FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): A Fort Wayne fifth-grader is leading a fundraiser to help animals in Allen County.

There are about 16,000 stray cats in Allen County, according to the Allen County SPCA. Concordia Lutheran Elementary student Megan Slack worked all school year on a project about animal shelters and pet adoption, and now she wants to help raise awareness through a new mural in downtown Fort Wayne:

“We get to choose a project that we can focus on for what’s supposed to be a semester. I was focusing on shelter pets and strays. We went to the Allen County SPCA to learn about all the strays in Allen County, and I wanted to do something about it.”

Enrichment Teacher Melanie Walter tells WOWO News it came about as part of the curriculum called the “Passion Power Hour”:

“I have ten students that have each chosen at least one project a year, with everything from computer coding to researching why dolphins get caught in fishing nets and trying to solve problems like that.”

Larry and Tammy Davis, creators of the panda mural in downtown Fort Wayne, are teaming up with Jamison Meats on North Anthony to make Megan’s mural vision a reality. Jamison Meats is donating the side of their building to host the painting, which is slated to start on June 10th.

For every $5 raised, $2 goes to supplies for the mural, and $3 goes to area animal shelters. To learn more or support the fundraiser, click here.