4-H’ers statewide join effort to raise money for Eli’s Fund
Fund has goal of helping military veterans and their animals
By: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, [email protected]
Contact: Jana Barrett, 979-845-6533, [email protected]
Barbara “Barbie” Wymore, 361-668-5705, [email protected]
Kyle McManus, 361-767-5223, [email protected]
Dr. Mike Moore, 361-993-7388
COLLEGE STATION – As part of Texas 4-H Statewide Community Service Project, 4-H members from throughout the state are rallying behind an effort to raise money to benefit active and retired military personnel and military dogs.
“Each year, Texas 4-H Council selects a charitable organization to support and encourages all 4-H programs across the state to become involved,” said Jana Barrett, Texas 4-H development relations coordinator, College Station. “This year, the council selected Eli’s Fund, so for weeks 4-H members and clubs throughout the state have been raising funds toward this effort.”
Barrett said from November of last year though the first part of June, 4-H’ers have raised more than $30,000 for Eli’s Fund, with those in Nueces and Jim Wells counties raising the most.
“Eli’s Fund was established by Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences as a means to help active duty and veteran military members and their animals,” Barrett said. “The purpose of the fund is to provide financial support to help with their veterinary bills. The established statewide goal for fundraising for Eli’s Fund was $15,000 and through the efforts of our 4-H’ers, we have raised more than twice that amount.”
According to the Texas A&M Foundation, Eli’s Fund provides relief for active duty military personnel whose animals have significant medical issues and expenses, as well as for medically retired veterans’ service dogs and retired military dogs. The fund was spearheaded by veterinarian Mike Moore of Southside Animal Hospital in Corpus Christi, whose $5,000 gift to the foundation to create Eli’s Fund honored Lance Cpl. Colton Rusk of Orange Grove and his military working dog, Eli, a black labrador. Eli was trained to be a bomb-sniffing military working dog and was assigned to Rusk, who was killed by sniper fire in December 2010 while on active duty in Afghanistan.
Moore, who was familiar with Rusk and his family through his work with wounded military personnel and their families, volunteered to sponsor Eli’s return to the U.S. and placement with the Rusk family after Rusk’s death.
A former U.S. Navy and Vietnam War veteran, Moore said the initial funding for the foundation was given “in the name of all the military men and women from Corpus Christi and the South Texas area who served their country.” Members of armed forces often are not sufficiently recognized for their sacrifices, he added, and Eli’s Fund provides an opportunity to thank them.
“In working with and around other military support organizations, it seemed some had lost their way and weren’t using the money they raised to its best purpose,” Moore said. “Eli’s Fund is set up to where 100 percent or very close to 100 percent of the money goes specifically to support military personnel and their animals.”
“The Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation has pledged to cover all of Eli’s veterinary care for the rest of his life,” Barrett said. “And Eli’s Fund is also covering the expenses for many other military dogs through the Texas A&M veterinary college.”
According to Moore, so far about two dozen animals, many with significant medical issues, have been helped through the fund.
“It’s really heartwarming to see all these 4-H’ers raising money for Eli’s Fund at a grassroots level through local fundraising activities,” Moore said. “They’ve put a significant amount of time and effort toward raising these funds.”
“Our 4-H’ers really took the project to heart,” said Kyle McManus, AgriLife Extension 4-H youth development agent, Nueces County. “They decided one fundraiser wouldn’t be enough, so they held both a barbecue fundraiser and a raffle. And the winner of the raffle, whose prize was a quilt made from various 4-H T-shirts, donated the quilt back so we could do a ‘bid-off’ for it.”
The two fundraisers and quilt auction earned more than $12,000 for Eli’s Fund.
McManus said while the 4-H’ers did the hard work related to the barbecue and raffle, adult leaders deserve much of the credit for coordinating and directing fundraising efforts.
“Our 4-H kids had a very personal connection to the project,” said Barbie Wymore, AgriLife Extension agent for 4-H youth development, Jim Wells County. “The Rusk family lives in our county. Many of the kids know the Rusk family personally and know Eli from local events. They know the story and wanted to jump in and help.”
Wymore said the 4-H’er held bake sales and a dance, as well as a skeet shoot in Corpus Christi, earning more than $8,700.
“We’re very proud of our 4-H’ers throughout the state for taking on this project and doing such a superb job of raising funds for it,” Barrett said. “Through these larger fundraisers, as well as placing donation jars, holding bake sales, selling dog treats and other activities statewide, they are making it possible to help military service personnel and their animals. It’s a great effort for a great cause.”
Barrett also noted the Rusk family was honored during the annual Texas 4-H Roundup held recently at Texas A&M University.
Moore added he hopes the 4-H’ers fundraising efforts also served a further purpose.
“I hope the 4-H’ers also learned more about Eli’s Fund and got some insights into some of the trials and tribulations our servicemen and women go through,” he said.
“The military dogs don’t have a Veterans Affairs or other organization in place to help them, so I’m glad we can help through Eli’s Fund,” Moore continued. “And while we want to keep Eli’s Fund at a grassroots level here in Texas, I also hope other veterinary hospitals throughout the country will find out what we are doing here and want to emulate it.”
For more information on Eli’s Fund, visit the Eli’s Fund Website.
To donate to Eli’s Fund, go to: http://bit.ly/1X8Zfnt.
