Woofin and Hoofin
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the problem:
The village of Glen Ellyn, in DuPage County of Illinois is a fairly affluent community with an immediate population of 27,167 as of July, 2007. As the majority of our community members could be categorized as upper to middle class and are accustomed to high standards of living, it often becomes difficult for them to relate an environment where animals, particularly domestic pets are abused. Ironically, these community members so often unaware of the plight of animals, possess invaluable resources to combat this problem. Woofin’& Hoofin' realizes and understands the reality of this issue. Therefore our goal is two fold. We wish to directly combat the issue of animal cruelty with generous monetary donations, and we hope to educate our community about the severity and prevalence of animal abuse. Woofin' & Hoofin’ members have a passion for the subject of animal cruelty. As most of us are loving pet-owners, upon hearing that 76% of reported animal abuse cases are pet-related, we realize that we must take a stand on this issue. However, the problem runs much deeper than the mistreatment of house pets. Animals are also raised for the sole purpose of violent underground sport, or are not spayed or neutered, leaving them to reproduce a population of animals that are doomed to grow up, suffer, and die young in an unforgiving environment. Something simply must be done in our neighborhood to combat this national calamity. Who better qualified to raise awareness and profits than a group of ambitious teenagers in an active community that has proven it is willing to listen and respond to local causes? Another charity event in our community, This Run’s for Jack 5K, has raised between $45,000 and $60,000 for melanoma research in each of their races over the past six years, with 60% of that revenue donated by Glen Ellyn community members. Due to the high success rate of the annual This Run's For Jack 5K, as well as other local races, such as the Rock n' Roll 5K and the Freedom Four, 4 Mile Run, we decided to approach the issue of animal cruelty by holding a race. We feel that the community can bare another race related event, because our community is highly active, and our race is spaced out from the other races. We expect to make a large dent in the way our community thinks about animal cruelty because we are teenagers. We have fresh and creative ideas, a youthful vigor and passion, and the curiosity to see the fruits of our labor.
vital stats:
people impacted:
360people involved:
9why it's important:
The goal of Woofin& Hoofin is to design a 5K run/walk from the ground up, which is to be then held in June of 2009. The Woofin& Hoofin 5K and Doggie Dash is a unique event that consists of a one mile jog for pet owners and their dogs, in addition to a classic five kilometer street race. Families will be able to bring their dogs for a relaxing morning in the park, along with a little friendly competition. All proceeds from this event will be sent directly to local animal shelters and organizations that combat animal cruelty.
There are many aspects in regards to the development of this project, which will include fundraising, designing an advertisement campaign, and solidifying in-depth race logistics. Ideally, the end product will be a fun and enjoyable event bringing our town together and raising both awareness and financial support for abused animals and animal shelters. We then hope to pass the organizational duties down to younger high school students who will carry on the tradition annually in our community. While the direct monetary gains through registration fees and donations are an obvious aid to our cause, we believe our project will yield even greater results over time. The Woofin’& Hoofin’ 5K not only provides financial support to animal shelters, but also is geared to inform members of the public on the severity of animal cruelty, in the hopes that we might have a lasting effect on their thoughts. We believe that if animal lovers have a chance to meet with each other and enjoy a fun morning jog together, their love for animals will spread. And with the care of animals being at the forefront of their minds, even non pet-owners present will be able to see the happiness and positive effects that result from caring for animals. Through this project we hope to raise a substantial amount of money to aid animal shelters, and spread the message of animal cruelty prevention.
the plan of action:
Woofin& Hoofin has been a work in progress for months now, and from the start, perseverance was the core element of our organization. We started brainstorming among our board of directors in June, although the project idea was conceived during the previous fall. The local library became our headquarters to discuss our goals, ideas, and plans for our charity 5K race and fundraiser. After long discussion, we decided who would handle each task that needed to be accomplished, and each young adult assumed responsibility for the area corresponding to his or her talents. This was only the beginning, as tangible work was soon divided so progress could be measured. After agreeing to a deadline for our initial assignment, we met a few weeks later and shared what we had completed. T-shirt, logos, advertisements, possible timelines, legal documents, and lists of possible sponsors covered the table. We were on our way to becoming a real change agent in our community, with potentially far-reaching results. Already we have designed our charity logo, and have finalized our advertising plan, including pricing different companies for printing. We are in the last stages of getting the legal recognition for our charity, and already have a website up-and-running. Our true passion and motivation for this project is to prevent animal cruelty, and to reach out to those who have no voice, animals. Raising awareness about the harm innocent creatures go through, and give a helping hand to those that share our enthusiasm make up our primary goals. We understand the importance of funding to any establishment, for rescue shelters especially, and therefore feel that donating all the funds we raise will make the most impact. We aspire to have our race become an annual community event, reaching out to those who otherwise may not be aware of the prevalent issue regarding animal cruelty, and spreading our message to the masses. We have included an abbreviated excel spreadsheet timeline for the next few months of our projected actions.
how you can get involved:
One of the main purposes of Woofin’& Hoofin’ is to allow members of our community and animal rights sympathizers from all over to contribute and take part in reaching our goal of a society free of animal cruelty. To begin with, there will be many opportunities for community members to be involved in various aspects of planning the race itself. We will need volunteers to hang posters, help set up, help tear down, man water stations, fill goodie bags, and countless other jobs vital to the success of our program. In addition, we hope to have a majority of the members in our community run in the race itself and bring their pets to compete in the Doggie Dash. Their participation will be monumental to the success of our operation. Furthermore, we will need many financial contributions from various sponsors in order to construct our race and ultimately make a considerable contribution to our local animal shelters. The addition of grant money from different associations will also help to start our project, creating a successful, sustainable race that will continue to create a positive impact in our community for years to come. Therefore, while a few high school students will head the project, it will be an entire community and even national effort.
Comments
congratulatiions I am very happy with the fact that there are other people out there who care for animals as much as I do :)