higa herself put it during her emotional speech, the sanctuary’s success wouldn’t have been possible without the platform that helped her build it. With the $100,000 donation, Alveus Sanctuary is poised to continue flourishing, all while bringing awareness to animal conservation efforts across the world.