WE Have A Dream...
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- Published on Sunday, 15 January 2012 21:24
- Written by Jade Terminella
- Hits: 746
For the majority of my adult life, my dream has been to make Northwest Arkansas a place where there are the same amount of pets as families who want them. It quickly became my goal to create a platform to campaign for 'no more homeless pets'. In this attempt, Strut for a Mutt benefiting Spay Arkansas (View Website) was founded in 2007. SFAM is an annual fashion show where models 'strut' adoptable dogs down the runway, pushing the message that adopting a pet is waayyy cooler than buying a pet.
The message has been loud and clear, spaying and neutering your pets is the ONLY way to prevent the abundance of animals being put down in our shelters. After 4 years of fund raising, my dream became a reality when we launched Northwest Arkansas' first low cost spay/neuter clinic in March of 2011. The NWA Spay/Neuter Clinic provides affordable spay and neuter surgeries for low income families, students, senior citizens, rescue groups and shelters. Over 3,000 animals have been through the clinic since we opened, preventing the potential birth of tens of thousands unwanted puppies and kittens.
Over 3,000 animals have been through the clinic since we opened...
Through my philanthropic journey I have met some amazing women with similar passion. Melissa Arens' passion lies in the success of local designers; Art Amiss gives rising designers the opportunity to be seen and heard through local fashion events. For Sarah Fennel, her focus lies in supporting her self-started Kenyan orphanage that houses 13 children. Her goal is have a full house of 20 by the end of the year, amazing right?
...her focus lies in supporting her self-started Kenyan orphanage that houses 13 children.
It is OUR dream to give back to this community with pride, love and the determination to leave this world a better place than we found it.
I keep getting asked the question, 'What is the most interesting part of putting this event together?' For me it's an easy answer. I couldn't be more inspired by the team of community leaders, business owners and local designers that have joined forces to bring fashion week to life. WE have a dream. A dream to come together to give back on a greater level, to honor the community that has supported our growth.
In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, 'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.' What is YOUR dream? And how will it become your reality?
- Guest blogger, Jade Terminella from Lola Boutique and Co-Founder of NWAFW
