By KATIE DE VERTEUIL
EXCITEMENT was in the air at Good Shepherd Lutheran College’s Monday assembly with the school community welcoming former Olympic champion Dawn Fraser and a live bilby into their midst.
As patron of Save the Bilby Fund, Dawn joined the organisation’s co-founder Frank Mathney and current CEO Kevin Bradley at the school to officially accept a $33,458.20 cheque, raised by Pink Lady Chocolates.
For the third year running, Pink Lady Chocolates by Fyna Foods, which is manufactured and sold Australia-wide, raised the funds through sales of their dedicated chocolate Easter bilbies and its everyday bilby range, to help save the Australian bilby from extinction.
The much-needed funds will be put toward the ongoing conservation efforts including support for a suitably sized insurance population of captive bred bilbies, appropriate and prioritised academic research and expansion of the recovery program to include additional release sites.
Save The Bilby CEO Kevin Bradley said it was essential to take action to avoid the extinction of these unique Australian animals. “Sadly, Australia has the worst mammal extinction record of any country in the world and the Save the Bilby Fund is determined to see our bilbies and other increasingly threatened species remain for future generations of young Australians and their children to enjoy,” Kevin said.
“Our threatened species including the bilby need our help now more than ever and any money raised, will ensure that our work, continues and our bilbies, and many other less charismatic, but none the less important species may live on.”
Good Shepherd Year 6 student Jackson Fraser is a strong supporter of the Save the Bilby Foundation. Indeed, he recently raised $35 of his own money selling grapefruits from his family farm which he handed over on Monday. Proud to help explain the plight of the bilbies to his fellow classmates, Jackson said that every little bit helped.
“It means a lot to have my school supporting the fund, and I hope that everyone will get behind it again this year.”
Following the assembly, students will be brainstorming fund-raising ideas for the charity.
