Kudos to the Lafayette Elementary School 7

When the League received a check on school letterhead,  I thought that there must have been a school organized event that netted $225 for the animals.  But, then I read further and learned that the money was raised by seven very compassionate and proactive Lafayette Elementary School fifth graders.  Torin, Anaily, Iona, Claire, Emma, Miranda and Daniela created  Animalicious (check out animalicious.webs.com) as a way to help animals.  And, according to Anaily, it all started when she decided to make a piggy bank for her sister!   Lots of cute piggy banks are pictured on the group's web site.  The girls were eager to acknowledge the help and support of their awesome art teacher, Ms. Laurie McLaughlin. The friends also sold cookies at school basketball games to raise money the animals, and they  are planning more events that will benefit the animals, including an outdoor movie night! 

Visiting the girls was a great way to celebrate Be Kind to Animals Week.  Thank you, Anaily, Torin, Iona, Daniela, Miranda, Emma & Claire, for caring and working to make the world a better place for animals!

100 Ways to Help Animals

Lafayette Elementary School 4th graders in Ms. Fratto, Hallstrom, and Culver’s classes strategized before the break on ways to help animals.  The brainstorming session resulted in a list of 100 terrific ideas.  Ten of those ideas are listed below. 

1. Give animals food
2. Adopt an animal
3. Buy animals toys
4. Protect animals
5. Hold a food drive, toy drive
6. Make posters to convince people to adopt animals
7. Volunteer at a shelter
8. Be nice to animals
9. Advertise shelter animals in the newspaper
10. Send ideas about caring for animals to congress
The students made sure that their fifth suggestion, hold a food drive, was not only carried out, but was a huge success.  The fourth graders' school-wide food drive to support the League's Rescuers Food Bank netted nearly 200 pounds of cat and dog food and treats!   Thank you! 

Fourth graders at Lafayette Elementary School in Washington, D.C. did some quick calculating and learned that caring for an animal companion can be costly.  They want to make sure that every cat and dog has plenty to eat this holiday season and beyond.   They also learned that the Washington Animal Rescue League's Rescuers' Food Bank helps people care for their cats and dogs.  Income qualified guardians apply for food assistance and then are eligible to pick up cans or bags of food every month.  Food in the Rescuers' Food Bank is donated to the League by generous patrons -- like those in the Lafayette Elementary School community.  The food drive is an all-school effort; the school's artistic security guard Officer Nicholson, created the drop-off boxes and Cozy Girl, a WARL alum and companion to school psychologist Harriet Kuhn, eagerly to lent her "Please feed my friends" pose in front of glittery donation box for a promotional photo.  Food will be collected between now and December 21st.