Alexia Mackenzie, 9, Kheelan Balona, 13 and Ayla Balona, 10 are some of Queenstown cat rescue volunteers fundraise to by picking up rubbish on the streets, $20 per kilometer.
QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND – Queenstown Cat Rescue volunteers will combine saving cats and cleaning streets at the same time, in the same event.
The groups have recently organized a “Walkathon cleaner upper thingie” as a fundraiser. Cat lovers will be sponsored by local businesses to pick up rubbish off roads for $20 per kilometer.
One of the organizers and a cat rescue volunteer Ginny Cooper said it is a very busy kitten season at the moment with food, vet and fixing bills to pay.
“I have got people that love cats who sponsor and I’ve got people who are not big on cats and they want to stop the breeding.”
An idea to do a “Walkathon cleaner upper thingie” started when Cooper saw the amount of trash dropped on the roads during tourism season.
Several volunteers have registered and would all participate in the walkathon at any time before April 2.
They could pick any road they wish as long as it was a safe area.
Cooper said doing it on your own time was what made the fundraiser so appealing.
“Walkers can pick what area they like or sponsors can specify the area,” she said.
Cooper is currently planning a 20km walk and was” lucky with all the support” from her home of Glenorchy.
Organizers say if the event turns into success they would make it an annual fundraiser.
