North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Danny aims to aid Maui’s dolphins
Not satisfied with raising $645 for an endangered species, one 8-year-old is setting his heights even higher.
Danny Pick sold 55 cupcakes outside a supermarket in 2016, to raise for the then 55 remaining Maui’s dolphins.
One year later, the population has risen to 63 and Danny has a new challenge.
Challenge 63 is a WWF fundraising campaign to save Maui’s dolphins, encouraging people to do 63 of something, like run 63 kilometres or go without something for 63 hours.
The Mairangi Bay resident plans to shoot 63 hoops in 20 minutes, two days in a row.
He said he first found out about the plight of the dolphins when a classmate did a presentation and it immediately struck a chord.
‘‘I came home and said I’m going to do this, I’m going to help. I didn’t ask, I said I’m doing it,’’ Danny said.
This year, Danny chose to combine his two passions, animals and basketball.
‘‘It’s what I love combined with what I love,’’ he said. ‘‘I know lots of people at the school like basketball and will appreciate the cause.’’
Danny had also written a letter to the Prime Minister to ask him to take action to stop the decline of Maui’s dolphins.
‘‘The humans have done this, the humans can cure this. The dolphins can’t stop getting caught in these nets but we can stop using them, so we need to help,’’ he said.
‘‘I just think all animals are important but I chose the Maui’s dolphins in particular because they are native to New Zealand. We cannot get them anywhere else in the world and New Zealand needs to look after them.’’
He’d also got his school’s student council on board to fundraise in the Mairangi Bay School community.
The Maui’s dolphin is endemic to New Zealand and the population figure of 63 is an estimate.
A report commissioned by global conservation organisation WWF said the costs of removing major fishing threats such as set netting and trawling in Maui’s dolphins habitat would be between $26 million and $40 million.
Danny hoped his project could contribute to that. He’s aiming to raise $1500. Go to maui-dolphinchallenge.everydayhero.com/nz/ 63-baskets-for-63-dolphins to donate to Danny’s cause.