Our Lady Academy students raise money for animals in Australian wildfires

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (WLOX) - Raging fires in Australia have killed more than 1 billion animals since September, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

High school students at Our Lady Academy in Bay St. Louis are raising money to help animals affected by the fires, whether injured or displaced.

“It was very sad to hear, you know the animals. They didn’t deserve that," said freshman Sophia Miller.

Our Lady Academy teamed up with Wild Acres to host a meet-and-greet fundraiser with animals native to Australia. Students got to meet Dolly the Red Kangaroo and Sonny the Wallabee, two new additions to the Wild Acres family. The event kicked off their annual Catholic Schools Week event, which puts a big emphasis on community service.

“Everybody’s been very excited about having the kangaroo on campus and knowing that it’s going to a good cause and that we’re helping some animals that are in great need right now," said principal Marilyn Pigott.

Students said they were stunned by the images of animals trapped in wildfires, so they wanted to help in any way they could.

“You’re so far away from it, you can’t really be there and help, so then being able to donate and help other people be there is great," said student Audrey Chang.

All proceeds will go to the Australia Zoo’s Wildlife Warriors program for Global Conservation.

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