8-Year-Old Bakes Treats To Raise Money For The Denver Zoo

The Denver Zoo, like many other public facilities, are facing challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And one eight-year-old is using a skill her grandmother taught her to help out a place she loves.

Cadence Grant is an animal lover and has taken it upon herself to start baking in order to fundraise for the Denver Zoo.

"I love animals and I really want to help them," Cadence said in an interview with CBS4. "So, I decided to bake some goodies in exchange for money."

After baking some of her favorite treats, Cadence puts them in zip lock bags, loads them into a wagon decorated with stuffed animals, and sells them for $1 around her neighborhood.

The Denver Zoo announced back in December that they were struggling financially. With COVID-19 related closures and limited capacity, they found themselves with a daily operating deficit of $51,000.

Zoo officials turned to the public for help, explaining that they needed financial assistance in order to feed all of their animals. The zoo is home to 3,000 animals of over 450 species.

The zoo estimates that it spends $1,000,000 in groceries per year.

Their call to the public prompted animal lovers like Cadence to do their part.

Her parents created a Facebook and Nextdoor page to promote her bake sale. Now, Cadence has raised $500 and plans to give a check to the Denver Zoo at the end of the month.

"I'm really happy that people are helping the animals and a lot of people are just getting the goodies."

Photo: Getty Images