Pooch-a-Palooza Pushes Us Over the Top!

I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to Jim Puccio and his wife Cyndy, who works with many of us at Farm Sanctuary. At Jim's recent 50th birthday party - Pooch-a-Palooza - they collected $77 from guests to help Chuck! That has brought our GiveForward total to just over the 32% mark for a total of $8008!

Thanks Jim and Cyndy!

Winter is coming!

Okay, well it's not exactly around the corner. But as sure as we're sipping ice tea on the front porch today, we'll be scraping ice off our cars again before you know it. And if you think you'll be looking for a winter coat some months from now, here is a great opportunity to get ahead of the game, score some fashionable warmth and help Chuck!

Our friend Leanne Hilgart at Vaute Couture (fabulous high-fashion vegan threads) is now accepting pre-orders on her new line of winter coats, at discounts up to half off with maximum deposit (save up to $290 with pre-order). If that's not a chic deal, I don't know what is.

But wait, it gets even better! First, she donating all net profits on the sale of the Vaute style coat (pictured here) to Farm Sanctuary. And when you order ANY style, enter the promo code "Chuck" at checkout and $10 will be donated to Chuck through our Chuck 300 GiveForward account!

Visit VauteCouture.com to reserve yours now through June 30th and get up to half off, which means they start at $150. Wow! Coats are vegan, eco-conscious, inspired by artists, and constructed on a living wage in Chicago. How many different ways can we say "awesome?"

Coming Soon - Walk Training: OBX Edition

That's right, Jenn and I are heading to South Carolina this weekend for the wedding of our friends Melissa and Shawn. And after the wedding, we'll be driving a couple hours north to the southern tip of North Carolina's Outer Banks. My mom and her husband Steve have rented a condo there for the week and were kind enough to invite us along for some much needed rest & relaxation.

Of course, what I'm really looking forward to is having the time to walk many miles, on the beach, every day! I'm imagining that we'll get up at around sunrise and walk six miles or so, then do the same thing again in the late afternoon. Of course, I expect we'll be going at a slower pace than usual to allow time for beach combing and body surfing, but getting plenty of exercise is definitely on the agenda. I'm really excited for this opportunity to recharge mentally and physically in preparation for our last three weeks leading up to the big event. In fact, when we get back to Ithaca on July 5, we'll only have two weekends left before TAFA! Yikes! It is definitely coming down to the wire.

Meanwhile, Zoe will be training solo here at home AND participating in the local chapter of the World Wide Vegan Bake Sale, the proceeds of which will also benefit Chuck. While I wouldn't miss the beach for anything, I am sad that we can't teleport ourselves back here for a few hours to participate in that deliciousness. Let me tell you, if our friends know anything, they know how to bake some outrageously fantastic cookies, cupcakes and other goodies.

Introducing Philanthroquest Ink

I'd like to take a short moment here to cross promote something new that I'm working on. The (ongoing) experience of organizing the 300 Miles For Chuck event has sparked my interest in learning about similar efforts being made by other people for their own causes. Like fellow 300 Miles participant Greg Straight Edge, whose Exercise Compassion project has him biking all over the country to raise awareness about veganism, or Sarah Raskey, who recently made an art infused road-trip (Running on HeART) with her friends from Chicago, IL to Laguna, CA to help save a thriving open art studio that she founded.

And I just wouldn't be me if I didn't start a blog to explore that interest further. Philanthroquest Ink is that blog, and I hope you will all keep an eye on it in the coming months as we discuss adventures for charity, volunteer vacations, eco-travel and more. And if you know of any events taking place that might fit into that profile, please let me know. My hope is that this blog will help promote some really great causes and inspire people to launch projects of their own.

Thanks!

Now, stay tuned for more updates on the 300 Miles training. We're only 5 weeks away!

Ithaca Journal Features Walk & Vegan Bake Sale

The Ithaca Journal posted an article yesterday announcing the first Ithaca installment of the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale, and proceeds from this bake sale will benefit Chuck. If you live in the area, your taste-buds will not forgive you for missing this event!

The same article also highlights the 300 Miles For Chuck effort, bringing us some much needed new publicity. A huge thanks to Natalie for this great media outreach!

Also, stay tuned for an exciting new video that Mike Mayer (1/2 of our film crew) is editing together from footage taken two weeks ago.

So long radiation!

