Upstate School Children Support Sea Turtle Rescue Program During Earth Week

Belton Elementary

The kids at Belton Elementary School in the quaint upstate town of Belton, SC held a big celebration for Earth Day. They not only made skits, songs, and videos about keeping our planet healthy, they also held their 4th Love the Loggerheads Read-A-Thon to raise funds to help sick and injured sea turtles at the South Carolina Aquarium. This year the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders raised a whopping $4,025.50 bringing their grand total to $11,767.55! Wow! This Sea Turtle Rescue fundraiser is held every other year with funds being raised for Jump for the Heart on the opposite years.

Each year of the Love the Loggerheads Read-A-Thon, I travel to Belton approximately 4 hours away from Charleston. There is no way I would miss celebrating with these kids that are so passionate about helping the environment and so proud of their fundraising efforts!

Some of the top readers presented the "big check."

Celebrating the donation with the auditorium full of Belton children!

The big check from the Earth Day celebration now joins the others on the wall in the Sea Turtle Hospital! 

We would like to send our most heartfelt and sincere thanks to the staff and children at Belton Elementary who work so hard to be good stewards of the environment and give back to the community in so many ways. Also, a huge thanks goes to the Belton community for supporting these children in their fundraising efforts. You are all amazing!

Inman Elementary

I was recently contacted by Inman Elementary School in the SC upstate that raised funds to become Stranded Turtle Adoptive Parents. Inman is a small town located outside of Spartanburg and their students read Carolina's Story by Donna Rathmell and Turtle Summer by Mary Alice Monroe to learn more about the sea turtle conservation efforts in SC.  Pete the Cat, famous from the Pete the Cat books, was part of the Turtle Celebration and presented the big check after my presentation. We are grateful for these first time supporters of the Sea Turtle Rescue Program - great job kids!!

The kids gathered in the auditorium to learn more about how the South Carolina Aquarium cares for sick and injured sea turtles.

Pete the Cat delivers the big check!



Pete the Cat shows off Carolina's Story and Turtle Summer, children's books written by local SC authors that have both become mainstays in schools across the nation learning about sea turtles.

Huge thanks to Inman Elementary staff that are teaching children about sea turtles in an area far from the coast and to the kids for their fundraising efforts to help us to treat sea turtles in our hospital! You are making a difference!

Sincerely,

Kelly Thorvalson

Sea Turtle Rescue Program Manager

Charleston Day School Students Raise over $5,000 with a Read-a-Thon!

With Charleston Day School 3rd grade teachers Kerry Plitnick and Emily Shortridge at the helm, students are learning the importance of sea turtles, healthy oceans, and giving back to the community. Students at Charleston Day have been supporting sick and injured sea turtles since 2009 and for the second year in a row, have held a read-a-thon that raised thousands for the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. This year alone, 28 third graders raised $5,349!


Students present the "big check" to Sea Turtle Rescue Program Staff.





Thanks to these 28 third graders, we are able to provide medical care to more sick and injured sea turtles. Thank you, kids!!!

The Love the Loggerheads Read-a-thon was first developed by Kate Byrd, Librarian of Belton Elementary in South Carolina's upstate and has proven to be extremely successful, not only in raising funds to help sick and injured sea turtles in our hospital but in achieving what schools want from children, for them to read more! If you are interested in hosting a read-a-thon for your class or your child's class, please contact Kelly Thorvalson at turtlerescue@scaquarium.org.

Thank you for your support!