Third Graders Host “Activists for Animals” Event
This event will feature books and local artists’ pieces for sale from 5:00-7:00 pm. at 740 State Street, Suite 1 in the De La Guerra plaza. Funds raised at this event will benefit the local organization CARE 4 Paws and to also help to find homes for animals living in the Santa Barbara Humane Shelter.
The event came about as a result of reading the novel Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. After building a strong connection to the silly, rambunctious, lovable, yet less-fortunate dog, Winn-Dixie, as a class, the third graders decided that they wanted to help homeless animals in the Santa Barbara area find forever homes with responsible owners.
The third graders embarked on a “service learning project” to benefit the local organization CARE 4 Paws. CARE 4 Paws promotes responsible pet ownership and strives to decrease the number of animals that enter the shelters as well as increase the amount of animal adoptions. The third grade class and CARE 4 Paws collaborated together to create “Pawsitive Thinking” books for animals awaiting adoption at the local shelters. These books will be for sale at the “Activists for Animals” event.
“I believe that all animals have the right to be loved,” said Annabelle Tiller, a third grader at Cold Spring School. “The animals at the shelter are so sad and lonely because they don’t have homes. It makes me feel good that we are helping the dogs at the shelters find homes.”
“I have been making a fiction and nonfiction book about my pet buddy because I want to help him get adopted,” said Sophie Graham. “His name is Hoss and he is a great dog. I want to bring awareness to these dogs so that people now that these dogs are in the shelter and they need homes. I also have learned that it’s important to make sure that once these dogs have homes that their owners take care of them and are responsible pet owners.”
These third graders envision this event as an opportunity to read wonderful books, appreciate or purchase art, a chance to support a local organization that helps animals in our community, and a whole lot of fun! There will be snacks, refreshments, local artists’ work from the Project Fine Art Zone, and a chance to purchase these third graders’ original books.
To learn more about the Activists for Animals event at the Project Fine Art Zone on June 1, 2012 from 5:00-7:00pm, please visit: www.coldspringschool.net/CARE4Paws or contact Mari Callahan at Cold Spring School at mcallahan@coldspringschool.net or Isabelle Gullo at CARE 4 paws at isabelle.gullo@gmail.com. For directions to the Project Fine Art Zone Gallery, please call Erika Carter at 805-895-7759 or visit www.theproject-fineartzone.com. We look forward to seeing you there!
