In times of crisis, no help is ever too small, and no one is ever too young to help. Six-year-old Owen Colley from Massachusetts proves this true as he finds a way to help Australia’s bushfire-affected creatures. With the help of his family, Owen creates little clay koalas to raise funds for the Wildlife Rescue South Coast. Indeed, the little boy is proof that even little hands are capable of doing big things.
Australia’s catastrophic bushfires started in September 2019. Since then, fire-related fatalities have reached to over 30 and over 18 million acres of land have been damaged. What’s more, is that the ferocious fires have also destroyed the natural habitat of Australia’s wildlife. Over a billion animals are estimated to have died, while thousands of others were left either injured or displaced.
Six-year-old Owen Colley uses his love for animals and passion for clay crafts to help raise funds for Australia’s bushfire-affected creatures
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As a huge animal lover, Owen wanted to help the surviving animals in his own little way. His clay figures initially served as thank you gifts for his family and friends who donated at least $50 to the Wildlife Rescue South Coast. But this simple act of gratitude soon transformed into a full-blown fundraising campaign.
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His parents helped him set up a GoFundMe page titled “Owen’s Australian Creature Rescue.” Their initial target was only $1,000, and it didn’t take long before they surpassed it. Soon after, the family raised the bar a notch higher with a new goal of $5,000.
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So far, he and his family have raised over $278,000 through making cute little clay koala figures
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To date, Owen and his family have successfully raised over $278,000 through their cute clay figures. All proceeds will go to the Wildlife Rescue South Coast to help fund the shelters for displaced animals. In addition, each time a clay character is bought the donation can feed two joeys for a month.
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Owen and his family still have about 3,000 koalas to make. And so, the family is truly thankful for the outpouring of support for their campaign. “Thank you all for helping a little boy do a big thing,” said the boy’s parents.
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For interested donors, feel free to visit Owen’s Australian Creature Rescue campaign via GoFundMe and his Instagram page.