Camaraderie for a Great Cause
By Deb Cooper
This was my first time attending the Cotton Land Cluster in Monroe, Louisiana. My good friend David Williams has told me about the fund raising match that the Southern Handlers Charity League, Inc. holds at this cluster, but I never would have imagined that a group of handlers could bond together this way and organize such a fun, successful event.
For the past 11 years, the Southern Handlers Charity League has organized a fun match for the sole purpose of raising funds for southern dog fanciers in need. They organize fun events which bring the entire fancy together in an effort to raise funds and make the exhibitors feel good about participating.
“Over the past 11 years the organization has distributed over $100,000,” said Pat Booker, Secretary and Treasurer of the organization. “There are years when we have raised funds for a specific cause. For example, we raised over $16,000 to help a handler when she had cancer,” said David Williams, one of the handlers who organizes the event. “We try to donate to individuals in the south, but we have also sent money to other areas. We sent funds to help a handler in California when she was ill,” said Terri Galle, another handler who works very hard to make the event a success.
This year the group organized some unique events which raised in excess of $10,000. “This was the third largest amount raised since we started,” said Jill Bell. This year’s events included a “butt quarter” race which was absolutely hysterical to watch: Kayley Kovar worked all day to form relay teams which were charged with the task of placing quarters in their “hind quarters” and running to the opposite side of the ring to drop the quarter in a cup. She recruited race participants and sponsors and the event was a huge success.
Another event organizer worked the crowd during the day to get donations for the “poop pool” – an event where donors purchased squares on a grid: $2 with no photograph and $5 with a photograph. The grid was laid out on the ring floor and they turned a dog loose. The square in which our canine friend relieved himself was the winning square. What a stitch!
More conventional events included a fun match, a costume contest, a handler’s raffle, in which handlers donate a handling fee, a bag raffle, a home cooked meal for a $10 donation and margaritas were dispensed for a $2 donation.
“It is amazing that we all bond together, despite our differences, at this time every year to raise funds for fanciers and colleagues. We all have a great time!” said Williams. “Our group started 12 years ago when a fellow handler’s brother passed away suddenly and they were not financially prepared. We have held the event every year with the exception of the year of Hurricane Katrina when the cluster was cancelled.
“We can’t forget to mention the Bayou Kennel Club, Vicksburg Kennel Club and the Monroe Civic Center, as without them our event would not be such a huge success,” said Pat Booker.
The group is already thinking of fun, unique ways to raise funds next year.
You can visit the Southern Handlers Charity League, Inc. on Facebook. Donations are accepted year round. See the Facebook page for more details.
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