The children at Potomac Glen Day School really raised the bar on FUNd-raising for the Montgomery County Humane Society. For their Lenten project, the entire school – grades pre-school through kindergarten – collected loose change over a span of a month. Every day they brought in coins from their savings, allowance, piggy banks, lemonade stand sales, even what the tooth fairy brought them. They deposited their contributions into oversize jars and donation buckets decorated to look like animals and dog houses.
Enthusiasm grew daily, as school founder Angela Tranquill and Caring Kids director Jackie Beach explained to the children what their money would be used for. They didn’t want to make a plain donation, they wanted it to be special, for medical expenses that wouldn’t otherwise be covered from the Humane Society’s budget. Their goal was to present an oversized check representing their efforts at a “Walk for Wags” assembly in early March.
Toward the end of their month-long collection, they found a perfect pet to focus on. One cold night back in January, an emaciated, malnourished little stray dachshund had come to the shelter, shivering and shaking and seriously ill.
Named Katie, she was diabetic and had several other major health issues, meaning she would need medical care her entire life. Katie was enrolled to benefit from Joey’s Friends’ Fund, a fund established in 2007 in memory of a cruelty victim named Joey. The fund pays for medical expenses of special needs and abused animals. |
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With TLC from staff at the MCHS Rescue and veterinarians at Kenhaven Animal Hospital, Katie showed her colors and proved herself a trooper worthy of the school’s attention. The children learned about the Humane Society’s role in the community – and all of the animals under MCHS care – through a humane education program earlier in the same week as the Walk for Wags.
By then they already had amassed almost $300. When they learned about Katie, the children now had a classic story to tell their own families, and even more contributions flowed in, reaching $1,100 the day before the Walk.
It didn’t stop there. Overnight, the amount more than doubled, with the grand total reaching an astounding $2,400! Katie’s medical expenses, estimated at $4,000, were well on their way to being fully covered through the school’s donation to Joey’s Friends’ Fund.
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The children were so thrilled about what they learned and put into direct action about kindness to animals that the school is going to make the Walk for Wags an annual project – with a challenge to other schools to take on similar activities. It doesn’t hurt that the teachers on the school’s leadership team are all devoted animal lovers themselves. |
Kindness takes many forms, from physically interacting with animals in gentle ways to making sure there is enough money to care for their health and well-being. Potomac Glen Day School led the way for both approaches. Kind kids = lucky pets! And a heartfelt thank you from everyone at the Montgomery County Humane Society. |
