Toms River 3rd-Graders Raise $4,000 To Aid Australian Wildlife – Toms River, NJ Patch

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A fundraiser started by a pair of Toms River third-graders to help the wildlife in Australia after devastating brush fires there has pulled in more than $4,000.

Olivia Frantantoni, a third-grader at East Dover Elementary School, wanted to help the animals that are losing habitat due to the fires, the Toms River Regional School District said. She created a fundraiser called “Coins for Koalas and Kangaroos.”

The idea was for students to bring in loose change every day for a month to donate to the cause.

Benjamin Kempner, her friend and classmate, wanted to help, so he and Olivia provided buckets for each classroom where students and staff could drop off the change. Then the pair collected the contributions at the end of each day to be counted.

The result was a collection of more than $4,000 in one month, the district said. Through a partnership with the Zoological Society of New Jersey at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, the money is being directed to Wildlife Warriors-Australia to help with the rescue and hospital efforts. Wildlife Warriors-Australia is operated by the family of Steve Irwin.

The Conservation Committee at the society approved a match for donations up to a total of $25,000, said Andrea Caserta, marketing director for the society. That match will apply to the East Dover donation, making it an $8,000 donation to the Wildlife Warriors-Australia.

Dozens of people have died since the fire season began last July, and in the state of New South Wales alone, more than 3,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged. More than 17.9 million acres have burned across Australia’s six states, CNN reported.

About half a billion animals have also been affected by the fires, with millions likely dead, CNN reported.

“On behalf of the Zoological Society of New Jersey, I’d like to thank Olivia Frantantoni and the East Dover Elementary School,” said Adam Kerins, executive director of Zoological Society of New Jersey. “Through the Conservation Committee of the Zoological Society, we are pleased to match their donations and double the support for this vital cause.”

“Thanks to the generosity and support of wonderful advocates like Olivia and East Dover Elementary, the Zoological Society is able to continue our efforts to support conservation locally and abroad,” he said.

“We are touched by the generosity of Olivia Frantantoni and the students at the East Dover Elementary School who partnering with our Zoological Society at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo to raise money to help animals affected by the wildfires in Australia,” said Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. “Part of Turtle Back’s mission is to educate the public about the importance of nature and raise awareness about conservation. For young children to exhibit concern for wildlife and to see them take action is heartwarming and gratifying.”

The money will be donated to the Wildlife Warriors Foundation at the National Zoo in Sydney, Australia, run by the family of Steve Irwin.

In a few weeks, the school will host representatives from the Zoological Society for an assembly where the donation will be officially presented, the school district said.

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