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Health & Fitness

Gizmo Parades on Coventry's 300th Anniversary (and Other Doglet Thoughts)...

Gizmo, Patch's Manchester and Central CT Top Dog, blogs about area events and animal rescue efforts. Sources say he also enjoys parade candy.

And hi.  I’m Gizmo,the (3.6 pound) blogging doglet.  Hey do you like parades?  I do!  That’s why I am so happy to tell you this exsillent news!  On Saturday, September 29, at 10:00 Coventry had the biggest parade in town since 25 years ago!  Can you believe it?  And do you know why?  Because it is Coventry’s 300th birthday!  Children’s entertainment was near the memorial green, featuring Stretch the Clown, and a military fly over was planned.  There were even fire trucks in that parade! 

Which brings me to my next item of news.  Did you ever hear of Haggerty’s Fire
Department?  I never heard of them until last week when I met them at the Andover/Columbia Food Bank fundraiser where I was raising awareness and funds for the food bank through my nonprofit, Gizmo’s Frens, Inc.  Haggerty’s Fire Department was there too, in their giant 1976 Willimantic fire engine!  They even have their own band that plays right from the truck!  I could not believe it!  I always wanted to sit on a fire truck, and they said I could.  So I did!  And you will not believe what happened next.  One of the Haggerty brothers asked me if I would be their mascot, since I am the same color as a Dalmatian!  And now I get to ride on the Haggerty’s Fire Department truck in the Coventry parade!  Maybe I threw some candy at you.  I like candy.  Do you?

Guess who else I met at the Andover/Columbia Food Pantry fundraiser last  Saturday?  My good fren Scot Haney!  And do you know after his baseball game, he took his jersey off in front of the whole crowd just so he could put a Gizmo T-shirt on?  He’s a good guy, that Scot Haney.  And we’re frens!

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Speaking of frens, Kimberly Collette, one of the members on my Facebook Fan Page told me a very touching story about her mother who passed away unexpectedly at a young age.  She was an avid supporter of animal rescue efforts.  She was especially fond of an animal sanctuary in Utah called Best Friends, and she regularly sent them donations to help support their programs.  Well, together we decided Gizmo’s Frens, Inc. would fundraise in her mother’s memory.

It is my honor to announce that on Sunday, 9/30, Gizmo’s Frens, Inc. will be holding a fundraiser in loving memory of Ruthanne McAuley Collette for Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary at the Manchester Pet Supplies Plus. We hope you can stop by.  But if you can’t make it and would like to help, Our Companions is asking for donations of supplies they need to open in October.  They have a site set up on Amazon where you can purchase needed supplies for them.  Go here. Please tell them your donation is in memory of Ruthanne.

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Also, an anonymous donor has stepped up and said they would match all funds raised for Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary through Gizmo’s Frens, Inc., and donate the matched amount to another rescue, Companion Pet Rescue (www.cprdogs.com).  They are building a new intake facility for their dogs that will be climate controlled.  So we are very grateful for the anonymous donor, too!

Isn’t it amazing?  If there is one thing I am learning through my work with  Gizmo’s Frens, Inc., it’s that there are many good people in this world!

Hey listen!  Do you like parade candy?  Or have you met the Haggerty’s Fire
Department or Scot Haney? Or do you know of an exsillent pet rescue in the area?  Leave a comment!  I love hearing from my frens!

Sined, The Gizmo.

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