2015 Annual Dog Walk

Hi all,

Here it comes, our 9th Annual Canines for Kids Dog Walk!  

Our first eight walks generated over $33,000 for schools and kids in Costa Rica and (starting in 2014) Belize.

So far, we have 5 dogs definitely attending with Betty Lou and Lucky being our newest, first-time Walkers and we are beyond thrilled to have them!!  We've not yet met Betty Lou, but Susi and I have met Lucky and she's just terrific!!  We kind of like Lucky's humans too, Dave & Geeta, but ya know...it's about the dogs... 

Good weather or bad weather...it is ON!!! 

Two major “firsts” for us this year:

1. After 16 years of life, our amazing Bismark will not be hosting the Walk this year as he faithfully did for every “Canines for Kids” walk we have done.  Yet, I’m sure he’ll be watching from above and supporting us as we move forward.  
2. We’ve moved to our Lake so, in addition to the annual 1 mile Walk, we’ll be going out on our pontoon boat, hanging out on our beautiful deck and offering all our canine participants plenty of space to run and frolic!

Amongst a number of things we accomplished through last year’s walk, please read part of a letter that I received from the President of the “Full Basket Belize” project regarding Lidia.  She is one of the four students who would not have been able to finish high school if not for the support from Canines for Kids:

“I received the following from the Stann Creek Ecumenical College counselor regarding Lidia, one of the students generously supported by Canines For Kids during the school year 2014-15, and wanted to share it with you.”  

Lidia wrote:

As I leave Stann Creek Ecumenical High School, I can see all my dreams slowly turning into reality. I have almost completed the first lap of the race and I must say that it was only possible to achieve with the help of many people who believed that I could make it through. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Full Basket Belize for giving me their financial assistance. It surely was a blessing to my family and me.

After graduating from Stann Creek Ecumenical High School, I plan to pursue my Associates Degree in General Studies at the Stann Creek Ecumenical Junior College. Then, I hope to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in History and English at the University of Belize. These I hope to achieve in order to fulfill my dream of being an editor or journalist, due to my love for writing. 

“The counselor noted that Lidia graduated with honors, fourth place in her class, and performed the Placida at our Graduation Ceremony on Saturday, 13th June, 2015. Thank you again, on behalf of Lidia and all the other Full Basket Belize scholarship students, for your continued support of deserving Belizean students.”

Canines for Kids may not be changing the world as a whole, but it certainly changed Lidia’s world and will continue to do so, with your donations, for other children.  Please remember, no dollar amount is too small and no dollar amount is too large.  Education remains the most important facet of any community and it’s up to us to ensure that these children are provided this opportunity.

Please support us by donating via the EcoTeach "Donate Here" button on our website.  This donation is tax-deductible; each dollar goes directly towards our goal of supporting the children of Costa Rica.  

Much love,

Dave 

2014 Annual Dog Walk

What a terrific 2014 Canines For Kids Walk this was!!!  We had two newbies join us,  Avery and Bandit, and they fit right into the group!  The weather was perfect and the humans behaved themselves quite properly.  Dad is still adding up the checks and trying to figure out donations given through Pay Pal (that’s dad-never quite figuring out anything) and promises me he will give me a total pretty soon. 

Whatever that final amount is, mom and dad have decided to split it this year with half going to our wonderful friend, the EcoTeach Foundation (http://ecoteach.org/) to finish up on a three year project at Jauuri School in Costa Rica where we are putting roofs onto two long walk ways and building an addition onto the kindergarten with a bathroom for the little ones.

The second half of what we receive will go to Full Basket Belize (http://www.fullbasketbelize.org/ ).  In Belize, the kids must pay tuition for education after the 8^th grade and so many of those kids come from families that just can’t afford it.  They often pay for the first year (9^th grade) but then the kids have to end their schooling.  Full Basket Belize goes through an intensive screening process and selects as many kids as they can afford, giving them “scholarships” so that they can continue  their education.  This year, Canines for Kids has adopted four children and offered them scholarships so those children can still have their dreams for a better life… kinda cool, huh??

With this being our 8^th Walk, it is such fun to see Tyler and Josephine again who have been with us right from the very first one.  Eight years…. actually 56 years for those of us with four legs…. and this will be our last here at this house.  That would be because my mom & dad are moving us into a brand new home on “the lake” so next year our Walk will include boat rides and acres of woods and all sorts of new stuff to get into. … should be fun-fun-fun!!!

So, to the 12 humans and the five canines, THANK YOU for joining us once again.

