Sutton Elementary Hosts 10th Annual Fundraiser to Honor Forever Friend Melissa Baber

Every spring, the students at Sutton Elementary in Owensboro, KY participate in a fundraiser for local animal shelters. Not only do they learn a valuable lesson in generosity and help rescue animals in need, they honor a very special person.

2025 marks the 10th annual 'Friends With Paws' fundraiser. Kindergarten teacher, Tiffany Hoffman, was inspired to organize the event in memory of former school staff member, Melissa Baber. She was a very special person and will always be remembered as a forever friend of Sutton.

And Melissa loved animals, so what better way to honor her than to help the ones who need it most. Grade levels compete against each other to see which one can collect the most items from the shelter wishlist. They keep track of totals every day and at the end whoever comes out on top gets to have time in the gym with puppies!

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Each year, Friends With Paws has grown bigger and bigger. Even during COVID, supplies were dropped off at the school or sent via Amazon. If you would like to support these amazing kiddos to make this the best year yet, from Monday until March 14th, you can donate any of the following:

• Purina Food (cat, kitten, dog, and puppy)
• Toys/Treats (no Raw Hide please:)
• Paper Towels
• White Trash Bags
• Gloves
• Pill Pockets
• Peanut Butter

Can't forget the Peanut Butter! These are all items that area shelters have said they need. If you purchase something from the list, you can drop your donation off at Sutton. Just be sure you mark which grade level to put it towards.

You can also order on Amazon Prime and just have the items shipped directly to the school. Sutton's address is 2060 Lewis Lane, Owensboro, 42301. If you would like to credit a particular grade level, just write it in the notes when you order.