One shell of a cause: Durham woman's glitter sea turtle costume raises money for endangered turtles

What started as a joke Halloween costume idea has turned into a fundraiser for endangered sea turtles. Alicja, a Durham Region resident, is dressing up as a glitter-covered sea turtle this Halloween — and her “One Shell of a Cause” campaign is raising money for the Canadian Sea Turtle Network.

She took the theme seriously, making a colourful handmade sign covered in disco balls and a glittery sea turtle in sunglasses, with a QR code linking directly to her fundraiser. She will wear the costume at Town Brewery's Halloween House Party at Jackson Hall on Saturday, October 31, which starts at 8 p.m. and includes a costume contest. The event is sold out, according to Town Brewery's event page.

The Canadian Sea Turtle Network works to protect endangered sea turtles through research, conservation and collaboration with coastal communities and fishermen. The organization shared Alicja's fundraiser on its official Instagram account this week, saying it loves the idea of people dressing up as sea turtles to raise awareness about the challenges they face.

Real sea turtles face serious threats, from plastic pollution and fishing gear entanglement to habitat loss and warming waters. Alicja says her mission is to raise a little money, a little awareness and hopefully some laughter along the way.

Her fundraiser, One Shell of a Cause, is accepting donations at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/one-shell-of-a-cause — and she will share a photo of the full costume on Saturday.