Society Hill 4th Graders Hold Bake Sale To Save Bats

By Molly Daly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A group of 4th-graders at St. Peter's School in Society Hill is holding a bake sale Friday to raise money for research to save bats from White Nose Syndrome, which threatens to wipe out the mammals.

"I have a group of five girls, a 4th grade reading group, and they wanted to have a fundraiser, specifically for an animal."

Beverly Leonard's students settled on the Little Brown Bat when they heard about an upcoming lecture at the Wagner Free Institute about White Nose Syndrome, which has killed millions of bats by interrupting their hibernation.

"Once they started researching it, and finding out that we're going to be affected -- we're affected in Pennsylvania -- that we could have too many insects, we could have too many insects, we could have farmers with problems with two many worms."

And that's expected to cost billions. So the girls took their idea to the entire school, which jumped on the bat-wagon.

They're hoping the funds will help find a cure for White Nose Syndrome. But Ms. Leonard says something valuable's already been gained.

"The idea that we think outside ourselves. It's the idea of community, acting for others, doing things for others, even though we may not get personal benefit."

For more information, visit www.wagnerfreeinstitute.org/news_upcoming_westbrook.shtml