Tail Wags and Licks,

Bismark

2013 Canine For Kids Walk

 

What a fantastic Canines For Kids Walk we had on May 11, 2013!!!  It was such fun to hang out with Tyler, Abby, Josephine and Koda and do our Walk while our humans just talked and talked-even without running all over the place, barking and doing a lot of sniffing they seemed to have fun too.  We missed Cora this year, but she just got a sister (the human kind) with little Ashling Catherine Cleveland arriving on April 5^th.  Mom and dad are pretty pumped up about being grandparents, but it seems to me that just one baby is a pretty small litter, so I don’t get the big deal personally.

This was our seventh K94Kids Walk… our 7^th!!!  Where did those 49 years go??!?  We actually raised more money than ever, $4,695 but dad says that is a bit inflated as some of it is carryover from last year commitments… I have no idea what he’s talking about (and I doubt he does either), but the end result is a huge $28,995 total collected from our all our Walks since we stared this in 2006.

Construction is well under way at Jauuri School which is receiving our Walk monies from 2012 and 2013. No pictures yet, but the folks at EcoTeach Foundation have promised to send us a bunch.  I’ll make sure to get them on the Blog as soon as we get them!

Only one more Canines For Kids Walk here in Guilderland NY.  Then the 2015 Walk will be at our new retirement home in Grafton---no fire hydrants, but man oh man, the trees will be enough to drain the best of dogs!!!

 

Tail Wags and Licks,

          Bismark

 

 

2013 Canines for Kids Dog Walk!

This picture is ridiculous, but dad wanted me to attach it to prove that he and mom were really in Costa Rica. But, to see them drinking pina coladas? Really?!? So, they were there… drinking pina coladas… whoopee.

BUT, they also visited The Jauuri School and met with the school principal and the entire PTA (mom says that there were 5 of them).  During their visit to the school, they got to meet the kids, see all the classrooms and view the Walkway where we are building a roof and also widening the concrete Walkway (which is necessary because they have two students in wheelchairs and they can’t make it to the lunch room without assistance because the Walkway is too narrow). 

The kids were all dressed up in their finest clothes to meet mom and dad and two girls took mom’s hands and brought her to each classroom where she and dad were greeted by every student who, in English, introduced themselves.  This is a big school compared to those we have supported in the past with 150 students.

During the visit, they all discussed various projects that the school officials dream of doing.  While several were just too expensive (and dad had to say no), they finally agreed on this year’s projects.  So, with monies received from our 2013 Canines For Kids Walk (scheduled for May 11^th), they will be able to add another roof over a shorter Walkway and add an addition to the Kindergarten where they will install a new Bathroom.

So, there we are… Canines For Kids Walk number 7!! Wow, seems like I’ve been doing this for half my life… oh, guess I have…  Looks like we could have 7 Walkers this year so all we have to do now is wait for our humans to get us Walkers some sponsors!

Tails Wags and Licks,

          Bismark
(the ultimate adorable Senior-Citizen-Canine)

Canines4Kids Dog Walk 2012 - RESULTS!

September 8^th seems like a long time ago, but dad likes to wait until the last of the donations come in before telling me how much was raised, so I can now officially announce that we raised $4,095 in our 2012 Canines For Kids Walk.  While this is a little less than last year, it brings our 6 year total to………

$23,300!!!!!  

If you think about it, with just a few little pups doing the hard one-mile Walk, this is amazing.

We had a first-time Walker this year, ABBY, and I must admit she really is a hottie.  She has promised that she’ll come back next year and I’m excited about seeing her again and maybe she’ll be able to bring a friend or two.  I’m pretty sure she’ll not bring anyone cuter than me so I have no concerns about having her attention.  We are also pretty optimistic that another newbie… Avery… will be able to come next year!

Mom and dad are talking about moving the 2013 Walk to the Spring so maybe it will be in May next year.  They keep changing this and it drives me a bit bonkers, but they feed me so I pretty much do what they want.

The money we raised this year has an amazing goal….one of our schools has a 100 foot walkway between their classroom area and their small cafeteria but it has no overhead protection.  So, when it rains (which is all the time…. Costa Rica gets 23+ FEET of rain per year) they all get soaked and then have to spend the rest of their school day wet.  So, we dogs are building them an overhead metal roof.  In addition to that, we will be buying them a huge amount of equipment, including a computer, printers, desks and on and on.

So, that’s where we stand at this point.  I’m pretty pumped up that our 7^th Walk will be the best ever!!

   

Tails Wags and Licks,

                       Bismark

Our SIXTH Canines For Kids Walk!

Well, here we are, getting ready for our sixth Canines For Kids Walk… our 6^th!!!  Unbelievable!  Through our first 5 Walks, we have raised over $18,000 which has been sent to Costa Rica, helping 3 different schools.  We have replaced 2 school roofs, built bathrooms, installed dropped ceilings, tiled floors in hallways and classrooms, purchased desks, white boards, books, cabinets and even outfitted an inner city soccer team.

