WSU Student Honors Steve Irwin

Story by: WSU Office of University Communication


A Winona State University sophomore has turned her admiration of recently deceased naturalist Steve Irwin into a labor of love.
Sophomore Lindsey Derby sells commemorative wristbands to raise money for Irwin's Australia Zoo.

"I want people to have an easy way to remember him," Derby said.

With the help of WSU senior Emily King, Derby sells the wristbands from a Web site, where she has received orders from across the country for more than 350 of the keepsakes in the past month.

Derby has been a fan of Irwin since the late 1990s. She liked Irwin because he "shows us things that aren't cute and cuddly," Derby said.

Irwin, famous for risking his life to capture on tape some of the world's most dangerous wildlife, died in 2006 when he was stabbed in the heart by a stingray while snorkeling off the coast of Australia.

Wristbands are available in a light green youth size and dark green adult size. Each costs $2, which includes shipping.

To order, visit www.memoryofsteveirwin.com.

Derby and King will wait until Sept. 4, the first anniversary if Irwin's death, to present the profits from the wristbands to Irwin's wife, Terri.