Girl's birthday wish comes true: help for the animal shelter

Tue, Nov 17, 2009    to del.icio.us

Audrey Bowers was looking forward to her birthday this month. Her parents planned a birthday party, so she knew there would be plenty of presents from her friends.

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Audrey, a second-grader at Peach Plains Elementary School, planned to invite 12 of her friends to help her celebrate her eighth birthday. But a funny thing happened before Audrey got to send out invitations to her friends: She had a change of heart about receiving gifts.

Audrey decided to ask her friends to donate cat food, toys and supplies to the Harbor Humane Society animal shelter in West Olive.

Audrey came up with the idea of her friends donating supplies to the shelter in lieu of gifts during a dinner conversation with her parents, Cathy and Dan Bowers of Grand Haven Township.

"I read the story on the Grand Haven Tribune's Web site, and Dan and I were talking about how sad it was that the humane society could hardly keep up with all the cats and kittens they had and were getting each day," Cathy Bowers wrote in an e-mail. "Also, that they were struggling keeping up with the supplies for all of them."

Audrey then suggested to her parents that she might want to have her friends donate items to the shelter instead of giving her presents. Cathy and Dan were pleased, but asked their daughter to give her request some more thought over the next few days before making a final decision.

After several days, Cathy asked her daughter what she wanted to do, as the invitations needed to be mailed. At that point, Audrey told her parents: "I can't believe I'm going to say this — but I want my friends to bring items for the shelter rather than for me."

Besides, Audrey knew Christmas was fast-approaching and she would get her gifts then. "We were very proud of her," said Cathy of her daughter's decision.

So 12 invitations were in the mail, asking Audrey's friends to donate goods to the shelter instead of bringing her gifts.

"She had 12 friends come to her party, and all of the girls and their families did such a great job with items," Cathy Bowers wrote. "We got everything from toys, litter, cat boxes, dry and wet food. Audrey was so excited to do this for all the cats and kittens after the party, she looked at me and said this was the best birthday ever."

The Bowers family filled their sport utility vehicle with items and dropped them off at the shelter last week.

One of the mothers, Casey Criswell, said her daughter, Kate, who is best friends with Audrey, was excited about receiving an invitation to donate to the animal shelter.

"My daughter, having two kittens herself, thought this to be such a generous gift that it inspired her to think of ways she could help out in the community," Criswell said.

Both Criswell and Cathy Bowers said they hope that Audrey's good gesture inspires others to donate to the shelter as well.

For Audrey, she said she just wanted to help, and was surprised with the amount of items donated by her friends.

Would she do it again? "Probably," the shy 8-year-old girl said.

Audrey took a trip to the local Humane Society a second time last week — this time to take home a kitten. She had already picked out a name — Roxie.

Audrey's parents say they are very proud of their daughter.

Tax-deductible donations can be dropped off at the shelter, 14345 Bagley St. in West Olive, during business hours. For more information, call the shelter at (616) 399-2119.