Dad feels so confident that we will smash through the $20,000 mark this year and EcoTeach Foundation has identified yet another new school for us in need of so many things that it seems overwhelming.  Yet, if we are able to get the support for our four-legged Walkers as we have in the past, if you two-legged folks reading this post send in a donation for your favorite Walker, we will absolutely go north of that $20,000 figure!!!  That is just SO much money… probably enough to buy 40,000 bones or 60,000 Beggin’ Strips.

It’s kinda sad that we won’t have Tyler with us on September 8^th for this year’s Walk as his dad, Jeff, will be away on business.  But, Tyler has promised me that he and his dads will do their Canines For Kids Walk in Manhattan when Jeff gets back.  Great thing about these Canines For Kids Walks, we pooches can do them anytime and anywhere we want, so long as the kids in Costa Rica benefit!!

So, if you are reading this and want to sponsor a Walker, you can either write a check made out to The EcoTeach Foundation or visit their website at   http://www.ecoteach.org/   and click on “Donate” for a link to PayPal…. If you must support another canine, that’s okay, but just remember that my name is Bismark and I’m the most handsome of all pooches!!

But, being a 14 year old miniature Daschund, I must admit that these one mile Walks ain’t getting any easier for me so I need to wrap up this post and get some rest.

Thanks for reading this and for supporting we Canines as we support the kids of Costa Rica!!!

Tails Wags & Licks,

         Bismark

Gearing Up: 5th Annual Canines for Kids Dog Walk!

Well...it is scheduled and ready to go!

Mom and dad have selected September 10th, 2011 to be the date of the 5th Annual Canines for Kids Dogwalk! I am pumped and ready to do my thing. Dad tells me we have at least one new guy, Murphy, joining us. I have no idea what kind of dog he is, but for sure he is not as beautiful as I! But, more walkers mean more funds raised for the schools in Costa Rica and that's a good thing.

It's hard for me to believe that we've been doing this for five years which means that I have walked five human miles, which as everyone knows is the same as 35 canine miles. I will be so excited to see my old buddies Cora, Tyler, Josephine...and to meet Murphy. Dad met Murphy's handler, Carrie, at The Food Pantries here in Albany where dad volunteers (another fantastic organization dad says). Plus dad is pretty hopeful that we may have another one or two newbies joining us this year, but then again he gets pretty excited about all of this every year; I have to calm him down sometimes. I find that pooping in the living room tends to get his mind off the walk, at least temporarily, so I'll be trying some of that if he gets too carried away with all of this.

Mom and dad are waiting to hear back from Ecoteach, which has helped us for several years in getting money to the schools in Las Brisas and Huertes, as well as from the Sea Turtle Conservancy (formerly Caribbean Conservation Corporation), which has been the conduit for us helping the school in Tortuguero. Both organizations are checking out the school's needs for this year and how many of those needs we can tackle. Instead of just sending money to some organization, it is so much more fun to have specific projects to complete, like a new roof, new flooring, new bathrooms - all things we have done in the past.

Only seven weeks to go...I am so pumped!

Tail Wags and Licks,

Bismark

The Fourth Annual Canines for Kids Walk - Fall 2010

Well, attendance was down this year, but we still had Four Canine Walkers, including my cousins Cora and Tyler and little Josephine. Keeping in mind that I am a miniature dachshund and weigh all of 13 pounds, for me to say “little”, you know I mean “little.” She’s an adorable Chihuahua and has been faithfully walking with us for years. And THIS year she broke her previous record and raised $500. WOW!

Plans for this year’s fund-raising are in full swing. The school in Tortuguero will be finishing up on the new classroom we contributed to last year and we’ll use this year’s money to finish the project. Pictures to follow on this one. In two short years we pups will have sent $3,000 to that school for the classroom...pretty cool.

EcoTeach will be getting $2,500 for additional work on flooring and roof restoration for The Huertares School and Las Brisas School. Mom and dad did their third visit to Costa Rica in October and got to visit both schools to see all the progress that has been made, funded by Canines For Kids, and it was truly amazing. Look on the side to see pictures of the old and new bathrooms! Of course, we dogs don’t get the whole bathroom thing. I mean, really? I just love my backyard, but mom & dad and the folks at EcoTeach seem to think they are important so, fine.

Anyway, with four Canines For Kids Walks, we dogs have raised a total of $14,905 for the kids and schools of Costa Rica. That’s a lot of dog biscuits! Another Walk in 2011 and I get to see my buddies again-yeah!

Tail Wags and Licks,

Bismark

Will we do more?

Hi Everyone!

After a whole bunch of phone calls between Dad and some of the folks at EcoTeach, he has been noticeably excited about the possibility of our "Canines for Kids" walk expanding to raise more money for the schools and kids in Costa Rica.

Truth be known, I am pretty excited too, but every time I try to tell him, he just tells me to stop barking. I still can’t figure out why I can understand him, but not the other way around.

