Students give generously to animals

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Updated: February 27, 2012 9:47AM

For years, Razzle has watched Hebron Middle School students accomplish many fundraiser from the beginning to end of each school year including food drives, cancer donations, dollars for families in need and shoe collections, to name but a few.

Razzle has been a therapy dog in Carol Noland’s classroom for eight years, and has become the school mascot, with friends throughout the school system.

She decided it was time for her to give back in the way she has seen students do over and over again, so she “woofed” her idea to Noland, who totally agreed, and it’s happening. With the help of the constantly caring middle schoolers, posters went up on walls, word spread to the high school, and their newest gifts will go to Razzle’s animal friends who are at rescue shelters or live with some of his school friend’s families.

With the tough economic times, just paying bills and feeding the humans becomes difficult, so oftentimes there are few dollars left for food for beloved pets, which saddens their owners — and Razzle.

Although the fundraiser is less than a week old, she is grinning from ear to ear, and her tail is wagging constantly for the amount of food and items for other animal needs that have already been donated. Even high school students who have been Razzle’s special friends are supporting this event.

But it doesn’t surprise this sweet dog or her owner, Noland, who said she has never seen a school whose students are so consistently eager to help others in every way.

Razzle asked me to request that, next time you go shopping, please buy some dog or cat food, and drop it off at your local shelter in her name, remembering that our pets are as much of a part of the family as the rest of us.

She gave two “woofs” to say thank you.

If you are parents of high-schoolers, and they are planning next year’s classes, please consider checking out the tremendous programs offered by the Technical and Career Center in Porter County.

Whatever their future aspirations, these programs can really give a jumpstart to careers, whether their interest is in construction, electronics, marketing, auto mechanics, health care, video and media, education, landscaping, criminology, welding, computer technology, food and restaurants, sports medicine, and on and on. The best way to learn about the awesome offerings is to attend an open house in the specific area of interest.

On Jan. 26 and Feb. 8, informative open houses will be held throughout the county. A call to 531-3170 will give you everything you need to learn what programs will be offered at what site.

Students who have taken advantage of the career and technical opportunities have success stories that will inspire you and your high-schoolers. The Northern Indiana Public Service Co. is so impressed with the ongoing alternative energy project that it has provided a generous donation in support of these students who are the future of energy conservationists.

Wind generators, robotic solar trackers and photovoltaic panels may be foreign to us, but the young people studying and compiling all this new data will be saving us money on future electric bills.

So take a look at what’s happening right here in an area of learning that seems to be the best kept secret in our school systems.

Then I hope you have a great day because you deserve it. Thanks for reading. Fly your flag.