Portland girls donate allowance to help koalas in Australia, ask others to help

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - While celebrities and politicians donate to help fight the deadly fires in Australia, three little girls in Portland are getting creative to protect the suffering wildlife.

Charlotte, Catie and Maggie are trying to save the koalas losing their habitat by the minute.

“We heard about the news and we started to feel more sadder and sadder,” 6-year-old Catie Burslem said.

“When I heard this was happening, I wanted to take action and not just feel sad about it,” Charlotte Burslem, Catie’s older sister, said. “So, me and my sister pooled our allowances together, which made 200 dollars.”

“We were saving it up to probably buy something, but then we heard about the news and it was sad for me,” Catie said. “I wanted to not sit around and be sad.”

Catie says the allowance they’ve been saving over the years is now in the hands of a charity dedicated to helping the wildlife suffering in Australia. The Burslem’s have family and friends in the country and love visiting.

“My favorite thing in the world is animals, so seeing all the animals that have died, like 8,000 koalas have died already, so I just wanted to help,” Maggie Newsome said.

Maggie, Catie and Charlotte are now creating flyers to post at school. The young ladies say any age and any amount could help.

“I don’t want these little koalas to die, they’re really special to the environment,” Catie said.

Almost a third of koalas in Australia’s New South Wales region may have been killed in the deadly fires. The girls are asking everyone to go online to donate to RSPCA, a registered charity supporting the injured wildlife.

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