Anyway, the folks at EcoTeach have asked Dad to come up with a flyer that they will distribute to the students whom experience the amazing trip.

The purpose of this is to see if these students would like to continue their new relationship with Costa Rica by doing a "Canine for Kids" walk of their own. With dozens of groups and hundreds of students going through the EcoTeach program each year, Dad thinks that the potential for doing more, for the Tico schools and children, is terrific.

Should this pan out, Dad plans to do things, the same way, for other walks as he has been doing here.

All checks will be made out to EcoTeach and hopefully sent directly to them.

Sounds like a plan to me, but than again, I’m just an adorable long hair mini-Dachshund known more for my amazing good looks and cute behavior than for my fund-raising abilities.

EcoTeach and Canines for Kids… a pretty nice match.

Tail Wags and Licks,

Bismark

Canines For Kids Walk - September 2009

Well, it took a while to finalize all the details of getting money to Costa Rica, but is it done and the money is on its way! What a terrific feeling it is to know that we dogs have such big hearts that we can help out, at least in a little way, the kids of that terrific country!

The end result this year was outstanding!

Total money raised from our six Canine Walkers is $3,705.

Here is a breakdown of where the money is going:

Tortuguera School: A new classroom (part of the total funds they raised) - $1,500

Huetares School: A bathroom (100% of the cost) - $1,485

Turtle Station: This is a remote site where school children from Costa Rica and all over the world go with school groups to learn about the Leatherback Turtle, relocating endangered eggs and obtaining knowledge as to their history and status as a species in trouble. Because of its location, the Turtle Station has virtually no conveniences. In a country which averages 22-24 feet of rainfall a year, there is a constant shortage of water at the Station because they have had no means to store rainwater… hence our gift of:

Four Water Storage Towers (100% of the cost) - $720.

For the three years that we have been doing this, the total amount sent to EcoTeach, the Caribbean Conservation Corporation and the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation is $10,905!

That would sure buy a lot of dog biscuits for sure, but hey, the kids need some love too.

Another Walk in 2010???? Why not?!? I love this!!!

Tail Wags and licks,

Bismark

3rd Annual Canines 4 Kids Dog Walk!

Hi Humans!

Bismark, here again, letting you know about the most exciting thing to happen in 2009! The picture in this entry is of my cousin Tyler. Isn't he just the best? He's so fun to play with and he has committed himself to the very important cause of (drum roll please...):

The Third Annual Canines 4 Kids Dog Walk

September 12th, 2009 at 2pm in Albany, NY!

The last two dog walks have been incredibly successful. Through YOUR donations and support, we have been able to add a new roof to a Costa Rican Elementary School, soccer uniforms for an inner city school team, and a concrete floor for the Bri Bri Tribe school. We have also sent several boxes filled with supplies and reading materials.

Our effort does not go unappreciated and it's more important than ever that you take part in this worthwhile effort.

We know that this is a tough time, economically. But please keep in mind, that our toughest time is nothing compared to the lack of financial aid these children receive throughout their vital education. One dollar makes a massive difference to each child in these schools.

Click here for the details of the 2007 Dog Walk and click on the right for the pictures of the 2008 Dog Walk.

Since the money we raise supports two vital organizations, focused on the well-being of Costa Rica, click on the links referencing the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation and the EcoTeach websites for further information. If nothing else, it will warm your heart.

If you would like to give a little bit of money to this cause, we have installed a "PayPal" button on the top right of this website. All major cards accepted.

Your donation is tax deductible if you donate directly to EcoTeach. If you would like to donate to the CRHF, please contact Dave (k94kids@aol.com) so that he can help you do so. Either way, let us know that you support this cause so that we can keep a tally of the money we managed to raise.

This is one man's dream to help a community that he has grown to love. Your donation will be used exclusively for this project and you will be sent a thank you email with a link to this blog that will show how your money was spent.

Whether we raise $1,000,000 or $10, we are grateful to do our part.

Thank YOU for supporting us by coming to this website and making a mental note.

Tail Wags and Licks,

Bismark

Clark

Usually, Bismark writes these Blogs and since his sense of humor is so much better than mine, I gladly let him. This time, however, I wanted to do the entry since it is one of a serious nature and one I feel compelled to write.

Throughout the past three years we have had over 25 dogs take part in our two "Canines for Kids Walks"- from Albany to Long Island to San Francisco. For the pooches, that have taken part in the Albany Walks, we have had them back to our house for a short get together and snacks.

Each of the two years, one of our most beautiful and well behaved Walkers was Clark, a Golden Retriever, owned by two dear friends, Sean and Tina. Susi and I had the privilege to dog-sit for Clark when he was just a puppy and, even then, it was obvious that this was an exceptional dog. He was so smart, learning our “house rules”, the very first day, and even though he was only a pup, he still towered over Bismark. Yet he was sweet, gentle, and allowed "The Bis" to be the boss of his own home.

