The USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy announced March 17 that all proceeds from the “MacSchwarzenegger” whisky line will be donated to the Pasadena Educational Fund to assist victims of the Eaton Fire in Altadena. The initiative follows a $1 million donation from Arnold Schwarzenegger to wildfire relief via the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the California Fire Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

There are fewer than 800 bottles available as of Mar. 17, according to the announcement on the Schwarzenegger Institute website. Conyers Davis, global director at the Schwarzenegger Institute, said MacSchwarzenegger bottles were initially given as gifts to speakers, donors and friends of the Institute, but the line was repurposed in the wake of the fires. 

“The whisky has never been something we’ve wanted to turn a profit with,” Davis said. “It was really something that was unique, a little bit fun, a little bit silly. But once we were able to direct it at the fires in the last couple months, it just was sort of a no-brainer.”

Davis said both Alexander Murray & Co., which bottles the whisky, and Mission Liquor, which sells the whisky, gave up their profits from the sales for the wildfire victims. 

Francisca Martinez, deputy chief of staff at the Schwarzenegger Institute, said the organization is also interested in sustainability directives to prevent further crises like the Eaton Fire and mitigate damage when they do arise. The Institute originally hired Martinez to assist with an environmental policy project. She called climate one of the “core pillars” at the Institute.

“When [Schwarzenegger] was in office, [climate] was one of his focus areas,” Martinez said. “We’ve been trying to work in these areas for so long, and we’ve made some great progress, but I think the devastation of these types of events really bring[s] to light that we need to double down on the work that we’re doing.”

Yasmeen Qubain, a sophomore majoring in psychology, was unaware of the fundraiser, but called it “really sweet” and said she would like to see similar events on campus.

“I’ve known girls from Pasadena whose houses and their families have been affected,” Qubain said. “So I feel like anything to help, if it’s an ethical, consumerist, like, ‘Okay, I buy something knowing that it’s gonna go to [wildfire victims],’ I feel like that’s really good.”

Davis said the urban devastation of the fires was a “wake-up call” for future prevention efforts, and said he was “amazed” by the generosity of Californians in its wake.

“I think there’s something really hardwired into Americans in general,” Davis said. “But maybe Californians in particular where when disaster strikes, everybody sort of wants to step up and help out. And it’s actually something that I find really reassuring; the generosity and humanity that exists is really inspiring.”