We wholeheartedly appreciate the support we receive from people all over the world who volunteer and raise funds for the rescued and rehabilitated animals of Wildlife SOS. Animals under our care have endured severe suffering and traumatic experiences in cruel captivity, until Wildlife SOS provided them with a second chance at life. We are deeply grateful to have dedicated supporters who uphold our mission, vision and work.
We wish to share two remarkable UK fundraising initiatives currently being undertaken by two of our most dedicated and enthusiastic UK supporters!
“Wear Grey For The Elephants”
Xavi, aged 11, has for the past 3 years dedicated himself to fundraising to help our elephants. This passion began when Xavi heard about elephant Raju who is his firm favorite. In fact, so strong is Xavi’s dedication to our elephants that, in November 2023, he realized his dream of travelling to India, meeting both of his heroes – these being elephant Raju and our co-founder Kartick Satyanarayan! Xavi, along with his mum and sister, spent a week volunteering as part of our first ever UK Volunteer Explore group.
Xavi threw himself into his volunteering duties with his typical enthusiasm! Whether it be chopping sugarcane, cleaning out Laxmi’s enclosure and pool or washing and preparing buckets of fruit and vegetables for the elephants, Xavi was unstoppable – anything to help his beloved elephants.
Whilst volunteering, Xavi came up with some new ‘elefun’ fundraising ideas, one of which, Wear Grey For The Elephants, takes place on Friday, 22nd March 2024. He is urging all of his co-pupils at Woodlands Meed School, in Burgess Hill, to collectively participate in his Wear Grey campaign.
“I would love it if you join me in wearing grey, and make a donation as large as an elephant or as small as their toenail,” says Xavi. “We are going to have an Ele-Fun time!” he cheerfully added. Xavi has set himself a fundraising target of £1000 for his latest campaign, taking his total to £6000 if he achieves it!
Xavi’s school, Woodlands Meed, will also be hosting an event in collaboration with Wildlife SOS. Debbie, Wildlife SOS UK Manager, will be presenting to the school assembly and then the pupils will enjoy a live video call with three of our very special elephants: Maya, Phoolkali and Emma! To boost this interesting campaign further we are delighted that Smartys Day Nursery and The Grange at Bookham are also holding Wear Grey For The Elephant Days!
The children will be introduced to the trio by Shivam Rai, Xavi’s dear friend and Wildlife SOS Head Coordinator of Elephant Project. Shivam will talk to them about how we take care of rescued abused elephants at our Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC) in India. The children will have lots of opportunities to ask questions too!
Xavi’s creativity and effort in launching self-made fundraising campaigns for Wildlife SOS have been lauded by one and all. He has received a Blue Peter ‘Green’ badge, and has also been awarded Wildlife SOS ‘Rising Star’ award in the year 2021.
If you know a school or group that would like to support Xavi’s Wear Grey campaign, contact debbie@wildlifesos.org who can organize posters and a special elephant themed assembly for you. To donate to Xavi’s campaign, you can do so here. | Not on Facebook? Donate to Xavi’s fundraiser HERE.
Sharon’s 5500km ‘Walk 4 Elephants’
Another passionate supporter we are glad to draw attention to is Sharon Harper. A strong supporter of Wildlife SOS for many years, Sharon also volunteered at Wildlife SOS last November as part of the Volunteer Explore UK trip. Sharon had for some time wanted to witness Wildlife SOS’s work first hand, and having made contact with Debbie and heard about the upcoming trip, she felt this would provide just the opportunity she was looking for!
During her volunteer stay at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre, Sharon got the opportunity to work closely with our caregivers, Education Officers and vets and was highly impressed by the professionalism, expertise and dedication of our entire team. Like Xavi, assisting in caring for elephants rescued from abusive situations in tourism, begging and festivals left an indelible impact on Sharon and upon her return to the UK she decided to embark on a huge project: this being to ‘Walk 5500km 4 Elephants’ on the UK National Trails through 2024-25. The funds raised go towards the ongoing care and treatment of the elephants, most especially their foot care.
Her outstanding undertaking ‘WALK 4 ELEPHANTS’ aims to shed light on the enduring pain elephants face in the name of tourism and entertainment. Unknown to many, elephant foot pads are not designed to withstand the intense heat of walking on hot tarmac, and yet they are forced to traverse these harsh surfaces. Their torment doesn’t end here. While taking their steps, elephants encounter harmful hazards like rusted nails, shards of broken glass, sharp stones, pebbles, and metal scraps.
By raising awareness, Sharon aims to raise an amazing £5500 – £1 for each km she walks! All funds collected directly support the care of rescued elephants at Wildlife SOS. You too can contribute and support Sharon’s goal for the rescued pachyderms!
If you have a great fundraising idea, either as an individual, a team or an organisation please connect with Debbie Haynes at debbie@wildlifesos.org.
