The Beijing Winter Olympic Games were less than a month away when an underwater volcano erupted and sent a tsunami hurtling toward Tonga. Within hours, Pita Taufatofua had set up a GoFundMe and sent out calls for help on social media.
Why it matters: Taufatofua, a three-time Olympian who first gained international attention as the shirtless Tongan flag bearer, has used his platform to amplify Tonga's needs as the tropical island nation struggles to recover. The dual disasters killed at least three people and wiped out all communications on the island.
