Crystal Lake Central students donate handmade pet toys to Helping Paws

CRYSTAL LAKE – Wanting to help a local organization over the holiday season, several Crystal Lake Central students with special needs donated handmade pet toys to Helping Paws Animal Shelter on Sunday.

The class project, led by special education instructor Bob Chikos, began with students looking at different local charities they were interested in helping.

“We wanted to find a local organization that would fit our need and we could do during class time,” Chikos said. “So that’s how Helping Paws was decided.”

Chikos provided his students with fleece scraps and inexpensive materials, such as baby socks, stuffing and catnip, so they could make the toys.

Using the materials, students made 11 knotted toys and 24 stuffed cat toys for the Woodstock-based shelter.

“Many of them have an interest in working with animals, so this fit well with that,” Chikos said. “We wrote the organization an email and asked if they’d appreciate us making toys for them. They were happy to accept them, and they even sent me a few samples of current animal toys they have.”

Because it is a private, nonprofit organization, Helping Paws treasurer Ravelle Schwab said the shelter relies solely on donations from the public and fundraisers.

“We are blessed that we have such a supportive community and very thankful to Crystal Lake Central High School for their support,” Schwab said. “Donations like this really help our animals in need.”