June 2006

The Earth Force Club of Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg is advised by Mr. Michael Andrusis . His students are dedicated to helping preserve the natural surroundings we all enjoy. Since his class attended a field trip here in October they decided we would be a good choice for their donation. The students raised funds by each raising twenty dollars to purchase a concrete block for a “Memory Lane” walking path. They would then paint their favorite memory of the school year with the school colors on their block. This is Mr. Andrusis and class as they set the first stepping stone in the fundraiser for Big Cat Rescue. His Lower Division students raised $732.53 for the cats. Mr. Denny Mitchell attended their assembly to accept the donation.

Independent Day School of Tampa has a tradition of donating to Big Cat Rescue for several years now. They chose BCR because their class is called the “Cool Cats”. Many classes at IDS choose a charity to be involved with as a way to give back to the community. After they heard about our organization, it was a natural fit!
The students started by learning all about big cats. They then began a business called the “Cool Cats Safari Store”. The children took out a loan from the school to buy supplies for the store. Next, they advertised by performing commercials and making posters for other classes. Finally they staffed the store as sales clerks and cashiers. They accounted for their revenue, paid back their loan and realized a terrific profit! It’s a real life learning experience that the students love. This year ten percent of the profits were donated to the Hurricane Relief Fund. Big Cat Rescue received a donation of $1125.78, plus some smaller change given to the Cougar Cubs Donation bucket! Wow, those Cool Cats are really cool!