6-Yr-Old Raises $250k for Australian Bushfires Making Clay Koalas

While fires continue to burn in Australia, stories of those around the world trying to find ways to help have become commonplace on the evening news. After hearing the number of homes and lives impacted by the tragedy, Six-year-old Owen Colley was ready to help.
Owenâs father, Simon Colley, is Australian. While that was likely a strong motivation for Owen to want to lend a hand, his mother Caitlin says it was the animals that finally flipped the switch for her young son.
Upon finding out just how many different animals were impacted, Owen immediately wanted to join the fight. But how could a young boy living in Massachusetts help those still suffering halfway around the world?
Undeterred, Owen began crafting tiny koalas out of clay, offering family members their very own for making a donation to Wildlife Rescue South Coast, an organization on the ground in Australia. Word spread quickly, and soon Owen was offering anyone who made a $50 donation one of his tiny clay creations.

News outlets picked up the story, and during an interview, his mother confessed they were blown away by the outpouring of support after raising over $1200. With the newly received publicity, the family raised his goal to $5,000. After seeing Owen and his koalas on affiliates across the nation in the video below, you can probably guess what happened next.
As of today, Owenâs GoFundMe page has raised a whopping $264,848. Thatâs quite a few koalas, but fortunately many donated just to help with the cause. His parents posting an update:
âThank you ALL for helping a little boy do a BIG thing – Owen wishes he could send a clay koala to everyone in the world! We are so proud of this little boy and his kind heart.â
Owen reminding us all that one person can truly make a difference, and that people absolutely love tiny koalas.