By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

A 6-year-old Hays girl is formally requesting no gifts for her birthday this weekend and will also forgo the traditional class party. Instead, she and her guests will spend a morning at Orscheln Farm and Home raising funds for Western Plains Animal Refuge.

Johanna’s mother, Stacey Jones, said the idea started when the family recently fostered a kitten for the refuge and she explained to her daughter the shelter was closed and in the process of raising funds to buy a new building.

Unbeknownst to Stacey, Johanna was soon passing out handmade invitations to classmates asking they donate $1 to the refuge in lieu of a birthday gift.

“I can only imagine what the parents thought when they saw those invitations,” Jones laughed.

But when Johanna started making posters and plans to go door-to-door soliciting neighbors for funds,  Stacey had to say no. Instead she reached out to the WPAR staff, who invited Johanna to join their monthly adoption and awareness event at Orscheln.

Much to Stacey’s relief, a “compromise” with Johanna had been reached.

“There was no stopping her,” Stacey said. “She was going to (raise funds) no matter what, and it really led to a lot of tears and arguments trying to figure out how to do this without knocking on the doors in the neighborhood.”

Stacey said Johanna has always been a “philanthropist” who likes helping others and especially loves animals.

Joahanna and WPAR staff will be at Orscheln, 2900 Broadway, Hays, from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Johanna will turn 7 on Sunday and is not completely without a gift. The kitten the Jones’ fostered for one weekend was officially adopted by the Jones family Thursday and now goes go by the name Lily Lou Jones.

Johanna is sharing cookies at the event while supplies last.