Carraige Towne News
“Strut Your Mutt”
KINGSTON – The Children Against Mines Program - New Hampshire will host a “Strut Your Mutt” fundraiser to raise money for a mine sniffing dog from 9:00 a.m. - Noon. Students at DJ Bakie Elementary School in Kingston, along with parent volunteers and other students from the Sanborn Regional School District are spearheading the effort. The Marshall Legacy Institute’s CHAMPS program raises money to have dogs train to sniff out land mines. Once a dog is trained, it is then deployed to a war torn nation for duty.
On Sat., October 18, beginning at 9:00 a.m. dogs large and small will register to strut with their owners and friends. For a suggested $20.00 donation, an entire family or group of friends can participate. (No donation to participate will be turned away.) The event will take place at The Kingston Plains. There will be three course choices to strut: a .5 mile Sprint course, a 1 mile Intermediate course and a 2.5 mile Marathon for those who can walk the distance. The Strut begins at 10:00 a.m. There are vendors who will be selling their animal friendly services and products. The CHAMPS students will have a booth to discuss landmines, how the problem is being addressed and how dogs are helping to save both human and animal lives!
It costs nearly $20,000 to purchase, train and deploy a dog in the field. The Sanborn Regional School District has been participating in this worthy cause since the spring of 2005. CHAMPS NH has successfully sponsored “Granite,” a German shepherd who is presently sniffing out mines in Bosnia as well as purchased a prosthetic leg for a 16-year landmine survivor.
CHAMPS allows children to become involved in fighting the global landmine epidemic by educating kids about the threat of mines and raising funds to “adopt” a mine detection dog. Students learn that they have a voice and can make a difference. Children are naturally eager to learn about their peers in other countries and enthusiastic about animals. The CHAMPS program teaches children to be global citizens, to have compassion for others who suffer and that they can have a dramatic impact on improving the lives of other people and animals.
Your efforts are helping. Three years ago, a human was maimed or killed by a mine every 22 minutes. Now in 2008, it is every 40 minutes. It is estimated that in another 10 years the world can be “mine safe.” Come be a part of solving this problem.
For more information on how you can become involved, contact Beth Scanlon at 642-4069 or go to www.CHAMPSkids.org for a registration form for the event.