Once again, students in the PVPV/Rawlings Early Act Club have raised money to help pets stay healthy and happy in their forever homes.
“One of their last service learning projects for the year was to help raise awareness for the animals in our St. Johns County community,” said Amy Thompson Brim, gifted resource teacher and Early Act Club adviser.
The club, affiliated with the Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary Club, is made up of 120 fourth and fifth graders. Last year, the students held a very successful contest between classrooms at the school to raise money for the St. Augustine Humane Society. That project was called Pennies for Pets.
This year, they gave it a new name: Funds for Furry Friends.
The students raised $2,340 through donations from classrooms at PVPV/Rawlings. To encourage giving, the school provided an incentive: the winning class for every grade level would receive a Popsicle party and a kickball game.
On Friday, May 6, several club members gathered at the Humane Society to present their donation.
Donations such as those made by PVPV/Rawlings students are critical to the success of the nonprofit, which does everything it can to help pets remain in their homes. That means low-cost veterinary treatment, because one of the most common reasons animals are relinquished to shelters is that some families simply cannot afford to keep and care for a pet.
The Humane Society offers spay and neuter and dental surgery. The facility has x-ray machines and high-quality surgery and prep spaces, which the students had an opportunity to tour. The nonprofit also operates a pet food pantry.
The Humane Society, located at 1665 Old Moultrie Road in St. Augustine, is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is 904-829-2737, and the website is staughumane.org.
