For us at STARelief, every pet family we help is a small victory. Yet, being a completely volunteer run organization, we are able to only do as much as time and resources allow. And this is where every additional hand that helps is a special one. Today we’d like to introduce a very special volunteer- Sarah! Sarah is a 7th grader at Bi-Cultural Day School in Stamford. She is twelve and a half years old and has already raised more than $1000 for STARelief! Other than fundraising for STARelief, Sarah has also been in the Stamford All School Musical three years in a row. We decided to catch up with this young star and ask her what motivates this dog and dolphin lover!
What inspired you to begin volunteering and fundraising?I started fundraising because of my upcoming Bat Mitzvah this March.
Why did you choose STARelief?
The thought that pets might not have enough to eat or people might have to give up their pets because they can’t afford to feed them made me realize that my beagle Hunter and I were very fortunate. I love that STARelief helps people and their pets.
Tell us a little about Hunter’s Help
Hunter’s Help is my way of honoring my beagle Hunter who died at fifteen and a half in September. Hunter never wanted for a treat and in fact, may have had too many! I felt this would be a great way to honor his life.
How did you come up with the idea of a dog wash to fund-raise?
I decided to do several dog washes in memory of Hunter. Heather from STARelief told me that Pet Valu in Stamford was always willing to help and so I decided to approach them and have dog washes to help raise the money.
What plans do you have in the future to help fund raise?
I would love to continue Hunter’s Help even after my Bat Mitzvah and help STARelief whenever you need me!
We at STARelief, are thrilled to see such young and enthusiastic supporters for our cause and thank Sarah for all her help! We hope that her example leads many more youngsters to join causes and achieve like she has!
Sarah set her goal at $1000 which, at that time seemed unobtainable. Its amazing what one person can do! She says she was touched by the generosity of the community, especially shoppers who came into Pet Valu to just buy food, who gave so selflessly and generously when she told them what she was doing. They enabled her to exceed her goal. “Hunter’s tail is wagging knowing that he helped people keep their pets happy, healthy and home” she signs off!
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Article by Madhumita Ganapathy
Madhu, having grown up in a household that always had pets, fell in love with animals at a very young age. She firmly believes that until one has loved, nurtured and cared for a pet, one’s life remains incomplete. She loves writing, travelling, and meeting new people. Madhu lives in Stamford and joined STARelief as Social Media Director to lend her marketing expertise in spreading the word and creating awareness. Connect with her on Twitter @MadhuG86
