South Bay 7-year-old girl creates interactive calendars to raise money for Monterey Bay Aquarium
LOS ALTOS, Calif. (KGO) -- A 7-year-old girl in the South Bay heard the Monterey Bay Aquarium was in need of donations and decided to launch a fundraising campaign by creating fun interactive calendars for children.
"It makes me feel like, we needed to help them and find someway to do that," said Ava MacDonald, creator of Otterly Rainbows. Ava was introduced to sea otters by her first-grade teacher who shared the love for the marine mammal with her class.
"I love otters so much because they're adorable and I think they are so playful," said Ava. "Monterey Bay has this little otter hole and I love to play peek-a-boo with them."
Ava has frequently visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium since the age of two and during the coronavirus lockdown she has become a devoted watcher of the Aquarium's live sea otter cam.
While she was watching the live cam, Ava noticed a donate button to support the aquarium's animal care and maintenance.
"Ava became an otterly lover of sea otters. She just started to read and noticed the little button that said donate now, said Amber MacDonald, Ava's mother. "I read the paragraph to her that the Monterey Bay Aquarium has been closed for so many months and we don't know when it is going to open again. Yet, all the animals still needed care until they can get back open."
RELATED: East Bay 6-year-old girl makes bracelets to raise money to help save Oakland Zoo
Ava started to brainstorm creative ways to raise money to help the Monterey Bay Aquarium especially the Sea Otter Program. But this isn't the first time Ava has started a fundraiser to help others. At family gatherings, she would set up a lemonade stand to raise money for the local zoo's flamingo exhibit and a special book bench for her first-grade classroom.
"Since we have been home, she has been entertaining herself by making her own crafts or coming up with her own science activities, said Ava's mom. "She went through a lot of business ideas. We were brainstorming and trying to think of things she really loves to do that other kids could also do."
Ava decided to combine her love of celebrating national holidays, creating crafts, STEM activities, sea otters and rainbows into a calendar called Otterly Rainbows.
"We came up with ideas based around holidays, there are four to five craft activities and another two being science activities," said Ava's mom. "We thought it was such a good way to be able to (keep) kids busy during this and also to give back to a program that really needs help right now."
A purchase of the calendar includes online access to how-to videos, instructions and supply lists for each activity.
"All our proceeds are going to Monterey Bay Aquarium," said Ava. "The Sea Otter Rescue is really struggling right now. They need money to pay their staff to help all the sea otters and other animals and that's why we are donating all the money to Monterey Bay. I hope people buy my calendar so we can help save all the sea otters."
For more information, visit the Otterly Rainbows website.
ABC7 Better Bay Area: Project Thanks is a way to share some of your thanks-and to help uplift the thousands of people working to keep our communities safe and cared for.
Take a look at how some people are saying thanks:
- Coronavirus Kindness: Bay Area restaurants give back to community one pizza at a time
- Coronavirus kindness: South San Jose neighborhood thanks front-line workers with street parade
If you have a question or comment about the coronavirus pandemic, submit yours via the form below or here.
Get the latest news, information and videos about the novel coronavirus pandemic here
RELATED STORIES & VIDEOS:
- Live updates about coronavirus outbreak in US, around the world
- Coronavirus data: See how the curve of COVID-19 cases is bending in each Bay Area county
- Everything you need to know about the Bay Area's shelter-in-place order
- Coronavirus Doctor's Note: Dr. Alok Patel gives his insight into COVID-19 pandemic
- Stimulus calculator: How much money should you expect from coronavirus relief bill
- WATCH: ABC7's interactive town hall 'Race and Coronavirus: A Bay Area Conversation'
- What Bay Area tenants need to know about rent payments, eviction amid COVID-19 outbreak
- Here's how shelter in place, stay at home orders can slow spread of COVID-19
- Coronavirus Timeline: Tracking major moments of COVID-19 pandemic in San Francisco Bay Area/
- Coronavirus and the new normal of living in the San Francisco-Bay Area -- COVID-19 Diaries
- Happy hour goes virtual as people try to be sociable while social distancing during COVID-19 crisis
- Coronavirus Outbreak: Here's why you should practice 'social distancing'
- DRONEVIEW7: What the Bay Area looks like during the coronavirus shelter-in-place
- ABC7's drive around San Francisco shows empty streets, businesses shuttered
- Symptoms, prevention, and how to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak in the US
- List of stores, companies closing due to coronavirus pandemic
- Canceled late fees, free services available amid COVID-19 crisis
- Here's how you can help during COVID-19 pandemic
- How to maintain learning during school closures
- No masks but here are 100+ products that may help protect you against novel coronavirus germs
- Here's a look at some of history's worst pandemics that have killed millions
- Asian community fighting racism, xenophobia, bigotry as world fights COVID-19
