Dorena Landing, Missouri, 11 July 2013 - 314 miles, 100degF, outrageous humidity, steep mountains, trucks roaring by spewing black exhaust and feet pounding the hot asphalt for more than a week...! Why would anyone want to run all the way across Tennessee in July?
Dusty Hardman, 44, an experienced long-distance runner, is a volunteer with the Parrot Outreach Society in Punta Gorda, Florida, and she is doing it to raise money for parrots!
For the past decade, Dusty has regularly run ultra races that take several days to complete. She ran the last annual 500km, Vol State Road Race last year in just over 8 days, 11 hours. This is the race she will be competing in this July, but this time, she’ll be concentrating on how much money she can raise to buy new cages for the homeless pet parrots at the Punta Gorda rescue facility.
“We average 50-60 birds in our care at all times, and currently have 30-40 birds that are ready to be adopted,” Dusty says. “These are pet birds that have been given up due to a change in a family’s situation, the death of its carer, and a multitude of other situations. We provide a safe place
for these displaced birds, until we can match them with qualified new owners - their forever families.”
Pam Hill, director of Parrot Outreach, and also a volunteer, explains, “The cages the centre currently has are very well-used and need replacing. Ideally, we would like to replace our current cages with larger, stronger and more durable stainless steel ones, which will not rust when they are repeatedly cleaned.”
Dusty will run 30-50 miles a day until she finishes. She hopes local animal lovers will donate to the cause to keep the homeless parrots safe, healthy and comfortable in new heavy-duty stainless steel cages, until we find them new families.
“We’re calling it “Pennies for Parrots,” but donations of any amount will be accepted and appreciated,” Dusty says. “I’ll be running from Missouri, into Kentucky, across Tennessee, hitting just the northeast corner of Alabama and ending up in Georgia. It’s going to be quite an adventure! I just hope parrot lovers will get behind me with a donation to help keep these beautiful, amazing creatures safe, happy and healthy. Every penny donated will be used for the purchase of spacious new cages.”
If you’d like to help you may donate to “Pennies for Parrots” through Fundrazr.com: (https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/aU388) or send a donation to Parrot Outreach Society, 1105 Taylor Road, Punta Gorda, FL 33950. POS is a 100 per cent volunteer 501c3 organisation, and all donations are tax-deductible. For more information on the Parrot Outreach Society see: www.parrotoutreachsociety.org or contact Dusty on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone: (+1) 307 413-7318.