Students from Adlai E. Stevenson High School are planning an in-school fundraiser to collect money for Australia in the wake of the country’s destructive wildfires that have burned across the land for months.
The school’s Animal Welfare Club, which focuses on educating its members and the community on animal health and safety, is hosting the fundraiser and sending proceeds to aid wildlife relief efforts, club sponsor Kathleen Sassan said.
“It’s hard not to want to do something,” she said. “We have an opportunity to really make an impact and help out the best way we can.”
In the past, the club has raised money by selling dog treats to staff, but the group decided this semester to expand its reach and sell to the student body as well.
With a population of more than 4,000 students, this also means increasing the supply significantly, Sassan said. In addition to treats, the club will be making and selling dog toys and blankets.
The sale will be held during lunch hours March 18 to allow the group enough time to make all the products it plans to offer for purchase and possibly gain support and donations from local businesses, Sassan said.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” she said about the timing of the fundraiser. “The need for help is, unfortunately, going to be around for some time.”
Wildlife experts have estimated that millions of animals have perished in the wildfires that have raged on the continent since June. Some of the ones that have survived sustained devastating injuries, and also had most of their habitat destroyed.
Armed with rubber tennis balls, fabric and busy hands, the Animal Welfare Club will continue to meet once a week until March 18 to build up its supply.
Before students started making toys during a Jan. 14 club meeting, they watched a video showing the destructive fires and charred aftermath. They saw koalas gulping water from bottles; firefighters trying to extinguish the enormous flames; and kangaroos laying in ash and rubble, dead.
Students have seen similar sights in the news and on social media in recent weeks, said sophomore club member Aimee Ward. That’s why she anticipates the fundraiser will be a success among her peers, because it will connect them to those events.
“I think it will really encourage the student body to get involved with helping animals, even in their local community,” she said.
Senior Stephanie Levitt, another member of the club, said she wants to work with some sort of environmental organization in the future. Her dream job is to work for an animal welfare nonprofit.
To her, helping a country so far away from the U.S. feels especially important because it allows the students to make a difference on a worldwide scale.
“It’s across the globe and we can still make an impact here,” she said. “You can help out someone you don’t know and animals you’ve never met.”
Sassan said the club is still deciding on prices for the items, but she thinks the student body will be supportive whether they purchase the toys, treats and blankets or simply donate to the cause.
More Top Picks Best Flicker Free Led Bulbs For Migraines
“The kids in this school care a lot,” she said. “There’s a ton of compassion and a willingness to want to do something. This extends far beyond whether or not you have a dog at home.”
Twitter: @kaitlinedquist