Cody youths support Australia

Although McGowan’s region in Queensland was one of the least impacted by the fires in the country, he said the event deeply saddened him, having grown up in a rural area with many acres of land at his childhood home.

McGowan, 31, has lived in Cody for about six years. When his three children learned of the bush fires, he was floored by their response.

“It sort of takes you back a little bit when you’ve got a 5-year-old and 4-year-old saying, ‘Dad, let’s help,’” McGowan said.

FANNING THE FLAMES

Since late October, bush fires across southern Australia have destroyed more than 3,000 homes and burned around 26 million acres. At least 33 people have died, and possibly up to a billion animals have perished.

Koalas have taken an especially severe hit from the fires. Thousands of kangaroos were burned and an estimated 25,000 koalas died in fires on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

“Seeing kangaroos just hop through the yard and koalas in the trees when you go outside – those animals are what make Australia unique,” McGowan said.

Many of the fires have traveled in circular paths, preventing animals and landowners from fleeing in one set direction. Koalas, an especially slow-traveling animal, had little chance of survival when it came to avoiding the carnage.

Recently New South Wales, where many of the fires are still burning and where the bush fires were most damaging, received much needed rainfall. Millions of dollars have been raised to help with the destruction, but the country still needs help. The environmental destruction has also stressed the capacity of Australian medical centers for wildlife.

“To see the community come together and help people this willingly – not to ask for anything in return,” McGowan said, “(It) takes a lot of pride in being an Australian and now being in America it’s the same way. You watch each other’s back, no matter who did what to who.”

Those animals that did survive are still suffering from loss of habitat. Most of the koalas still alive are near starvation and dehydration as eucalyptus, their main food and water source, dried up in the fires.

The Sunset Elementary Student Council recently initiated a two-week fundraiser among its 18 classes to raise money in support of the bush fire relief, inspired by a letter written by first-grader Adley Hansen. Hansen was the top individual fundraiser with $150 donated.

“We shood make a fun razer for the anumals,” Hansen penned in her letter to the student council. “I think we shood donat mune for food and water and blancits.”

The school raised a total of $979 that will be donated to the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc.

Student who brought in $1 could place a paper koala on their teacher’s door. It wasn’t long before dollars started pouring in and koalas started lining the Sunset hallways.

Ericka Cole’s first-grade class was the winning class with $285 raised. For winning, each student in the class received a pencil with a koala eraserhead.

Student council member Bella Beachler, 10, said it was the most successful fundraiser they have ever had. Beachler and fellow member Oaklee Smith, 10, said it gives them confidence to hold fundraisers in the future.

“It feels really good,” Beachler said.

Student council organizer and fifth-grade teacher Carrie LaFollette said competitive drive pushed the older classes, while the excitement to help animals inspired the younger students.

“I heard them saying ‘We’re going to help the animals,’” Beachler said.

McGowan’s family has also donated to fire relief organizations, yet he said being so far away from the disaster, he still feels helpless.

“Sending money in donations, you try to fill that void,” McGowan said.

His eldest child Nixon, 5, helped fill that gap, contributing to the Sunset fundraiser as a kindergartner at the school.

“He really enjoyed participating in something that’s going to make a difference,” McGowan said.

Cody High School freshman Sarah Murray also took part in the local support. With the help of her art tutor Jessica Reesy, she painted a grey koala hanging from a tree.

“We both were proud of her work,” Reesy said.

The painting was auctioned on Facebook with about a dozen bidders participating, Reesy said. All proceeds from the $200 winning bid will be sent to the Australian Koala Foundation. AKF lets donators adopt a koala and will plant eucalyptus trees in fire-damaged areas.

“We feel great about it,” Reesy said. “To be able to help the next generation (of habitat), even if it’s just a little bit, and to promote mindset and awareness of what’s going on around us.”

To donate to WIRES go to out wires.org and visit savethekoala.com/ to donate to AKF.