I’m not the kind of person who will throw my support behind just any cause. My heart is pretty big, I will admit, but when it comes to being passionate about something, the list I have is pretty short.
Breast cancer awareness – really any kind of cancer awareness — is one of them. My best friend’s mother died from breast cancer. My father died from it when I was 22, what seems like a lifetime ago.
Then there is organ donation. I never really thought about declaring I would be an organ donor until I was 20 years old and my youngest brother was diagnosed with a kidney disease that would eventually take him from us.
He had two kidney transplants during the 10 years he dealt with his disease and even though he eventually rejected both of them, his life returned to being somewhat normal for a while, thanks to two people who decided to be organ donors. So, since 1984, I have made sure I was an organ donor. If you’re not, think about it.
Mentoring is another. Before I moved back home to South Carolina, I was involved in an organization called Communities in Schools. It’s a nationwide organization that does a ton of good things for children across the country, from mentoring to fixing backpacks full of food for children who often go hungry over the weekend.
I grew up in a time when both parents were present, church was something we attended every week and a meal meant the five of us seated at the dinner table. Every night, like clockwork.
I didn’t realize until I was out on my own – and working for a newspaper – that there were children in my own hometown of Greenwood who didn’t know where their next meal would come from.
That fact broke my heart. Still does.
If someone ever decides to start a Newberry County chapter of Communities in Schools, count me in. But it’s not for just anyone. It takes dedication and passion. And giving a lot of yourself and your time.
Then there are the animals – big ones, little ones, fuzzy ones, furry ones, four legged ones, those that can fly. I can’t help it; I am one of those people who has to leave the room when a commercial about adopting an animal comes on. I would adopt them all if I could.
I have a regular little band of felines that comes to my house for kibble every day, like clockwork. I’m sure that when I moved in, my cats told the other cats that they would be welcome to stop by.
So that brings me to this. The Newberry County Humane Society is holding a fundraiser on Saturday and they need your support.
Their Spay-ghetti and No Balls dinner will raise funds needed to continue their objective – helping animals in need. From a pedigreed poodle to a Heinz 57 mutt, this group of people works to make sure someone stands up for the animals in Newberry County.
Tickets must be bought in advance – they’re only $10 each – but it will be well worth it for a plate of homemade spaghetti, bread, salad and dessert. Dinner will be served between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
You can buy tickets at Pet Styles on Main Street, Armfield’s, Linda Renwick Realty, Bowers & Floyd in Newberry or from any member of the Humane Society.
Or you could just drop by The Newberry Observer before 5 p.m. today and buy a ticket from Lorraine, our always smiling front desk person. She loves animals – one look at the area surrounding her desk will tell you that – and she is like a one-woman wrecking crew when it comes to helping animals that are down on their luck.
It takes a special kind of person to be an advocate for an animal, be it canine, feline or any other variety. You have to have a big heart but you also have to be prepared for it to break. A lot.
You also have to be tireless in your efforts to promote responsible pet ownership to those who just don’t understand why having a pet spayed or neutered is important or why microchipping a pet is not cruel.
So, if you haven’t made dinner plans for Saturday, I urge you to drop by one of the places listed above to buy a ticket or two. Or you can drop by The Observer before 5 p.m. today. We love it when people come by to see us.
Plus you can check out Lorraine’s array of animal photos. It’s guaranteed to make you smile.