Grandfather Home For Children Joins Catawba Shriners In Fund-raising Efforts Rudy, a resident Great Dane, was led around Sunday’s event, carrying donations for the day’s fundraiser. A Grandfather Home for Children resident, dog Rudy, and Catawba Shriner Donna Rozzelle, smile for the camera during Sunday’s fund-raiser. The youth at Grandfather Home for Children joined hands with Catawba Shriners, Sunday, October 9, to raise money for children in Louisiana who were displaced after Hurricane Katrina. The fund-raising project was part of a motorcycle poker run event held by the Catawba Shriners Association. Bikers from across North Carolina took part in the run, stopping at various places to draw a card for the best poker hand. The Catawba Shriners were pleased to include Grandfather Home for Children’s Banner Elk campus as one of the stops. “By bringing the riders through here, they are able to see the home and the kids,” said Catawba Shriner John Parker. “The kids are then able to get donations from riders who come from all over.” Grandfather Home was thrilled to host the stop, tying in a fund-raising event with their work with the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League. The children serve as volunteers with the League, an organization where two of their resident pups have come from. During the event, four Great Danes, including Rudy, the “Broadway Barks Hero of the Year,” walked with the children as they interacted with poker run participants. “It has been a great project all the way around,” said Laura Hickey, Director of Residential Treatment at Grandfather Home for Children, of their interaction with the League. During Sunday’s event, the children raised money selling drinks and baked goods. The fund-raiser was part of an effort to plan a Christmas outreach project for the children of Katrina. At the first of December, the children plan to have a project ready and will send their gifts to Katrina’s kids along with a note telling Louisiana children that they have a friend they didn’t know they had. “A flood is not just a single incident like what happened in the Gulf, it’s worldwide,” said Hickey. “Worldwide we are flooded with child abuse, neglect, and other issues that affect our youth. Today is about the kids from one flood talking to the kids from another flood.” The children at Grandfather Home are excited about the project and anxious to send their message to others. “I can relate to them,” said one child. “Before I was kind of unsure, but now I see that these kids need a lot. Maybe I’ve lost everything, but they’ve lost everything too. It’s something we can share. Today isn’t about learning to care; it’s about showing how much we all care.” “Today’s project is fun for me because I get to help others out,” another child commented. “I like being able to give back to the community and be there for others. It’s a good learning experience and it’s really awesome to have the opportunity to do this.” Grandfather Home for Children, a private agency affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), provides love and healing to children, youth and families who have been hurt by emotional, sexual, or other abuse. The Christian staff works with children to resolve the hurt, providing hope and unconditional acceptance, so that they can again live with a family. If a child cannot be reunited with the family of birth, an adoptive placement or another community living arrangement is the goal. Recognizing the critical importance of families, Grandfather Home provides support services to ensure that families will remain together free of abuse and hurt.