Local 4th Grader Saves Homeless Animals, One Cartwheel at a Time

A 9-year old girl named Agnes Keyser recently raised over $1,000 for Brother Wolf Animal Rescue… and got quite a workout doing it.

For a school project, Agnes and her classmates at Glen Arden Elementary School were tasked with developing and enacting plans that could help change the world. Agnes knew right away that she wanted to help animals and that supporting Brother Wolf was a great way to do it. “I chose animals because I have two dogs and I love them,” she says. “I chose Brother Wolf because they’re a no-kill shelter and they never give up on the animals.”

Agnes placed a donation jar in a local gym, Hard Exercise Works, and made an agreement with owner Arnoldo Alvarez that she’d do one gym movement (cartwheel, sit-up, burpee, etc.) for each dollar she raised. She never imagined she’d raise over $500! Another gym member offered to match the donation, raising the total to over $1,000.

Don’t worry, Agnes was allowed to bring a team to help her complete the exercises. On Saturday, Agnes arrived at the gym with two classmates and two adults to pay her dues. “I’m a little bit scared that I’m gonna get sweaty and tired,” Agnes admitted beforehand.

Over the course of an hour, Agnes and her team made good on her promise by completing 503 cartwheels, toe taps, and pull ups! Though the work was hard, Agnes says “I know I did a good deed by helping animals because they give joy to people’s lives.”

Watch the video:

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is able to do the life-saving work that builds no-kill communities because of compassionate supporters like Agnes. Learn more about Brother Wolf by visiting www.bwar.org or stop by the adoption center at 31 Glendale Avenue in Asheville, NC.