Revitalizing Animal Well-being, a student organization that focuses on improving animal welfare through volunteering, fundraising and education, is working with People and Animal Learning Services for a “Meet the Minis” event today from 2 to 4 p.m. outside of Ballantine Hall.
The event will feature two miniature ponies, Rocky and Shorty, ambassadors for PALS.
Students will have the opportunity to meet and take pictures with the ponies for a donation of $1, with all of the proceeds going to PALS.
“Working with PALS is a wonderful opportunity to give back to our community and a way to help both animals and children who benefit from their services,” said Anna Sernau, a junior majoring in animal behavior and the outreach coordinator for RAW, said.
President of RAW Taylor VanArsdale said the goals of the “Meet the Minis” event are to donate to the PALS program, provide publicity for PALS, which could result in both larger donations and additional volunteers, and to expose more people on IU’s campus ?to RAW.
“Our officers have dedicated so much time and energy into reaching our goals this semester and, in doing so, have really done a good job of helping animals as well as making RAW feel like a family,” VanArsdale said.
Jennylynn Vidas, community outreach coordinator for PALS, said that by having the event on campus, they hope students are able to learn more about the PALS therapeutic riding program and its mission to serve the Bloomington community.
She said Lindsay Nash , development associate for PALS, will speak at RAW’s meeting at 7 p.m. today in Ballantine 137.
Vidas said Nash will speak about how the organization has used therapeutic horseback riding lessons to improve the lives of children, adults and seniors in the Indiana community.
“The partnership between PALS and RAW is one that’s founded on a mutual love of animals and the desire to help people,” Vidas said.
Sernau said so far in the 2014-2015 school year, RAW has partnered with the Exotic Feline ?Rescue Center, Uplands PEAK and the Brown County Humane Society.
She said last weekend, RAW volunteered at the Brown County Chocolate Walk, an annual fundraiser for the Brown County Humane Society, where more than $20,000 was raised for the shelter.
Sernau said RAW is planning a Christmas party to make cat toys for the Bloomington Animal Shelter as well as an end-of-the-year camping trip at Uplands PEAK and a visit to the ?Indianapolis Zoo.
