GATHERING DONATIONS OF MONEY AND SUPPLIES

SEPTEMBER 7 TO 9, 2005,

AND THE LONG DRIVE DOWN

Suddenly, once the decision to go had been made, we now had less than 48 hours to gather supplies and monetary donations.  After mentioning the trip to just a few clients and without even sending out an email newsletter, money and phone calls started pouring in.  It will be impossible for us to list all of the generous donors who helped with money, cages, phone calls and packing, especially since we did not have a record of every single person who made a cash donation, as many of them dropped cash into the basket on our counter.  The following list is not in any particular order, and we have chosen not to list the exact amounts given by each person or organization.  Everyone gave according to what they could manage, and every dollar and item helped the birds.  If I have left someone off the list, please email me so I can correct this oversight.

ALL STAR PET SUPPLYDEVENA HARDWICK

PETCO OF INDEPENDENCESANDRA BROWN

THE CLIENTS OF CURVES IN PECULIAR  PAUL & ANITA SKEHEN

THE PET BIRD CLUBDIANA WONNELL

MIKE OLENDER CONSTRUCTION MELODY RUDOLPH

JON GRASSER    TONI TURPIN

HEIDI SZATKOWSKI  LAURA MCKITTRICK

CAROLYN ROMONDO    DONNA HILL

LYNN HOLT          KAREN KLINE

SHARI HAYESJANI KENNEDY

DINAH BROOKS   SUSAN ETTER

JEN & RUSS LOWNIEANN ZARR

KATHY CORDRY  NANCY GRAHAM

RITA ANN COMFORTDEBRA COOK

JOHN & ROSEMARY SEALSMARGARET FIDLER

MARGARET BJELICAGREG CHOLLET

JANET & LYLE MUSSMAN   RON & RENEE HARTMAN

JEAN EILER   PENNY MONTGOMERY

NICOLE FEARCE HAROLD DELFENTHAL

BONNIE HARVEYLISA PETERSON

MARIE MARROQUIN      KURT & JENNIFER

GAY REEDY         HAMMETT

SUE HAGERMAN THE GREATER KANSAS

CAROL GROMELSKI CITY AVICULTURAL

THERESA SHEARMAN    SOCIETY

DEBBIE MORRISSFRANCES EZER

NANCY WILLIS     MAURICE & LEANNA

PUNKY MCDANIEL    HOLDGRAF

ROBERTA DURBIN     ANN DEY

ED & LOU STRATEMEIER

BRIAN & CHERYL CASEMENT

SUE GOLDMAN

BECKY BARBER

THE MONEY DONATED PRIOR TO OUR DEPARTURE CAME TO OVER $1700, AND MORE CAME IN AFTERWARD!  SEE THE LATER PAGE FOR UPDATED TOTALS AND DETAILS OF HOW THE MONEY WAS SPENT.  WE GOT A FEW QUICK PICTURES OF OUR PREPARATIONS.

Punky and Dr. Julie dismantle the top of a large cage so it will fit better into the van.  Dr. Julie did not realize that the comfortable scrubs she chose to wear for the drive would be her outfit for the next 48 hours!

Elizabeth Berg showed up with her mom Vicki and said she wanted to go with us and help.  She proved to be very useful as her younger body got around easier inside the van while the rest of us made her stay in there as we kept handing her more stuff to squeeze in to every nook and cranny.

Unsuspecting client Nicole showed up to visit the baby conure she is buying while we were packing and was immediately put to work.  Meanwhile, bird nurse Julie Morriss kept track of everything she had organized and packed for us to take.

The four "fat chicks" pose for a final shot before Elizabeth, Vicki, and Dr. Julie hit the long road, leaving nurse Julie behind to run the clinic.  We may look perky now, but 15 hours of driving all night left us feeling a bit road weary.  Turns out we should have followed the MapQuest suggestion of driving I-70 to St. Louis, then taking I-55 to Baton Rouge.  Those winding country highways that looked like a much shorter route were tedious at 4:00 in the morning.  Our plan of two people in one smaller van had become 3 people, an SUV, and a 15 passenger supervan with the seats removed to make room for 3 big macaw cages that wouldn't come apart.  The cages were crammed full of bird food, towels, smaller cages, medical supplies, and bedding, and we had 6 crates of new cages in there too.  The SUV carried our food, clothing, water, and many of the items the rescuers had requested like bleach and paper towels.

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