Dog treat fundraiser in Lombard to help Australian animals

In the world of Madison Elementary School in Lombard, a bulldog mascot, dog treats, research, experimentation, Trader Joe's and animal victims of wildfires in Australia are all connected.

Here's how:

It starts with koalas. They're the favorite animal of Madison first-grader Safura Aziz and fourth-grader Autumn Jackson, and they are among the animals harmed in the Australian bush fires that have raged this year.

After learning of the plight of Australian animals from fourth-grade teacher Katie Opdyke and first-grade teacher Michelle Frankenbach, Safura, Autumn and their peers wanted to help. They decided to conduct a fundraiser, and aimed to bring in $300.

This is where their school's mascot comes in. The bulldog showed the students one way to raise money for a worthy, if faraway, animal cause: make dog treats.

Research and experimentation came next. Students looked up charities that benefit animals in Australia and chose to conduct their fundraiser for Animal Rescue Cooperative, with a mission to feed animals affected by the fires.

Fourth-grader Lia Juarez said students found the organization by doing a lot of research from credible sources online. Students also looked up how to make dog treats and experimented with a four-ingredient, no-bake recipe.

Fourth-grader Vincenzo Gatto said the recipe contains peanut butter, cinnamon, oats and water. Lia said her dog liked the finished treats, so they passed the test.

But where to get enough peanut butter, cinnamon and oats to make hundreds of golf-ball-sized treats?

Trader Joe's in Glen Ellyn came to mind, so students wrote the store a letter and it worked. The store supplied all the needed ingredients for free, Opdyke said. Employees even planned to come help Wednesday with the treat-making process.

"We're looking forward to making the treats," first-grader Abubakar Azhar said before work began. "We're going to help the animals."

Students plan to sell the treats during lunch periods on Friday, with $1 buying a four-pack. Opdyke said any money raised will be donated on Monday, closing the loop between suburban kids and Australian animals.

"We came up with the idea," Safura said, "to help the animals in Australia and to make the animals survive."