Downers Grove Students Raise Funds For Local Humane Society

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — In 2021, participation in the student council at Pierce Downer School has been relatively low due to coronavirus, but the six students on the council are going above and beyond to make a big difference in their community. Most recently, the "small, but mighty group" raised more than $800 to benefit West Suburban Humane Society, 5th grade teacher and student council advisor Lauren Minardi told Patch.

Student council members first came up with the idea to aid West Suburban Humane Society at the end of 2020, but were unable to do so amid the coronavirus pandemic. The students chose the local humane society because many of their families had adopted pets from the shelter.

“The kids were very into helping the animals, especially during the pandemic because some people had to give up their pets or couldn’t afford to take care of them anymore," Minardi said.

The ongoing pandemic meant students had to think outside the box when it came to fundraising efforts too. “We had to be more creative," said Kelly DeMarco, who also teaches 5th grade and serves as a student council advisor at Pierce Downer.

Luckily, when Happy Dog Barkery got wind of the student council's efforts, they volunteered to host a Zoom class about how to bake cupcakes...or, more appropriately, "pupcakes"... for dogs.

The student council requested a donation for those interested in attending the virtual class. In all, between 40 and 50 people signed up and learned how to make "pupcakes," Minardi said.

DeMarco told Patch the baking class was a fun way to get parents and other family members involved in an activity with their students at a time when the student council was unable to host movie nights and other family events in person.

After the Zoom class, parents shared photos of their children baking and their pets enjoying the homemade treats. “The kids came back the next day and were very excited to talk about their treats," DeMarco told Patch.

That excitement carried over into other fun, animal-related activities the student council planned to educate other students and staff members about animals in need. During spirit week, for example, kids and their teachers were encouraged to dress up in clothing with pictures of animals on it.

Teachers were also given a great incentive for donating to the West Suburban Humane Society fund too. They got to wear blue jeans for a week if they gave money to the cause.

“[Student council members] wanted to turn it into an opportunity to educate the school about West Suburban Humane Society and get everyone excited about pets and animals," DeMarco said.

To that end, Principal Wagner and Miss Elford, the school librarian, read books about animals out loud to students. The school's art teacher, Mrs. David, created educational videos that taught students how to draw dogs, chameleons and other animals.

In total, the student council raised $835. This meant they had enough money to make a donation and buy two bags of gourmet treats from Happy Dog Barkery as a way to thank the store for hosting the Zoom class.

“The kids felt very good about the money they raised and about having extra money for treats," Minardi said.

The children were also eager to use part of their donation to help miniature goldendoodle Luna, whose owners could not afford the surgery she needed to mend her broken leg.

"For these elementary school students to raise this much money really shows they invested their time and effort in helping out homeless cats and dogs," Christina Morrison, Director of Development West Suburban Humane Society told Patch.

Morrison added that the donation is well-timed, as spring always brings an influx of unexpected puppies and kittens into the humane society.

“What these kids donated will go a long way in getting several of these puppies and kitties ready for their forever families," Morrison said.