Girl, 9, forgoes birthday gifts to benefit Danville Humane Society

DANVILLE -- Caitlyn Crews' celebrated her ninth birthday Saturday, but there were no packages for the young girl to open because she asked her guests to make donations to the Danville Area Humane Society instead.

Caitlyn's birthday is a big party every year, her father, Cooper Crews, said.

"Her mama and I separated when she was about 6 months old, and she's my only child," Crews said. "I do this every year. She's really a great kid."

The "this" he was referring to is a huge party that included an inflatable giant slide, moonwalk and obstacle course set up in his yard on Saturday, a machine the children used to make sno-cones, a clown, and friends from Owens Farm arriving with ponies for rides and small animals -- rabbits, guinea pigs and a baby goat -- to pet.

Caitlyn said she decided to forgo presents this year because "I love animals."

"She saw a show on television about animal abuse," her mother, Mitzi Ridge, said. "She had tears in her eyes and asked, 'Do people really do that?'"

Ridge said Caitlyn thought about the show and then announced she wanted people to spend any money they would use to buy her birthday presents to help animals instead.

At the party, a table overflowed with dozens of bags of cat and dog food, cleaning supplies and a bucket full of cash and checks, all destined for the Humane Society.

"I'll load it all up in my old truck on Monday and take it over there," Crews said.

Paulette Dean, executive director of the Humane Society, could not attend because of a previous engagement but said earlier in the week that she was touched Caitlyn was making the donation.

"It's very sweet of Caitlyn," Dean said. "Children have done this before, and we always appreciate it."

Denice Thibodeau is a staff writer for the Register & Bee of Danville.