McKaila Lewis

Birthday girl made donation to Pacific Wildlife Care

–Arroyo Grande teenager McKaila Lewis has a dream of helping animals in need. Every year on her birthday, she makes that dream come true. She turned 15-years-old on July 7 and instead of gifts for herself, she asked for gifts for wildlife critters. Lewis hosts her annual community birthday party to raise awareness for species that need aid from human beings, in order to heal and rehabilitate, and then be set free to their natural habitats. Lewis has been holding this community party for needy wildlife since she’s been in first grade. In lieu of receiving personal gifts, she asks that potential gift givers offer donations to her favorite organization instead: Pacific Wildlife Care.

Pacific Wildlife Care is an animal preservation organization dedicated to helping and preserving injured birds, reptiles and mammals of San Luis Obispo County, operable under permits issued by California Department of Fish & Wildlife and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. It is the county’s only licensed rehabilitation center, focusing on caring for harmed and destitute wildlife. It is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization consisting of more than 800 dedicated individuals; members, donors, volunteers and staff, all of whom embrace the values of the organization. The institution has an onsite center where it treats and rehabilitates wildlife that are injured, sick, orphaned, and some are pollution-damaged, due to foul waters or littered garbage, among other things. At this facility, wildlife are delicately loved and cared for. Once healed and strong enough to re-enter a natural habitat, they are returned to the wild.

McKaila and Pacific Wildlife personnel

Lewis invites her friends, family, and every year the community steps up and helps with donation to Pacific Wildlife Care. Typically, each year on Lewis’s birthday, donations run from $800 to $1000. Lewis is in the marching band at Arroyo Grande High School where she is in her sophomore year, and this year, many of her marching band friends helped with donations to Pacific Wildlife Care. She hopes that the community will understand the value and necessity of wildlife not only to the Central Coast, but to the world. Her ongoing determination to aid in helping wildlife keeps her vision and determination strong. Many of her schoolmates help by donating to the cause.

McKaila Lewis and Pacific Wildlife Care ducks

Each year, Pacific Wildlife Care volunteers do demonstrations with the animals that are being rehabilitated, at Lewis’s annual birthday parties. “I want to show other kids and community members on the Central Coast that they can make just as big a contribution as I do,” said Lewis. By donating to and/or volunteering for Pacific Wildlife Care is the way to start, she says. So far this year, Lewis has raised over $400.