East Fairmont students go above and beyond for Marion County Humane Society
Apr. 28—FAIRMONT — Screams of adulation and piercing applause emanated from the East Fairmont Middle School gymnasium Thursday afternoon, however, no sports were being played.
Students got excited when they learned that a recent Sarris candy sale conducted by the school's Humane Society Club had netted $8,000. Their applause became even louder when they learned that the money will be used to name yet another room inside the new, and waiting to open soon, Marion County Humane Society No-kill Animal Shelter.
"This check will go towards the naming of the grooming room," Humane Society Club Advisor Misty Skarzinski said at the schoolwide assembly. "So, when they get cats and dogs in that they need to bathe and get ready to go out for adoption, there will be another plaque on the wall that says 'Donated by the faculty, staff and students of East Fairmont Middle School,' so I think that's something to be very proud of."
In 2022, the East Fairmont Middle School Humane Society Club raised $5,000 that went to naming the blanket room in the new shelter. Since 2015, the club has donated $34,500 to the Marion County Humane Society.
In the club, which is open only to eighth grade students, members learn the hows and whys about properly caring for animals, as well as the importance of spaying and neutering. Throughout the school year, the eighth graders then get to teach fifth through seventh graders about what they learned in the club.
"We learn about humility and being better people and caring for animals and we made posters and the students went out to all the other Advisor-Advisee rooms, starting with fifth grade, sixth grade, seventh grade and eighth grade, and talked about the things that we went over and presented things about what the shelter does and what they need and how we can help," Skarzinski said.
"It was kind of like a teach-in — I taught them, and they went out and taught and kids really got into it."
Skarzinski, who teaches art at East Fairmont Middle School, instills in students that humans should speak up for the animals, especially those that become stray, hurt and abandoned.
"Please remember that we are the voice for animals and we need to make sure that if we see that they're not being properly taken care of that we step in and we make sure they have food and water and housing. And it's important to have them spayed and neutered and it's important that they have adequate living facilities," Skarzinski said. "All of those things are just as important as the money we raised today."
Marion County Humane Society Director Jonna Spatafore said she is grateful for the school's donation, but she has a deeper, maybe more difficult long-term goal.
"I want to be out of a job one day — that is my goal. I want there to be no need for shelters and if we don't teach our children better, it's never going to happen," Spatafore said. "If we don't teach our kids better, this will never change and Misty does an amazing job of teaching her children better not only with the money they raise, but she imparts that in them and that's priceless."
With 11-month-old pit-mix Guinness beside her, Spatafore accepted a ceremonial check for $8,000 from Skarzinski as the gym full of students cheered with excitement.
"When we Eastsiders set a goal, we reach for that goal and we want to make sure everything that is possible happen to reach that goal and I know that each one of you are like that," Skarzinski said.
Reach Eric Cravey at 304-367-2523.
