04 December 2009

01 December 2009

Donating to Greyhounds Only

Dear friends, family, and supporters,

I finished!!

I am so exhausted I can hardly see, and I'm so sick of my own voice that I can't compel myself to add even a single word more to my NaNoWriMo novel, not even to round it up to a nice even number. Final wordcount, according to the Official NaNoWriMo Wordcount Validator, is 50,261! Could I write just 39 words more, just to get my wordcount up to a tidy 50,300?

Nope!

I'm going to hit CTRL+S one more time and close this document forever. Or.... until a few months from now, when I have fresh eyes & a big red pen.

When I started this project six weeks ago, I had no idea the timing would be so perfect. A few weeks (and thousands of words into my NaNo novel) we got this message from Greyhounds Only:
11-18-09: Dairyland Track To Close
The Dairyland Greyhound Track in Kenosha, Wisconsin will be closing its gates forever on December 31, 2009. As a result, about 300 dogs will be in need of homes, and soon. For Greyhounds Only, the closure will bring significant financial and logistical challenges, but it also promises a unique opportunity to bring new people into our organization's fold, and raise awareness about this extraordinary breed.

Many of you have expressed interest in helping us meet our goal of ensuring that as many dogs as possible find homes. There are many ways that you can make a difference. First and foremost, have you or someone you know been considering adopting a greyhound? Now is a great time to take the next step, or encourage your friends to do so. Another great way to help is to provide a temporary foster home. Even if you’ve never fostered before, we can give you the necessary information and support to take a dog into your home until it finds its own. Financial donations are also deeply appreciated. The extra dogs we take in will require extra expenditures for medications, vet work, boarding and so on. Please check with your employer about matching gifts -- your contribution might be doubled or tripled.


How exciting was it to know that I was already raising money for greyhounds, at that very moment? (Or at least I was when I stopped procrastinating by checking my email and went back to writing my novel....!)

Thanks to the wonderful Grinnellians who inspired (aka "challenged" or "bullied") me to take up this ridiculous project, and huge, incredible, amazing thanks to each and every one of you who has pledged me!!

With your help, I've raised well over $1,500 for greyhounds this month!! A full list of pledges (in case you've forgotten) can be found on my blog: http://mollybackes.blogspot.com/2002/11/2009-nanowrimo-for-greyhounds.html
There are three ways to donate money to Greyhounds Only.

1) By check. All checks should be made out to Greyhounds Only, and sent to:

Greyhounds Only
335 E. Geneva Rd. #173
Carol Stream, IL 60188

**Donating by check means that Greyhounds Only gets the full percentage of your donation.**

2) Through paypal. You'll find a link to GO's secure Paypal site on their website, www.greyhoundsonly.com

Again, thank you all SO much for supporting me, my writing, and the gorgeous greyhounds!

If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section.

And now I am going to go catch up on my sleep!!

Love,
Molly