By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
OXFORD — More than 200 dogs’ and cats’ transitions to their forever homes will be easier thanks to student volunteers with 42 Strong – the Tate Myre Foundation.
Dozens of students gathered Wednesday at Seymour Lake Township Park for an evening of pet-kit building and team building activities.
The gathering was one of the foundation’s monthly events, according to 42 Strong Treasurer and Operations Director Joe McCormick. For each event, students come with their mentors and mentees for an evening of fun or team building.
“This month happens to be a team-building activity where we have a company out of Indiana called the Magnovo Group putting on a lot of things they can do with corporations to help build skill sets that these guys can use throughout their life,” McCormick said.
Students were divided into teams for games that required working together, including cup tossing, shooting ping-pong balls into cups and a photo scavenger hunt. Students also participated individually in two rock-paper-scissors tournaments where those who lost cheered for the student who beat them.
After team building, it was time for kit building.
Each team of students was given a type of kit to build, a dog kit or cat kit, that included bowls, leashes, toys and treats.
Each kit will be sent home with new adopters to ease animals into their forever homes, according to Erika Sikora-Harrington of Michigan Humane.
“The transition can be very, very difficult for animals moving from a shelter into a home environment,” Sikora-Harrington said. “Just to have something that’s their own, a toy, a blanket, some treats, really helps comfort pets and helps ease them in.”
Sikora-Harrington said these donations should cover adoptions to the end of August.
While the details are being worked out for 42-Strong’s next meeting, McCormick said it may include education on topics like first aid.
Online: 42strongtate.org.