WRAP UP 2018 :: Stroll In The Park For Kids Who Bark

At long last I can now report the final notes of my 2018 SITPFKWB fund raising challenge. I am thrilled and sincerely thankful for the wonderful support and generosity shown by so many caring folks!

This year proved to be a “start over from scratch” year after taking the past 2 years off to raise money for the Parkinson’s Society in honour of my mother, Peg Riese, who lost her battle to PD in February.

So, this year, after my 2 year absence from my canine supporters, I felt it was as good a time as any to look for a new and deserving group to benefit from my fundraising efforts. Well in fact, I selected two; Paws United Dog Rescue, a locally foster-based group, and Pee Wee’s Pals based in Phoenix, Arizona from where we adopted our newest family member, Jacob-Milo, in April 2018.

I am disappointed to say that I fell slightly short of my goal and completed only a measly 201.25 kilometers as a number of mitigating factors cropped up over the course of the month, most importantly, heath issues with our other sweet fur-kid, Miss Joee.

But, along the way, it was a thrill to meet many “rescued” fur-kids (and of course their mommies and daddies) who are now enjoying their tail-wagging, happily-ever-after lives with families who were eager to share their stories and are showering them with love! I was blessed too, to receive support and encouragement from my friends and family.

Once again this year, I enjoyed the distinct pleasure of being invited to make a presentation to the Ladies Coffee Hour Group of North Park Community Church to share my story, my passion for fur-kids, talk about the irreplaceable and vital role pet rescue plays in today’s society, and to discuss the importance of responsible pet guardianship.

So, I am pleased to report that I will be making the following donations ON BEHALF OF ALL OF YOU!!

Cheques, one in the amount of $1,156.00 will go to Paws-United, and the other to Pee Wee’s Pals, in the amount of $325.00 USD.

I am proud and excited to continue the SITPFKWB tradition and work hard to cultivate this annual event. Making it bigger and better each and every year is important and raising awareness for homeless and abandoned animals is a daily concern. I have already begun planning for next year’s event by setting the date (Sunday, September 29th) for the next STROLL-ALONG-SUNDAY, which will be making a great comeback; bigger and more exciting than ever!! Stay tuned to my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SITPFKWB/ and my website http://sitpfkwb.wixsite.com/strollinthepark for all the news and some surprise announcements over the next few months.

In closing, I'd like to sincerely thank all the wonderful folks who so kindly donated to this endeavour –I gratefully acknowledge you below– and once again thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your support during my STROLL IN THE PARK FOR KIDS WHO BARK!!!

My heartfelt thanks to these wonderful supporters:

Liz Ozard | Karen Atkinson | Mallory Alexander | North Park Community Church Ladies Coffee Hour | Hilmar Riese | Marion McGhee | Lorraine Woods | Patricia Dennis |ME | Annie Peacock | Shari McNeill | Bill Wright | Joan Walker | Leisa Smith | Rachel VanGuetselaar | Nancy Hales | Brenda Marshall | Karen Moore | Kathy Mangano | Lori McFarlane | Ingrid Schilder | Nancy Crover | Cheryl Mennill | Melanie Parkinson | Deb Dennis | Ann Munroe | Carole Peterson | Mallory Alexander