(Courtesy Photo) Adam Crellin-Sazama presents John Linehan, Zoo New England president and CEO, with a check for $1,050 last week as parents Jenny Sazama and Tim Crellin look on. The photo has been slightly altered to obscure the family’s address for privacy reasons.
Sixth-grader Adam Crellin-Sazama donated over $1,000 to Franklin Park Zoo last week, following a months-long fund-raising project.
The Jamaica Plain boy sold hot cocoa from a sidewalk stand throughout the winter and accepted donations to support the zoo and its worldwide conservation efforts. About $600 of the $1,050 came from his sidewalk stand, he said.
“I want it to help the zoo in whatever way they think [best],” Crellin-Sazama told the Gazette last week.
“Neighbors kept coming over and bringing $20 bills,” said Jenny Sazama, Crellin-Sazama’s mother. “It was really a community project.”
“Adam[’s] commitment and dedication really illustrate how each person, no matter what their age, can have a positive impact and inspire others to take action,” John Linehan, Zoo New England president and CEO, said through a spokesperson. “We have been incredibly impressed by his actions and extremely appreciative of his generosity on behalf of the zoo and all of the animals.”
The reason for Crellin-Sazama’s generosity is his love of animals. Not only does he want to grow up to be a conservation biologist, but Franklin Park Zoo also has an extremely rare Amur leopard—Crellin-Sazama’s favorite—on display.
Crellin-Sazama told the Gazette he intends to organize more fund-raisers to benefit the zoo, but has no plans at the moment.