Name: 6-year-old girl raises more than $100K to help save Oakland Zoo
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6-year-old girl raises more than $100K to help save Oakland Zoo

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Posted: Jul 10, 2020 / 03:30 PM PDTUpdated: Jul 10, 2020 / 03:30 PM PDTCASTRO VALLEY, Calif. (BCN) — In the wake of the Oakland Zoo’s announcement that it is losing&nbsp;millions of dollars and may have to close permanently due to the novel&nbsp;coronavirus pandemic, a Castro Valley girl is stepping up to make a big&nbsp;difference.&nbsp;On July 4, 6-year-old Andy Soulard, with a little help from mom,&nbsp;created a Facebook page asking people do donate money in an effort to help&nbsp;the zoo make up for its roughly $2 million monthly revenue loss.&nbsp;“Andy loves the Oakland Zoo and was heartbroken to hear they may&nbsp;need to shut down permanently,” reads a Facebook post at the top of her page.&nbsp;“She’s starting off the fundraiser by donating the $5 she received from the&nbsp;Tooth Fairy this week.”Since that initial post, Andy has put up big numbers, raising more than $109,000 as of Friday afternoon.&nbsp;The message goes on to say that “100 percent of your donations&nbsp;will go to the Zoo! She is also making bracelets for every donation over&nbsp;$25.”&nbsp;Currently, with the help of classmates and friends, Andy is&nbsp;working to make 400 bracelets for the tidal wave of donors who have already&nbsp;qualified to receive the beaded baubles.In addition to the money, messages of love and support have been&nbsp;pouring in.&nbsp;“You are amazing! My husband and I are both donating,” wrote Nancy&nbsp;Clark. “I wanted to share with you — my family started the Zoo in 1922. When&nbsp;I was your age, I basically lived at the Zoo. Both my sister and I helped our&nbsp;grandparents and parents — we sold tickets and food, played and fed the&nbsp;animals, etc.”“I am very optimistic that your donations along with all the&nbsp;community support will secure the Zoo’s future for another 100 years,” Clark&nbsp;wrote. “We will get through the pandemic and continue to provide wildlife&nbsp;protection and conservation — we must.”“Wow!!!! Look at what you’ve done, little one! You are a&nbsp;superstar! Thank you for making this happen. You have made a difference and&nbsp;you are an inspiration to all of us,” wrote Judy Waller.&nbsp;It’s a level of enthusiasm that supporters hope will help the zoo&nbsp;stay afloat until restrictions on public gatherings are eased.&nbsp;“We are utterly grateful for her passion and her generosity and&nbsp;coming to our aid and we’re looking forward to having her over for a special&nbsp;visit very soon to thank her in person,” said zoo spokeswoman Erin Harrison.Harrison said that it costs the zoo about $1 million to operate&nbsp;every month and currently it has roughly $3.2 million in a reserve account&nbsp;that can help keep the lights on and the animals cared for.&nbsp;Zoo officials are also asking Alameda County to apply for an&nbsp;exemption though the state so that it might reopen its gates.&nbsp;If that happens, it could operate at about one-third capacity,&nbsp;which would likely be enough to help the zoo survive until the public health&nbsp;restrictions are lifted, Harrison said.&nbsp;People who want to donate to Andy’s cause can visit her Facebook&nbsp;page .Andy’s family didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.Copyright&nbsp;©&nbsp;2020 by Bay City News, Inc.&nbsp;Thanks for signing up!Watch for us in your inbox.Subscribe NowThanks for signing up!Watch for us in your inbox.Subscribe Now✕× Close Ad

Posted: Jul 10, 2020 / 03:30 PM PDTUpdated: Jul 10, 2020 / 03:30 PM PDTCASTRO VALLEY, Calif. (BCN) — In the wake of the Oakland Zoo’s announcement that it is losing&nbsp;millions of dollars and may have to close permanently due to the novel&nbsp;coronavirus pandemic, a Castro Valley girl is stepping up to make a big&nbsp;difference.&nbsp;On July 4, 6-year-old Andy Soulard, with a little help from mom,&nbsp;created a Facebook page asking people do donate money in an effort to help&nbsp;the zoo make up for its roughly $2 million monthly revenue loss.&nbsp;“Andy loves the Oakland Zoo and was...

6-year-old girl raises more than $100K to help save Oakland Zoo

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