Jacks Valley students help Douglas Animal Shelter

Jacks Valley Elementary School recently completed its seventh annual fundraising drive to support the Douglas County Animal Shelter. Led by the school’s student council, students in preschool through fifth grade donated $594 and boxes of food, treats, toys, leashes, towels, blankets, and beds. The financial donation is a new high mark for the school and almost twice the amount of a typical year.

“The student council members on the animal shelter subcommittee were really excited to spread the word throughout the school with their presentation to each class,” said fifth-grade teacher Jen Kelly, one of the student council advisors. “The students in the classes were eager to work together and help support the animals.”

Student council first selected the animal shelter as a community partner in 2015; it has become a tradition every winter that has now seen students participate throughout their elementary school careers. The school’s support drive in 2020 was in its final stages when Nevada schools were shut down due to the pandemic.

“I liked it because this year I got to finish what I started and last year we didn’t, said fifth-grader Dani Vazquez, who is a student council treasurer and served on the animal shelter subcommittee for two years. “It feels good because I get to help the animals.”

The 2020-21 student council is made up of 35 students in fourth and fifth grades and the shelter project was spearheaded by an eight-member subcommittee and advisor Kelly. Subcommittee members included Vazquez, Georgia Bowman, Payton Coey, Vincent Lecce, Neve Ward, Briannah Zinski, Amiyah DiDomenico, and Cyler Eaton.

Fifth-grader Lecce said his favorite part was hearing how happy the shelter was receiving the donations.

“It felt amazing, I like helping animals,” he said. “I wanted to help my committee and help the animals to feel like they have a home.”