October 2005
Christmas fundraising project for
Katrina’s Kids
Big Dogs, Bikers, and Woolly Worms Work to Benefit
Katrina’s Kids
Abused children work to raise money to share
Christmas with the youngest of Katrina’s victims
Banner Elk, NC – The kids at the Grandfather Home for Children have
a mission. They are using their entrepreneurial and fundraising
skills to raise money in order to share Christmas with the children
who, as a result of hurricane Katrina, have lost their homes and
most of their possessions.
The children of Grandfather Home know the meaning of
loss and trauma all too well. But since May of 2004, they have been
participating in an animal assisted therapy program which includes
working with a Great Dane named Rudy, the recipient of the 2005
Broadway Barks Hero award. The children “walk in miracles” following
in the footsteps of this gentle giant and his Canine Crew, Gabi and
Grace, who are also Great Danes.
The scope of the children’s animal advocacy endeavors
and charitable works has grown by leaps and bounds since they became
”Rudy’s Kids”. During 2004, they began their work as Rescue Troopers
by being volunteer foster parents to some of the homeless Danes in
the care of the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League (MAGDRL), and
then proceeded with a fundraising plan to help the town of Banner
Elk rebuild a local dog park that was damaged by flooding.
After seeing the devastation hurricane Katrina wreaked
in the Gulf Coast area, the children of Grandfather Home were deeply
impacted by the reality that many thousands of kids had lost not
only their homes, but all of their toys and clothing as well. And,
with so many of their parents unable to find work, Christmas this
year could be bleak for them.
During October the children were given two fantastic
opportunities to put their fundraising talents to work. On Sunday,
October 9th, the Catawba Shriners Association invited them to
participate in a motorcycle Poker Run to benefit their Katrina’s
Kids Christmas fund. Grandfather Home was delighted to host one of
the stops for the run, and the participating bikers donated money
along with 1000 canned soft drinks to the children’s Christmas fund.
The weekend of October 15th and 16th, “Rudy’s Kids” got a chance to
use the donated drinks to raise money at the 28th Annual Woolly Worm
festival. The purpose of the festival, besides being a great bunch
of fun, is to choose a Woolly Worm caterpillar to predict the
severity of the winter weather for the NC mountain ski country. With
the help of Grandfather Home staff members, volunteers from the
Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, and Rudy with his Canine
Crew, the children set up their booth and set fire to their
fundraising skills.
As a result of their efforts during the Poker Run and
the Woolly Worm festival, “Rudy’s Kids” raised a total of
$1,100.00 for their Katrina’s Kids Christmas fund, and a little over
$500.00 to benefit the abandoned Danes in the care of the
Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League.
“I lost count of how many hundreds of times I heard the
kids telling people as they gave out flyers; "please help our rescue
Danes", "Get your ice cold drinks HERE and help us give Christmas to
Katrina's kids", "read Rudy's story, he's our Hero",......etc. These
children are just simply amazing to watch when they are working so
hard for the causes they have championed.” Kathy S.
Tired and proud, the children are currently busy
working with the local Red Cross chapter to connect with Katrina
victims who have relocated to North Carolina. They are also in
communication with a group of Louisiana residents who will help
distribute Christmas gifts and gift cards to Katrina’s kids in New
Orleans area shelters.
November
2005- Avery County Humane Society Christmas Card Competition
When the Avery County Humane Society held their Christmas card
design contest, Deanna, one of Rudy’s Kids, decided to go for it and
submitted a drawing! That Deanna is a very talented young lady can
be seen in the design she created for the card.
Deanna’s drawing was the chosen winner of the
competition!! Wildflower’s Publishing of Banner Elk produced the
card, and the proceeds from the sale of the cards will benefit all
the animals in the care of the Humane Society.
2005 AVERY
HUMANE SOCIETY CHRISTMAS CARD
November
2005
Children’s H.E.L.P. advocacy group does some creative
Holiday fundraising with the Mitchell County United Way Festival of
Trees
Rudy’s Kids live in a region that is famous worldwide
for Christmas tree farms. The local Tree Growers Association in
partnership with Mitchell County United Way, present their Festival
of Trees fundraising event each year to benefit the United Way’s
many county programs.
The trees are donated to the event by the local growers
and are decorated by local artists and community organizations.
After the trees are judged for the decorating contest, they are sold
at silent auction at the Pinebridge Center in Spruce Pine.
Activities for this 2 day event include: a Christmas bazaar, lots of
good food and music, Christmas tree decorating contests, kid’s
activities, and photos with Santa.
The children had a great time preparing for and
decorating their Christmas tree! The younger kids made a skirt for
the tree decorated with handprints. The older boys rolled their
sleeves up to create 400 salt-dough ornaments in the shape of
gingerbread kids (small & large of course), dog biscuits, dogs, and
cats. Then the entire student population chipped in to individually
hand-paint the ornaments.
Competing against some of the area’s most well-known
artists, Rudy’s Kids tree won an Honorable Mention in the decorating
contest!
November
2005- Avery County Humane Society Christmas Card Competition