Chuck had his last radiation therapy session yesterday, so if you have a minute to spare, be sure to send him your congratulations!

It looks like there won't be any serious walk practice this weekend as I have a wedding to attend five hours away and Jenn will be working Saturday. I suppose it's possible we might do a shorter walk or bike ride on Sunday though.

Finally, it looks like we will be getting a little attention from another great blog very soon, and I will provide a link to that as soon as I have one. Stay tuned!

The Financial Impact of Cancer

Why are we raising money for Chuck? Watch this:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

New Video!

Excellent work by our film crew. Check it out!




Read below for details about our day.

Weekend training victory!

I don't have a ton of time to write this evening - we have to walk the dogs and start making dinner. But I did want to log in briefly to report that Zoe, Jenn and I met our training goal for yesterday with energy to spare! Okay, not a lot of energy to spare, but we've come a long way since April. First we walked 21 miles and then biked 20 miles. As you can see below from our tentative walk itinerary, that is approximately the same distance we have to cross on our first, fourth and fifth days. 

Sunday - Arlinton, VA to Barrett, MD - 41.5 Miles
Monday - Barrett, MD to York Springs, PA - 45.6 Miles
Tuesday - York Springs, PA to Liverpool, PA - 49.5 Miles
Wednesday - Liverpool, PA to Watsontown, PA - 42.2 Miles
Thursday - Watsontown, PA to Ralston, PA - 38.4 Miles
Friday - Ralston, PA to Caton, NY - 45.4 Miles
Saturday - Caton, NY to FARM SANCTUARY - 29.1 Miles

Actually, when we finished our walk, I think we all felt a little beat. But as soon as we got on our bikes, it was like we were almost fresh again. One, I think it felt good to be sitting, even on a bike seat. Two, we were using different muscles, and three, the speed at which the miles flew by was very refreshing! Granted, most of the road we covered on the bikes was relatively flat, a topographical gift that we won't enjoy climbing up through Pennsylvania. It's hard to train for this in Ithaca because all the terrain is either really flat or outrageously steep. But we do plan to optimize a bit during our trip from DC by choosing bike segments according to the terrain we expect. Part of our preparation for the trip, I hope, is that we're going to drive down along the actual route. That way, we'll be able to take notes about which sections of the road look good for riding vs. walking, among other things. ("Note: Don't stop for directions at country store with one-legged man playing banjo and drinking moonshine on front porch.")

This morning, Jenn's knees were bothering her a little bit, but we took our bikes out for another ride - which included walking them most of the way up to College Town - the mini-Ithaca that serves Cornell. Though a bit sore, we were both surprised that we were nonetheless able to go up those hills without too much trouble. And that, I think, is what really makes me feel optimistic about our actual trip. Going 40 to 50 miles in one day is one thing. But getting up the next day and hitting the road again... I think if we could do it today, we'll really be alright at the end of July. We ended up riding (just Jenn and I - Zoe had to work) another 12 miles today, and I think we could have easily done more if time and a pending rainstorm hadn't been obstacles.

Other notes from yesterday:

Bryce and Mike came out and taped a good portion of our walking. This was Mike's first time seeing us in action and I think they got some good footage. There should be a video posted soon.

We found another animal in distress. This time it was a lost dog, wandering around the other side of Beebe Lake. The traffic isn't too busy up there, but there are a lot of blind curves, and he could have easily been run over. Unfortunately, he wouldn't let us get close enough to grab his collar. So while I called Kate Walker to bring her SPCA expertise to the scene, we followed the dog as he wandered over roads and through yards. Eventually, we pursued him into a really big yard, where we made a three point circle around him, hoping to keep him in one place until help arrived. 

Of course, being an agile dog, it wasn't long before he slipped through us. That's when I discovered he would chase me if I ran.  So I started running around the yard, hoping that he would either tire out or eventually get close enough that I could snag him. But after about five minutes of this behavior, me running and him chasing and barking, the owner of the house came out to see what all the ruckus was about. He didn't even ask what we were doing, just kind of glowered at us. So we tried to explain that we were trying to catch the dog because he was lost. The man replied, still giving us an evil eye, "He's not lost. He lives here." Aha! Apparently we'd chased him home! 

