South Brunswick Students Donate Nearly $7K To NJ Animal Sanctuary

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — An elementary school fundraiser has raised nearly $25,000 for animal rescues over four years — and just had its best year yet.

The Cougar Council of Cambridge Elementary School collected $6,873 for the Troll House Animal Sanctuary during its 5th Annual Pennies for Pets Competition, bringing the program's cumulative total to $24,023 since its launch in 2022.

The competition, which challenges students to collect spare change for a selected nonprofit animal rescue, has grown into one of the school's signature philanthropic efforts.

Past beneficiaries include Amazing Mutts Puppy Rescue, Pilots to the Rescue, Funny Farm Animal Rescue & Sanctuary and Rancho Relaxo, with donations ranging from roughly $3,000 to nearly $6,700 per year.

This year's recipient, Troll House Animal Sanctuary, is a small operation in South Jersey. Last week, Cougar Council members connected with the sanctuary's founder via video call to deliver the news — and were introduced to some of her goats in the process.

The students are scheduled to visit the sanctuary in person in June to see firsthand how their donation was put to use.

Members of the South Brunswick community who wish to support Troll House Animal Sanctuary can visit the organization's Amazon wishlist.

Those interested in supporting the Cougar Council's ongoing initiatives can contact Christina O'Brien at Christina.OBrien@sbschools.org.