Teaming with Pet Rock Festival to Teach Kindness
November 7th, 2024
By Heidi Colonna, Kind News™ Writer and Editor –
Each fall in Central Massachusetts, a gathering of animal lovers is as expected as apple-picking and leaf-peeping. The bass drum beats on stage. Smells of curry and pizza fill the air as dogs leap for frisbees or sniff noses. It’s Pet Rock Fest!
The event was founded by animal advocates Charlene Arsenault and Jeannie Hebert in 1999 of Worcester, Massachusetts, to raise funds for humane groups in the region. Shortly after, Arsenault began providing Kind News magazine to Worcester area elementary teachers. Focusing on the care and understanding of animals, teachers in the region like Kind News for its social-emotional learning, literacy, and science connections.
This year, on October 6, the event was successfully moved north from Worcester to the more airy Lancaster Fairgrounds. The new location afforded plenty of room for over 100 nonprofits along its grassy, rolling field. And thankfully, unlike last year’s downpours, the sky was cloudless, letting the sun shine on leaves at their brightest oranges and yellows. In addition to sampling the vegetarian curry and watching Pups in the Air Frisbee dog performances, I shared the latest Kind News issues with those strolling the field.
And now that Lancaster is the new Pet Rock home, its schools will benefit from Kind News, with 17 third-grade teachers receiving subscriptions to begin with the January/February issue in the new year. We’re grateful to Pet Rock Fest’s long-time partnership and dedication to humane education, and look forward to the reception of Kind News in this new area!
Want to get involved? Visit KindNews.org/adopt to learn how you can adopt one – or more – classrooms today, or email KindNews@RedRover.org.
