Admission is $15 per family, with all proceeds going to the SPCA of East Texas.
TYLER, Texas — Inside Rogers Hall at All Saints Episcopal School on a recent Friday morning, Olivia Riepe and a small group of fellow eighth graders work to put the finishing touches on a team project.
Eighth graders at All Saints Episcopal School are required to put together a community project called a ‘difference-maker project.’
This one, which is called Fur Fest, will take place on Saturday, March 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Rose Rudman Park. Fur Fest will feature food trucks, booths where you can make dog toys, a photo booth and a 5k dog walk.
Admission is $15 per family, with all proceeds going to the SPCA of East Texas.
Riepe and her group were inspired to do something to help dogs after two Tyler brothers were arrested last year when dogfighting equipment and dozens of injured dogs were found on their property.
Nash Jones is one member of the team; he was tasked with securing the event’s date and location. Dogs were his first love.
“I grew up around dogs, and actually my first word was ‘uck,’ which I was trying to say ‘Huck,’ which my dog was named Huck at the time,” Jones said. “Wherever I went, he was there. Instead of a growing up with a teddy bear, I grew up with a corgi.”
Riepe has a rescue dog at home.
One of the main messages the eighth graders are hoping to communicate through Fur Fest is that there are still plenty of pups in East Texas waiting to be rescued. Many local shelters are packed, putting some animals at risk of being euthanized.
“We need to adopt them,” Riepe said.
Jones says it’s important for the group to speak up for animals who can’t do it for themselves.
“Dogs don’t have a voice ,” Jones said. “We can help with that.”
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