Turtle trauma centre nets $2,237 in weekend fundraiser
Posted By ANDREA HOUSTON
Posted 2 months ago
For her birthday last week, Arisa Brar, 13, asked her friends to forego gifts and instead put their money toward pledges for the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre.
"My mom is a volunteer at the centre, so I wanted to help," said Brar, who was circling the track at Nicholls Oval on Saturday for the Trauma Centre Turtle Crawl fundraiser. Her birthday was Thursday.
The event raised $2,237.20.
Volunteer Gina Varrin said funds collected will help cover operating costs of the new centre at 724 Erskine St.
The ongoing goal is to raise $3,000 per month, which covers rent and utilities.
"We were always in donated spaces until this past spring. Now we have to pay rent," she said. "We have high utility costs because we have filters, lights and heaters to keep the centre warm. There are also vet bills, food and medical supplies."
About 20 people gathered pledges before doing as many laps around the oval as possible within two hours, she said.
The Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre is a licensed centre that rehabilitates and releases turtles.
"Basically we are a hospital for turtles," Varrin said. "Turtles often get hit by cars in the spring when they're out laying their eggs.
"So if people find an injured turtle, bring it in to us."
Board chairman Tracy McNaught said turtles take a long time to heal.
"Many of them stay with us over the winter, so they can be released healthy back into their environment in the spring," he said.
McNaught said the centre works with Ontario native turtles, not pet turtles.
"Seven of eight Ontario turtle species are either endangered or threatened, so if we even lose one or two it could really affect the balance," he said. "Many of the females are laying eggs at the time, and it takes 15 to 20 years before they get to the age where they can lay an egg.
Trauma Centre t-shirts and water bottles were also on sale as well as baked goods.
NOTES: Most turtles live to be 100 years or more, says volunteer Gina Varrin. "But no one really knows for sure." … . Volunteer Brooke Bays organized the event.
ahouston@peterboroughexaminer.com