While back at the house, after each Walk, Clark played in the back yard with the others while avoiding the tempers of some of the smaller dogs. A few times I remember watching Clark as two other canines were having a bit of an argument. He simply sat and watched, virtually regal in his stance and stare. The expression on his face almost said, “Come on guys, play nice.”

Because of Clark’s participation in our two "Canines For Kids Walks", the nearly $400 raised by him has made its way to Costa Rican children and their schools. Regal, smart, gentle and just plain fun, anyone who ever met Clark could not help but fall in love with him immediately. He was beautiful on the outside and on the inside.

This past Spring, Clark started to get sick and after several trips to the vet, it was determined that this three year old, amazing dog, had cancer. In spite of all efforts to defeat the disease, Clark succumbed to the cancer on July 7, 2009. Susi and I share in the grief felt by Tina and Sean’s family.

We extend our most sincere hope that the pain will soon pass and only good memories will remain.

How special are these animals to us?!

How much we love them-even more, how much they love us! I have often said, I wish I was half the man my dog thinks me to be. They fill such a need in our lives and leave such a void when we lose them.

We are in the early stages of planning another Canines For Kids Walk for the Fall. I look forward to seeing all of our Walkers, meeting new ones, and again, seeing old ones.

Regardless, we will miss Clark.

No other way to say it. Purely and simply.

We will miss Clark.

Dave Cleveland

Back to Costa Rica!

I just got back from my two week vacation in the Big Apple while Mom & Dad jetted off to Costa Rica. While I had a lot of fun playing with Jeff, his partner Andrew and my cousin, Tyler, it seems that my folks had an even better time in the "Land of The Ticos".

While they seem to have several highlights of the trip, one of the biggest parts was a visit to the Turtle Station which was created and run by EcoTeach, for the purpose of protecting the eggs of the Leatherback Turtle.

EcoTeach brings groups of students down to Costa Rica to see the nature firsthand, its commitment to the environment and their dedication to the Indigenous People of Costa Rica (including their schools).

Mom and dad were allowed to join one such group from the Fergus Falls Community College in Minnesota (or, as several of the students called it, Minne-snow-ta). My folks loved all ten of the students and teachers and were so grateful that they were welcomed in to their group as if they were not a couple of “old farts” (dad’s words, not mine… I still need dad to rub my belly from time to time). Mom and dad were SO impressed that these young people would brave the back country of Costa Rica during their Spring Break while so many of their friends hit the beaches of Cancun and other more “comfortable” spots.

While at the Turtle Station the whole group patrolled the beach at night, seeking out Leatherback Turtles laying eggs (they saw three). The eggs were then dug up and relocated to the Station and reburied in a secure Hatchery to save them from poachers, who used to dig up all the nests and sell the eggs. The EcoTeach project has virtually stopped that practice and the Groups that visit Costa Rica with them are a major part of that process.

Last year, K94Kids was able to send EcoTeach money for the Indigenous Peoples’ school within the BriBri Tribe which Mom & Dad and the Fergus Falls folks got to visit. This was accomplished after taking two dugout canoes, crossing a river holding onto a rope stretched across it, taking a bus (which looked like a 1955 US school bus) and trekking up a mountain to actually get to the school.

I’ll write more about mom & dad’s trip in another entry as soon as I can get them to stop talking about the Turtle Station, Fergus Falls and the turtles who are over 5 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds (not to mention being around for more than 150 million years!).

Looks like this year’s K94kids Walk will be in the Fall. Stay tuned!

Pura Vida Ya’ll!

Bismark

I Left My Bark In San Francisco

Hey to all you blog readers!

My name is Sundance and I am THE West Coast Canine for Kids!
I live in San Francisco which is cool on so many levels that I’ll not even start to list them.

However, the fact that the Ocean is right here is perhaps the best part of San Fran and I love walking on the beach!

As a matter of fact, that is why Bismark (my cousin) has allowed me to post this entry. My dads and I are doing our Canines For Kids Walk on July 12th and we are totally pumped about this! I am really excited about the Walk this year... not just raising bunches of money, but we are also trying to get another pooch or two to join me on this totally rad enterprise.

So, if you are reading this and missed the chance to donate money to the Albany Canines For Kids Walk (which raised over $3,000!!), you can certainly support me in my efforts!!!!!! After all, there are two coasts to this country (just like Costa Rica!!) and July will be the West Coast shot at doing some really great things for the children of Costa Rica.

Want to support me? Just e-mail cousin Bismark at k94kids@aol.com and he will fill you in on what you need to do. Other than taking me for walks, I rarely ask humans for anything since I’m a pretty cool canine. But hey, this is for a great cause, so, if you are reading this and if you are human, feel free to join in dude!

