AKC to support St. Jude Hunt Volunteers
11/14/2005 3:50:49 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Daisy Okas
Date: November 14, 2005
Phone: 212-696-8343
AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB LAUDS “DECATUR COUNTY’S ST. JUDE WORLD’S LARGEST COON HUNT” EVENT – JOINS IN SUPPORT
"Annual Benefit for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Has Raised Nearly $3 Million to Date"
New York, NY – The American Kennel Club (AKC®) announced today that it will sanction the renowned Decatur County – St. Jude World’s Largest Coon Hunt. The event, which has been raising funds for the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital for three decades, will be held on April 13, 14, and 15, 2006 at the Decatur County Fairgrounds in Parsons, Tennessee.
“We are extremely thankful to the hardworking folks at the Decatur County -- World’s Largest Coon Hunt for the opportunity to be a part of the great work they do for the children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Steve Fielder, AKC’s Director of Coonhound Events. “We urge the coon hunting community nationwide to join in this important fund raising effort -- helping find cures for the terminal illnesses that threaten the lives of the children of St. Jude.”
Held annually by the Decatur County – St. Jude World’s Largest Coon Hunt Inc., an organization run solely by volunteers, the event has raised over $2.8 million since it began in 1976. One-hundred percent of all proceeds from the event are donated to the hospital. Last year the Decatur County World’s Largest Coon Hunt raised more than $180,000. The three day event is held on the second full weekend in April and runs Thursday through Sunday.
“We hope that AKC sanctioning will help raise the profile of this important and unique event even further,” added Fielder. “As always, the goal remains to raise the most money possible for the children of St. Jude and I sincerely hope that the AKC can assist the volunteers in making it the most successful year ever. We have the opportunity to hit the $3 million mark this year and the AKC is proud to be part of it.”
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The American Kennel Club (AKC®), founded in 1884, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of purebred dogs. The AKC maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world, oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States, and along with its nearly 5,000 licensed and member clubs, educates the general public about responsible dog ownership. More than 16,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog trials. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org
AKC® is a registered trademark of the American Kennel Club.
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