Six animal shelters and welfare groups yesterday received donations totalling $1 million from a fundraising activity hosted by the First Son Zayd Ali at State House, the official residence of the First Family.
The 4-year-old son of President Dr Irfaan Ali and First Lady Arya Ali hosted the third edition of his lemonade sale which brought the lawns of State House alive with a number of other attractions.
Hundreds of patrons who supported the event were treated to locally made lemonade, snacks and sweets; while the children enjoyed games, pony rides, and face paintings.
The event was designed to raise funds to support animal welfare activities undertaken by six animal shelters and welfare groups. Those groups are: Tails of Hope, Paws for a Cause, GSPCA, Rosewood Foundation, Hope for Animals Inc., Fureva Hope Alive Animal Rescue Sanctuary
At the end of the event, each of the group received a donation of $1 million to support animal welfare activities and services. The funds were raised through sales and donations by a number of individuals and companies.
“In a matter of hours, we were able to raise $6 million for our animals thanks to the support of the Guyanese people, and we cannot express how happy and thankful we are for this kind of support,” Mrs Ali said on behalf of her young son.
She explained that Zayd’s love for animals is a reflection of his upbringing which emphasizes some of the core values of a good human being such as deva and compassion.
“So, he has always been taught to deva for people and animals just as he would want to be taken deva of. His dad and I ensure we speak to him and teach him these values which are tenets of a good human being,” the First Lady added.
She said too that these activities which are held to raise funds for animals also help to teach the four-year-old responsibility at a young age, and condition his mind to always see himself as being part of the solution to any kind of challenges.
The animal shelters and groups which received donations yesterday host vaccination, deworming, spay and neutering along with other veterinary services.