Consider yourself licked,

Sundance

Second Annual Canines4Kids Dog Walk!

I really like walking in the rain, so the weather forecast did not bother me one bit, but mom & dad were pretty concerned. They had left the TV on and I heard that there were going to be a few hours on Saturday, May 17th, where the sun would shine and it would be warm. When dad came back into the room, I tried to tell him that it would all be okay, but when I speak (he calls it barking, I call it talking) he always tells me to “be quiet,” so I just shut up and let him worry.

But the Weather Channel was right-it was a perfect day for our Second Annual Canines For Kids Walk. We had one Golden, one Chihuahua, two Beagles and three Dachshunds (the most beautiful of all species, and I truly did look marvelous). After the Walk everyone, humans and canines alike, came back to my house and we had a great time playing, sniffing each other and pooping in the back yard. Our handlers took a million pictures of us and ate all the goodies that my brother Jeff had made. The favorite menu item was something called a “nine layer dip", which confused me since I swear that was also dad’s nickname in High School.

We all had a really great time.

And, not to forget the main purpose of the Walk, we raised over $3,100 for EcoTeach and the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, so far, with more money still coming in and the San Francisco Walk not even scheduled until late June. Sundance is working hard out there, trying to get another canine or two to join him this year, so dad is pretty excited about that.

Brother Jeff, my “Blog Master,” will soon be posting pictures of the 2008 Walk so be sure to check them out (then you too will agree, I truly did look marvelous). Also check out the links to EcoTeach and CRHF as those humans are amazing in all the work they do in Costa Rica.

That’s it for now. Dad will be holding our donations until all of them are in and then sending the money to our friends in Costa Rica. I’ll make sure I write another entry after we have a final total as well as the decisions as to how our two organizations will be spending it. Raising the money is fun, but seeing how it is spent is really the best part.

Tail Wags and Licks,
Bismark

The Second Annual Canines for Kids Walk!

The Second Annual Canines For Kids Walk is really starting to take shape. (I think I can officially call it that since this is the second year and it is an annual thing-seems good enough to me). We are getting some new pooches who are showing interest and that is really fun since I like to meet new dogs. There is even increased interest in San Francisco and we may be getting a couple of those West Coast Canines to take part. I know Sundance is way too cool to admit he’d like the company, but looking at last year’s pictures of him walking on the beach by the Pacific Ocean would make any self respecting dog want to join him on this walk!

Dad is communicating a lot with his contacts at EcoTeach and the Costa Rica Humanitarian Foundation regarding specific projects where our money can be applied. So, it is all starting to come together. The real pressure is on me though since I’m the one who has to pee all over the back yard and stake out my turf before the Walk. It’s not that I mind having all the canines over afterwards, but a dog has to claim what is rightfully his, ya know?!? I never realized how big this yard is and it really is quite draining, in more ways than one. It ain’t easy being me.

I can’t write much more since I’m busy raising money from my sponsors for the Walk. I have reviewed dad’s list of who he wants to ask for money and had to make a few corrections. He keeps forgetting that the three Presidential Candidates are trying to raise money, not donate it-poor dad.

Oh, and if you are reading this and want to be a part of this year’s Walk without actually walking, you can sponsor ME! All you need to do is e-mail dad (k9fkids@aol.com). He’ll let you know how to make out the check (tax deductible) and where to mail it. Dad also wanted me to add that 100% of all money raised goes to one of our Non Profits.

Tail Wags and Licks,

Bismark

I Really Like the Spring! (This is me...cute, huh?)

Since my legs are only about 3 inches long, the winter with its 2-3 feet of snow, creates some issues for me that big dogs and people just don’t get. Not that I hate the snow. I love to make tunnels and run through them, driving dad nuts with my "snow droppings" once I come inside. But when it is time to go outside to do my business and the snow is over my head, well... I really like Spring.

Mom and dad are starting to get pretty pumped up about this year’s Canines For Kids Walk scheduled for May 17th. Last year’s Walk resulted in a new roof being put on the school in Tortuguero, Costa Rica -an entire roof for the school! This year dad has latched on to two Costa Rican non-profits which are turning out to be incredibly responsive.

The first, Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, is a small, but exceedingly active organization founded by an American woman (Gail) back in the nineties. Her love and devotion to Costa Rica is evident in her Web Site (http://www.crhf.org/). While she is involved in many aspects of the Costa Rican society, she and dad have agreed that all money received by Canines For Kids will be used exclusively for schools and school kids.

The second non-profit, which dad has fallen in love with, is EcoTeach. They are a larger, more established organization, involved with various aspects of education and conservation. Mom and dad were introduced to EcoTeach by a Tico they met in Costa Rica, named Pika, who has been a wonderful friend and resource in this process. Here it is - two years later - and Pika has just been hired by EcoTeach, which will further the already strong ties between EcoTeach and Canines For Kids.