"Well," I said, "He was all the way down by Beebe Lake." I was expecting the man's mood to change at any moment. Something like, "Wow, really? Gosh! How'd that happen? Thanks for bringing him back!" But no. Mr Stick-up-his-ass just stood there, glowering at us like we were some trio of motley vagrants, on the brink on home invasion. I'm not sure exactly what any of us said next, but it must have been somewhere along the lines of, "Okay then. Well. Okay. Guess he's okay now." As we walked back down the driveway. And away we went, utterly disgusted and hoping that this man was married to somebody who cares a lot more about the family dog than he obviously does. If you're ever visiting Ithaca and you'd like to meet the most rude person in Forest Home - the historic and secluded wealthy enclave that borders Cornell Plantations - I'll be happy to give you his address.

On a more pleasant note, Zoe took Jenn and I too brunch on her earned food credit tab at ABC Cafe, where she's been volunteering. Thanks, Zoe!

Finally, have you seen the GiveForward page today? We're up to 30%! Several new people have made contributions, including some of our Canadian friends. And I want to give a special thanks for a major gift from Diane Miller. Thank you, Diane! Thank you, everyone!

New media hits

I've been pleased to see that even after most of the buzz has died down after our splash on the Girlie Girl Army blog, some donations have continued to come in. Part of that is undoubtedly thanks to some friends out there in the world wide web who have kept the story going.

First, Candle Cafe in NYC - one of the most amazing vegan establishments ever - posted a link to the story in their e-newsletter.

And then, Chuck's tattoo was featured on vegantattoos.com, along with a link to this blog.

Thanks to these mentions and others, we've moved up to 29%!

Animals? Who gives a shit?

Please excuse my profanity, but in the mood I'm in right now, it seems appropriate.

Last Sunday, Jenn and I headed out to do some walking in the late afternoon. After winding our way through Cayuga Heights, we arrived at Beebe Lake, which is part of the Cornell plantations. Originally, this area was a forested swamp, but to capture hydro-power, a dam was built on the downstream end, raising the water level by around 28 feet. At that end of the lake, Fall Creek cascades over the wall of the dam and the natural rock that the dam is built into before entering a short, relatively calm pool. At the end of that calm pool is another waterfall. Here is a satellite photo of the area; if you zoom in on the left side of the lake, you can see the layout pretty well:

View Larger Map

It's a beautiful area and home to abundant wildlife. In particular, there are several families of geese that have been living there over the spring. 

As you can see in the photo, there is a foot bridge that crosses over the gorge between the dam cascade and the lower falls. Jenn and I were crossing over the bridge when we saw two people looking down into the gorge, one of them holding a cardboard box. Soon we saw what they were looking at: two goslings were paddling around below us in the short section of calm water. The couple with the box told us that these two goslings had gone over the wall of the dam from Beebe lake when a couple of dogs happened by, startling them away from their parents and siblings. And now, they were trapped below, between the two waterfalls. The walls of the gorge on either side were essentially sheer cliff.

The couple with the box thought perhaps that if the goslings went over the second falls, they might survive. And since the gorge below that waterfall was accessible by a footpath further downstream, they thought they might rescue the babies if they went over. After all, they had survived the first waterfall. But it was pretty clear to Jenn and me that while the first waterfall, was a series of short survivable bumps, the second waterfall was much too high. If they went over, that would be the end of them.

I considered trying to climb down from the Beebe Lake side, but I hesitated. First, I figured it was probably illegal, and second, scaling down even the one portion that was not sheer cliff looked pretty dangerous. I imagined myself getting stuck down there, or worse. I certainly didn't need to be billed thousands of dollars for an emergency rescue. And since the goslings did not seem to be in any immediate danger or distress - they actually looked fairly content where they were - it seemed wise to consider other options. 

First I thought to call Cornell's wildlife clinic, but since their number is unlisted, I had to call the pet hospital's emergency line instead. After I described the situation to the receptionist, she told me that the wildlife clinic would not be able to help. They don't come out to get animals. But I insisted on talking to them, so she took my number and said she would ask them to call me.

I hung up and we waited, watching the goslings swim around, grooming themselves and snacking on whatever morsels happened to be down there. I again considered how I might climb down myself, but Jenn was afraid I would kill myself and the couple with the box thought it was too dangerous as well. 

