Pennies for Penguins--Hooray for Shannon!

Brookfield teen collects pennies for penguins
By John Pirro
Staff Writer
Updated: 07/03/2009 12:22:51 AM EDT

BROOKFIELD -- It's called Pennies for Penguins, and Shannon Pugliese won't be satisfied until she's collected at least one cent for each of the estimated 150,000 African penguins still in existence.

But the soon-to-be 15-year-old is more than likely to surpass that mark. In just over two months, she's raised more than $1,000, or 100,000 pennies, for an African penguin research program being conducted by the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration.

The aquarium has been Shannon's favorite place since she started attending week-long summer camps there as a 9-year-old.

"She's kind of grown up with it. The aquarium has opened up a whole new world for her," said her mother, Linda Pugliese.

During her visits to the aquarium, Shannon developed a special interest in the African penguin and the Beluga whale.

Attending camp allowed her access to the behind-the-scenes operation at the aquarium, as well as a chance to learn about marine biology and the environment.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there were about 1.5 million of the 2-foot-tall, 11-pound creatures in existence.

A hundred years later, the number had been reduced by 90 percent, and the dwindling population took a further hit in 2003, when a shipwreck near one of their primary breeding grounds coated thousands of penguins with oil.

Last year a special task force at the aquarium came up with the idea of asking visitors to add $1, or 100 pennies, to their
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admission fees to fund a program on penguin research.

On her own, Shannon decided to expand the effort, soliciting donations from friends and family members. Then, with networking assistance from her mother, she began collecting donations from area businesses.

"Mostly, I would collect them after school, and then my mother started taking me to different offices," said Shannon, who just completed her freshman year at Brookfield High School.

Soon the pennies were pouring in, filling every available container until they were almost too heavy to carry to the bank.

Then people started contributing cash and checks, she said.

Two weeks ago, Shannon and her mother made the drive to Mystic to present aquarium officials with a check for $1,000, along with several more buckets of pennies.

Shannon got a chance to meet close-up with one of the penguins and was made a member of the Kelvin Smith Ocean Society, which recognizes people who make significant contributions in support of the aquarium's mission.

But Shannon isn't finished. She's continuing to collect pennies and will be participating in the aquarium's Penguin Run/Walk in the fall. She's even recruited some of her friends to participate in the fundraiser.

Shannon is also an accomplished golfer, her ability surfacing after her father, Ed Silk of Danbury, took her to a driving range four years ago. She's taken lessons for several years, and this summer she'll be playing in 11 youth tournaments sponsored by the Connecticut section of the Junior PGA.

So does she want to continue her interest in marine life and study marine biology in college or does she envision a future on the links?

"Hopefully both," Shannon said.

Source:
http://www.newstimes.com/ci_12745952