The EcoTeach Web Site (http://www.ecoteach.org/) has a link to projects that can be adopted. These are the areas on which Canines For Kids wants to focus.

Two great organizations, with people and programs already in place, just waiting for any additional resources they can get from a bunch of 4-legged Yankee dogs going for a Walk.

Sounds easy enough to me.

Time for me to wrap this up and start bugging my family for pledges for our upcoming event!

(Anyone reading this that wants to sponsor me on the 2008 Canines For kids Walk, just drop me a note at k94kids@aol.com ).

Tails and Wags,

Bismark

I Don't Get It!

Okay, mom & dad are really into holidays and I really like that about them. Especially mom - she goes crazy at this time of year and it is really fun to watch her run around trying to do six things at once, bouncing into things and continuing at full speed (actually it is just like Gizmo, our 17 year old blind cat, but he makes me giggle doing that all year).

Last week though, dad made a comment that totally confused me, a little like why in the world mom was cooking broccoli and cheese (because who in the world would eat those two things together?). So anyway, Dad said that people in Costa Rica didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving since it was a uniquely American Holiday. I don’t get it. We dogs are flexible enough to celebrate EVERY holiday with our owners. Doesn’t matter what our human's nationality, religion, beliefs or whatever. Whenever they want to sleep in, buy gifts and eat lots of great food, we canines are all about that... so what’s the deal with humans not celebrating every possible holiday instead of only some.

Really, except for the fact that my mom and dad have the world’s greatest laps, I sometimes question why I put up with them. And finally, just to put me totally over the top as to this Thanksgiving thing, I watched dad cut up this huge chicken-like thing that had the absolute best bones I have ever seen. I mean, I’m talking about a leg bone half my size! But then, what does he do? He just eats the meat-he doesn’t even chew on the bone! What the heck!!?!

Humans ... they ignore each others holidays ... they pass up gnawing on massive bones ... and they cook broccoli and cheese ... Yet with all their idiosyncrasies, they have these great hearts, they love to give to each other and they work hard to help each other, like with this Canine For Kids thing. I guess that is why I really wish them all the best during this season of multiple holidays. May they all enjoy their time with their families and their pooches. Yeah, humans are okay - I know I plan to keep mine.

But really, broccoli and cheese?

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year and Happy all else that may be out there!

Tail Wags and Licks,

Bismark

Welcome to those of the Emerald Isle!!

Mom and dad just returned from a really long trip to Europe where one of my two legged brothers just got married. They were actually gone for only two human weeks but that is 14 weeks in my world and that is a long time! (I was so excited to see them when they got home; I could have peed all over myself...oh, that's right ..... I did) Anyway, my brother Josh married this Irish Lass named Catriona (aka Nina) who is terrific - she pets me a lot and lets me lick her face. The people who attended the wedding were overwhelmingly Irish (the real kind-from Ireland! Not like Irish Setters who just use the name).

During the Reception, Josh and Nina did something really cool. They handed out information about two agencies devoted to helping people and requested that those present at the wedding consider getting involved with one of them. The first was a neat organization that loans money to people around the world to start their own businesses. It is called KIVA (http://www.kiva.org/) and dad asked me to include it in this entry even though he hopes people will select the second organization which is..... US!!! That Josh and Nina would mention Canines for Kids at their wedding reception is really a very neat thing. It made dad cry, the wimp.

I don't really know much about Ireland so I was interested when I heard dad talking to someone about Ireland and the Irish... he said the island is very crowded and quite noisy. But it turns out that it is not the people of Ireland that makes it such a crowded country, but their hearts which are evidently massive. Then I heard dad say that the country is perhaps the loudest of any in the world because these massive hearted people sing and laugh without ceasing. As a dog with his heart in his chest and who spends most of my time using my mouth to eat and lick myself, I find this all very confusing. Yet mom and dad really seem to love these people so since they like them so much, so do I. But I'm still not crazy about Irish Setters.

So, time will tell but maybe we will be hearing from a few Irish folks in the future. If so, that would make Canines for Kids an International Organization!!! If not, it is probably because they are simply singing and laughing again which dad says enriches the world in and by itself.

That's about it for now. Dad is in contact with two organizations about adopting us as a fund raiser and I'll let you know if this develops further.

Tail Wags and Licks,

Bismark

Sabrina Comes Through!!

Sometimes human beings make me so crazy I want to just bite one of them! The only problem with that is that it would undoubtedly be dad who I would bite (I couldn’t possibly bite mom for Pete’s sake). And if I did bite dad, he probably wouldn’t react too well to that and, well, I think I’d probably regret that action very much... but these two legged beings drive me crazy nonetheless!!