After ten minutes or so, the wildlife clinic called me back. No, they would not come out to rescue the goslings, and cautioned me not to try. I asked if they thought the fire department might send someone, and she thought it was worth a try. So I called the Ithaca Fire Department. The gentleman who answered the phone there said it wasn't his jurisdiction, but more importantly, the IFD was not allowed to do anything dangerous to save an animal. I tried to explain that it wasn't that dangerous, especially for someone with the right equipment, like some rope and climbing gear. Surely they had some of that lying around. He suggested I try calling the Cornell Police.

So I called the Cornell Police, and the dispatcher there told me basically the same thing. "We wouldn't waste manpower just to rescue two goslings." She said she would call the SPCA, who might come down to help, but in the same breath she told me they would advise the SPCA against going because it was too dangerous. When I asked if somebody from the SPCA would call me, she said, "No, we'll take care of it." Meaning of course that they wouldn't do a damn thing.

With all our options now exhausted, Jenn said that if I could get Don Walker, a fellow Farm Sanctuary staffer and avid gorge hiker, to go with me, we could try to rescue the goslings ourselves. When I called Don, he suggested that we call Kate Walker (no relation), who used to work for Farm Sanctuary before taking her current job as a Humane Officer for the SPCA. If Kate was willing to try a rescue, he would come help us out. Finally it seemed like a plan was coming together. 

I called Kate, and she said she could be there in 20 or 30 minutes - she was finishing up another call. There was hope! Kate and Don and I would scale down into the gorge together and rescue those goslings! 

But then, just as I was getting off the phone with Kate, the goslings went from contentedly swimming around in the pool below to walking out along a ledge toward the lower falls. We barely had time to gasp in horror as they walked out too far and toppled off the side of the cliff. It happened in just an instant. 

Suddenly, the four of us were sprinting off the footbridge, up the hill toward Stewart Avenue where another bridge crossed the gorge. From that vantage, we could see two tiny specks floating lifelessly in the water. They looked dead. But then one of them began splashing about weakly. Maybe he was just stunned by the fall. So we took off again toward the footpath that led down to the water. I got to the bottom faster than I ever imagined possible, practically surfing down a mudslide shortcut between a long switchback on the trail. I ran over the rocks and through the water until, out of breath, I reached the pool below the waterfall. I could see both goslings clearly now, and neither one was moving. 

The closest one was floating toward me, so I pulled it's fuzzy body from the water and laid it gingerly on a rock. Hoping against all reason, I felt for vital signs. But there were none.

I turned to walk back down stream just as Jenn was catching up, her legs being substantially shorter than mine. Our eyes met and I shook my head. We both made an effort not to cry. 

Further back, the couple with the box was carefully making their way along. They were certainly discouraged to hear the news, but I could tell that it didn't touch them the way it did us. These two people, who had stuck with us through the whole 30 or 40 minute ordeal and were prepared to be inconvenienced for the sake of two goslings, probably cared more than most people would. But at the end of the day, it was just two goslings. 

Just two goslings. That was the attitude of the wildlife clinic, the fire department and the police department, each one passing the problem off on somebody else, not wanting to be inconvenienced for the sake of mere wild animals. Maybe if it had been a puppy or a kitten trapped in the gorge, those people on the phone would have been more interested. But people who care about all animals, not because they're cute or cuddly, but because they are sentient beings like us, are few and far between.

As Jenn and I walked home, our eyes as wet as our soggy shoes, I kept hearing Chuck's voice in my head from the interview he gave after the pig rescue last summer. Asked what made the pigs so worth rescuing, he said "I don't think it mattered so much that it was 'just pigs...' It could have been chickens; it could have been rats; it could have been anything. I would have gone out there no matter what."

And while I debated whether or not to tell this sad story, those words echoing in my head made me realize again just how rare it is in our society to find people with so much compassion that they will endure real hardship and sacrifice for the sake of creatures that most people consider little more than animal-things. If someone like Chuck (or Don or Kate) had been working at the wildlife clinic, or the fire department, or the police station, we might have saved those goslings instead of wasting half an hour getting the run-around from people who would barely lift a finger. Jenn and I both regret that we didn't just take immediate action ourselves. Instead we held onto the false hope that somebody with better resources and equipment would actually give a shit.

So let's take a moment again to appreciate the people who give a shit. Here's to Don and Kate. Here's to everyone I work with at Farm Sanctuary. And most of all, here's to Chuck.

Thank you Amy!

Wow! We just got a $500 donation from Amy Spagnole! Amy, I'm not sure who you are or what brought you to our aid, but if you're reading this, THANK YOU! We are now at 27%!