ShelterBox USA Raises $175,000 at Virtual Benefit
The annual event, An Evening to Experience ShelterBox, drew a surprise appearance from actor Kevin Costner.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Philanthropy

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ShelterBox USA raised more than $175,000 at its annual virtual benefit, An Evening to Experience ShelterBox, held Thursday, November 5, 2026. Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Costner made a surprise appearance alongside ShelterBox USA President Kerri Murray.
Why it matters
The fundraiser supports ShelterBox's disaster relief work, which has aided 3.2 million people in 100 countries. The event's funds come at a time when the organization is expanding its domestic disaster response in the United States.
ShelterBox USA raised more than $175,000 at its annual virtual benefit, and the organization has aided 3.2 million people across 100 countries throughout its history. The extraction does not provide a prior-year fundraising comparison or a breakdown of how the proceeds will be distributed.
The players
ShelterBox USA
ShelterBox USA is the American arm of the international humanitarian charity ShelterBox, which provides emergency shelter and aid to families displaced by disasters and conflict.
Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner is an Academy Award-winning actor and filmmaker known for films such as Dances with Wolves and Field of Dreams.
Kerri Murray
Kerri Murray is the president of ShelterBox USA, overseeing the organization's American operations and fundraising efforts.
The details
The benefit featured firsthand stories from humanitarian emergencies, including ShelterBox's work supporting Sudanese refugees in Chad and its flood response in Nepal. Recorded stories of displaced families transported viewers to humanitarian response frontlines.
Timeline
Thursday, November 5, 2026: ShelterBox USA holds its annual virtual benefit, An Evening to Experience ShelterBox.
Roadmap
ShelterBox's model of delivering emergency shelter kits to disaster-displaced families has been applied across 100 countries, and the organization is now extending that approach domestically. The annual benefit funds this expansion alongside its overseas work in regions such as Chad, Nepal and Gaza.
Donations raised at the benefit directly fund ShelterBox's emergency shelter kits for displaced families. Local residents can support the organization's domestic disaster response expansion through giving to ShelterBox USA.
The takeaway
Supporting disaster relief charities during periods of calm builds the infrastructure needed when emergencies strike. Readers interested in humanitarian aid can give to organizations like ShelterBox that deliver shelter directly to displaced families.
Further reading
For more on local giving, see Philanthropy coverage in Santa Barbara.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Santa Barbara Independent.
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