Instead of birthday presents, a Turner Valley youth asked friends and family for donations to a local charity devoted to animal rescue.
Ikale Lowe recently turned 10, and he raised $640 at his birthday party for Okotoks' Pound Rescue.
“He asked his friends not to bring gifts to the party, he would really prefer donations for Pound Rescue, so that’s what they did. And he raised $640,” his grandmother Lois Innes said.
"I was so proud of Ikale."
Lowe said there were a few reasons he wanted to make the donation, but mostly he just wanted to help the organization and the animals.
“Really, just to feed some animals who have been through traumatizing times," he said.
In the party invitations was a request for even a dollar for the donation bin, Lowe said.
He is familiar with the shelter and one of his pets is a rescued dog named Samson.
“If anyone’s got any room for a couple little fuzzy puppies or anything, if you have room in your house, Pound Rescue, they do amazing work,” he said.
Helping the shelter felt really good, he said. At his birthday party, one girl gave ten dollars to a little boy to put into the donation bin.
Gabriele Barrie, president of Pound Rescue, said it was the biggest donation from a kids birthday the group has ever received. She said group has had enormous vet bills lately, and will likely use the money to offset some of those costs.
Pound Rescue is a network of dedicated foster homes in and around Okotoks. The no-kill organization operates from donations, and it’s a volunteer organization doing great work, Innes said, adding that there are 29 adult dogs and 20 puppies currently being fostered in the Okotoks area by the organization.
Visit www.poundrescue.com for more information.
