"Help Me, Help Them” was the theme of Megan O'Toole's fundraiser for the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society (KWHS). Meghan, age 6, was a participant in the Fall 2009 Jr. Vet Club Program, hosted at our Centre.

As part of the program, Jr. Vets have the option of challenging themselves with outside projects; one of these projects was to do something kind for an animal or animals. Megan took up this challenge and decided that for her project she would like to do a fundraiser for the KWHS by collecting small change - mostly pennies - at her school and from around her neighbourhood. Megan made posters, a collection tin, and decorated her Jr. Vet t-shirt to help raise awareness of her cause. By the end of Jr. Vet Club, Megan had managed to collect over 35 rolls of pennies, but when including additional change, put together an outstanding donation of $111.53!

Just as many of us don’t think much about the value of a penny, we may hesitate to contribute our individual efforts; but remember that they may inspire others to take action, just as Megan’s has in her community; and together, making a difference becomes entirely possible.

Great work Megan! The KWHS gives you our deepest thanks.

The students and teachers of Conestogo Public School, 1948 Sawmill Road, Conestogo, inspired and encouraged by the school’s Administrative Assistant, Chris Bauer, went to great lengths to gather an amazing quantity of pet supplies and cash donations to present to the animals of the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society (KWHS) when the Humane Educator, Nancy Cressman, visited their school on October 8 and 9, 2009. The hallway at the school was stacked with various supplies: pet food, toys, cat litter, blankets, grooming supplies, bags of treats, beds, etc. that when loaded to the ceiling of the Education vehicle, left not a single space remaining.

This was the most recent of this school’s effort to help the animals at the KWHS. It has been an annual effort for many years with excellent participation by each class of the school. To encourage participation and competition between classes in the amount of supplies each class could gather, Chris Bauer, an avid pet lover and organizer of the annual donation drive, made batches of cupcakes for the class achieving the greatest donation. She also brought in treats for the staff to thank them for encouraging their students and went to great lengths to welcome and facilitate the Educator’s visit to their school.

Thank you, staff and students for your wonderful sacrificial efforts in gathering these supplies to help the animals and provide for their needs. A very special thank you to Chris Bauer for inspiring and organizing the Donation Drive.

The Grade Two students from Room 6 at Winston Churchill Public School, 100 Milford Drive, Waterloo, came to the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society on Monday, June 22, 2009 to present their very generous donation of $490.00 toward aiding the animals of our community.

For four weeks the students gave up most of their afternoon Nutrition Breaks to sell Kernels Popcorn to the other students in their school. Through this Popcorn Drive and family members also purchasing the popcorn, the students hosted an outstanding fundraiser. The students worked hard together as a team, and through their efforts, proved that giving is often better than receiving. The students decided as a class that they would like to donate the money that they raised to the animals at the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society (KWHS) because they all love animals and wanted to help them.

A special thanks to teacher, Lauren Delion, for inspiring her students to achieve this success. Congratulations students and thank you on behalf of the animals at the KWHS.