Girls show good cents

Heaven, Luella, Meredith and Emily raised $252.55 to help save the Eastern Barred Bandicoot. Picture: Marco de luca Picture Marco De Luca

Meet Werribee Primary School pupils Emily, Heaven, Meredith and Luella, who are fundraising superstars.

The foursome collected 5050 five cent coins, which they donated to Zoos Victoria’s Common Cents Challenge.

The grade 5 pupils presented their donation – more than $252 – to Werribee Open Range Zoo’s education officer Gen Johnson at a school assembly last month.

The money raised will support Zoos Victoria’s Threatened Species Program, which breeds Eastern barred bandicoots and raises awareness of the species.

The girls made a presentation about the zoo and Eastern barred bandicoots to the entire school and encouraged fellow students to collect and donate five cent coins.

Emily, Heaven, Meredith and Luella hit their fundraising target of 5050 coins after about three weeks.

Werribee PS is a long-term supporter of the Threatened Species Program, and pupils have raised hundreds of dollars over the past few years.

For five years the school has also been part of the annual Love Your Locals program, which encourages young people to raise money for initiatives that boost the population of 21 endangered Australian animals. Details: zoo.org.au