SUPPORTING iconic Aussie animals affected by bushfires was the mission for a group of young Mount Gambier cousins when they hosted a car wash fundraiser during the school holidays.
The nine cousins, aged between four and 13, saw the devastation of the Australian bushfires on media platforms and decided they wanted to help.
Nine-year-old Olivia was the driving force behind the idea, stating she always wanted to host a fundraiser and this was the perfect choice.
“I thought a fundraiser would be good and car washing looked fun,” she said.
“I saw the fires on TV and I think it is sad people have lost their homes and animals have been hurt.
“We thought the money we raised could go to help the animals on Kangaroo Island.”
With a goal of $200, parents posted on Facebook to raise awareness and the kids got busy making signs and gathering supplies for the big day.
A price of $5 per car was agreed upon, with at least two cars being washed at all times by the eager team.
Spearheaded by the kids, adults only helped out “a little bit” on the day of the wash.
The children’s grandmother, Debbie Hosking, said she was proud of how well they worked together on the day.
“We were all amazed at how well they worked together,” she said.
“It was a real team effort and everyone did their part.
“We thought they might give up after an hour of washing, but they started at 11.30am and finished at around 3pm.”
Over the course of the day, Olivia said community members who did not wish to have their cars washed still chose to donate money to the cause.
“It was a lot of fun and people gave money even if we did not wash their car,” she said.
“We wanted to get $200 but we ended up raising $602.
“We are proud of what we did and happy to be helping the animals.”
Olivia said she hoped to one day hold another fundraiser but needed a little time to recover from the hard work.
