This season of giving, Haldane students once again participated in a “Kongsgiving” fundraiser to help give dogs the gift of joy. This year, Haldane’s Reaching Out for Animal Rights Club (ROAR) and the Leadership, Experience, Opportunity Club (LEO) collaborated with the Special Needs Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Northeast (SNARR) shelter in Westchester in a semi-successful fundraising effort.
The ROAR club was in contact with SNARR Northeast through a mutual connection with the club’s advisor and Haldane English teacher, Ashley Linda. Up to early December 2024, students and families were asked to donate Kongs, food, and other treats for dogs who have special needs. The “Kong” that inspired the name Kongsgiving is a dog toy that you can put specific edible fillers into to help the dogs eat. They are also commonly used to help solve behavioral problems with dogs. In addition to Kongs, donations included many foods and treats that could be used as fillings.
The heads of ROAR, juniors Max Sanders and Anna-Catherine Nelson, shared more information about this fundraiser. “We have done this every year for the club,” Nelson said, “Because, as the ROAR club, we find it important to give back to animals.” Sanders stated, “Last year… we raised enough [toys] to give 20 dogs toys, which brightens the mood of the dogs and the people who work [at the shelter].” Sanders also noted that in the holiday giving season, where people are the focus of gift-giving, pets are often overlooked.
However, Linda reported this year that the fundraiser wasn’t as successful as in previous years. The clubs collected 8 Kongs, 2 cans/jars of food, and a dog toy, which was less than last year’s collection. However, the club decided to donate $100 to SNARR Northeast along with the Kongs, toys, and treats collected to compensate for the lower funds.