Here they go to all this trouble to raise money for the school in Tortuguero and then have so much trouble getting it all there!

Here’s what happened:

Dad received the information about the bank that the school uses in Costa Rica but he was uncomfortable with sending a deposit directly to the bank for a bunch of reasons, not the least of which was that the banking information seemed incomplete, as did the address. Plus, he has never done an international deposit and was clueless as to any additional requirements that might be involved. That said, dad sent $3,200 to his friend at the Caribbean Conservation Corporation who promised to see that it all got to the school. Of that money, $2,600 was a check made out to CCC and the remaining $600 was from the backers of Sabrina (our adorable Long Island walker).

The $2,600 was deposited into the CCC account and transferred to the folks at the school without any problem. However, after much effort by Roxana at CCC in San Jose, Costa Rica, the remaining checks (all made out to the Tortuguero School) could not be deposited at all since the school’s "bank" is evidently a part of a larger account of which Toruguero is only one of many. Therefore, there is no account in the name of Tortuguero and no way to deposit the checks. (I am at a loss about all of this, but dad seems to get it, or he’s just lying and is as confused as I am).

Anyway, long story short, Roxana returned the checks to dad who returned them to Roxana on Long Island. Dad and I figured that the money was gone for good - that no matter how big the hearts of Sabrina’s backers, none of them would be understanding enough to simply write new checks.

“Oh ye of little faith.”

Sabrina must have used her amazing canine charms because every single one of her seven supporters went along with re-donating money and they sent a check made out to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation for $600. It has been sent to Roxana and will soon be on its way to the school.
Really, sometimes people just drive me nuts, but thanks to Sabrina and me, it all is going to work out just fine.

That’s it for now...

Tail wags and licks,

Bismark

Communications - Communications - Communications!

When I first began thinking about putting together some sort of fund raising activity to benefit the school in Tortuguero, I assumed that the only significant obstacle that would confront me would be the actual raising of money. Seemed logical to me at the time.

If a person’s goal is simply to raise money, what other problems could possibly crop up which would rival that one task? My initial e-mail to our guide in Tortuguero, Johnny, was filled with enthusiasm and ideas. It was not until about 5 weeks later when I finally heard back from Johnny and I understood the delay. He had obviously spent a lot of time trying to find someone who would translate my English into his Spanish. Because Johnny spoke English better than I, it was my assumption that, of course, he would read and write it as well. Wrong. This realization led to my search for someone who would translate my English response to Johnny into Spanish as I did not want to burden him yet again at his end.

After several months, Johnny put me in touch with the English writing Principal of the school, Omar, and letters were quickly exchanged. There came a point however when his letters stopped and it was some time later that he wrote me, informing me that he had only been temporary at Tortuguero and was now at another school a long distance away. A few months passed with me trying to find another contact in Tortuguero who could read and write English as I am totally illiterate when it comes to Spanish-God knows, I have enough trouble with English!

At long last, I received a letter from Roberto at the school... in Spanish. Seeking out someone who would be willing to devote a pretty fair amount of time translating my English to Spanish and Roberto’s Spanish to English, my brother in San Diego put me in touch with my newest best friend, Elmar. So long as I do not drive Elmar crazy with too many letters back and forth, it is my hope that he will remain interested and willing to do the translations for me. He has become an integral part of this entire project.

This is all new to me and I’m learning as I go. I keep thinking of the Beatles and a line from one of their songs which, as I recall, went, “Communications is the problem to the answer.” It has taken me nearly 40 years to finally understand what they meant.

Written By Bismark

We dogs know not to minimize goals but my dad has a tendency to be a bit wimpy at times. He had hoped for 10-15 Walkers who would average $200 each, resulting in a total raised of $2,000 to $3,000 for the Tortuguero School. Here is what actually happened:

Our Walker Results: (in no particular order)

Tyler - $620

Clark - $160

Jack - $40

Josie - $85

Cora - Walked in support

Bailey & Harley - $100

Bismark - $540

Sundance - $200

Sabrina - $600

Alabama - Walked in support

Sasha - $200

Teddy Bear - $100

Josephine - $305 (PLUS a full box of school supplies)

Proxy - $250

So, this is 15 Walkers total. The amount of money we dogs raised is $3,200!! (dad added a bit to make it come out even, but it was my idea).

Everyone did great, but I have to mention those in the "Six Hundred Club," which includes Tyler and Sabrina. Over $600 each! Very cool!

Several of our Walkers were able to get additional dogs involved instead of asking their owners to simply give money and this added enough to put us over the top for sure. From the lists of actual "donors," it appears that we had well over 50 people donate money to us and that is a great base for the future.

Fun and successful ... I knew it was going to happen ... and dad was nervous ... what a wimp.

Tail wags & Licks, Bismark