By Jessica Almy

In the children's book Curious George Makes Pancakes, perpetually curious monkey attends a pancake-breakfast fundraiser for a children's hospital. He begins adding blueberries to the batter, and before long his mischief leads to a wild chase that lands him in the dunk tank.

Life didn't entirely imitate art when two young Cape Codders, Jordan Gustafson and Abagail Blatchford, were inspired by the silly monkey's antics to hold a pancake fundraiser of their own in April 2004. But Jordan and Abagail did want to help out a hospital—even if the one they had in mind wasn't exactly for children.

Jordan and Abagail remembered that a few months earlier, their father, Carl Gustafson, had found a ring-necked pheasant who had been hit by a car. He had brought the injured bird—one of thousands stocked for hunting in Massachusetts—to the Cape Wildlife Center so it could be nursed back to health. Jordan and Abagail decided their fundraiser would help the wildlife hospital, which treats 1,600 injured, ill, and orphaned wild animals each year.

Assisted by their parents, Jordan and Abagail asked local businesses to donate ingredients. They sold tickets to the Curious George Pancake Breakfast and gave out Cape Wildlife Center bookmarks with raccoons and owls on them.

On April 4, they hosted the pancake breakfast at the Unitarian Church in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The church's minister attended the event, and volunteers from the Cape Wildlife Center, Milly White, and Kristin Muir painted wild animals on children's faces and gave out brochures about living in harmony with wildlife. Everyone had a great time.

The kids raised $450 that day! Half of the proceeds benefited the church, and the other half went to the Cape Wildlife Center. A week later, Jordan, Abagail, and their mother, Sandra Blatchford, came to the wildlife center with the donation. Staff showed the children how different foods are made for each of the species of animals that the center treats.

Thanks to Jordan and Abagail, the animals at the wildlife center will have plenty of good foods to eat—from special formula for the baby squirrels to spinach and grapes for the eastern box turtles.

Jessica Almy is the Cape Wildlife Center's Wildlife Advocate.

Make your own donation to the Cape Wildlife Center.