Source: www.TurfMagazine.com
On October 18, MUTT MADNESS, a dog adoption event for GIE+EXPO attendees will take place from 11am to 2pm in Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. Held in partnership with the Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) and GIE+EXPO, the leading trade show in the outdoor power, landscaping, and garden equipment industries, this event offers an opportunity for rescue dogs to find their forever homes.
The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI)’s education platform, TurfMutt, and the trade show will donate a $10,000 check to KHS during the event to support their good work in animal rehabilitation, rescue, and adoption.
“Louisville Tourism is so pleased to be a part of this innovative partnership between one of our longest running shows and the Kentucky Humane Society (KHS). Not only will our furry friends bring smiles to the nearly 23,000 show attendees, but will also promote the importance of shelter adoptions – something I wholeheartedly believe in as an adopter myself,” said Karen Williams, President & CEO of Louisville Tourism. “As a premier outdoor tradeshow, GIE+EXPO is the perfect organization to partner with our own KHS as they both share a common interest of beautifying the outdoors – something both humans and dogs can appreciate. We are grateful to GIE+EXPO for the lasting impact they are making on the Louisville community with their $10,000 financial commitment and adoption drive.”
Added Kris Kiser, “We are taking the definition of “show dog” to a whole new level.” Kiser is President of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), which is the managing partner in the outdoor living and equipment exposition.
”Thousands of GIE+EXPO attendees drive to Louisville for the show and can bring a dog home with them. After all, who knows your yard the best? Your dog. And who makes your yard possible? The contractors, manufacturers, and landscapers who attend GIE+EXPO. It’s a win-win for everyone,” said Kiser.
Partnership Is 10 Years Strong
The connections between the outdoor power equipment industry and rescue dogs began a decade ago, when TurfMutt was launched as a cartoon education program in a handful of Sacramento-based elementary schools with the help of well-known children’s education organization Weekly Reader. Now, after forging partnerships with numerous federal agencies and nonprofits, TurfMutt is delivered to thousands of educators and students in grades K-5 (and soon to 6-8 grades) annually by education curriculum partner, Scholastic. Kiser and TurfMutt have been an on-screen education voice on CBS’s Lucky Dog television show and will appear in a new broadcast television show debuting this month on the CW Network called Ready, Set, Pet. The show airs on Saturday mornings.
TurfMutt was created by OPEI’s Education and Research Foundation and has reached more than 68 million children, educators and families since 2009. Through classroom materials developed with Scholastic, TurfMutt teaches students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” TurfMutt is an official Education Partner of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and part of its global Learning Lab. TurfMutt is an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. TurfMutt’s personal, home habitat is featured in the 2017 and 2018 Wildlife Habitat Council calendars.