Company description::
At the Land of PureGold (http://landofpuregold.com/), the goal is to joyfully inform and provide assistance. This site was created by School Psychologist, Rochelle Lesser, to recognize and celebrate the wonders of the Human-'Golden' Bond. All aspects of Golden Retriever living are explored and every service field and humanitarian effort that our Golden gems are responsible for, with respect to enhancing persons' lives, is highlighted. Hoping to entice active involvement at the site from both kids and adults, contests are created to celebrate new, notable literary canine-oriented works.
The HERO GOLDENS R US Contest (located at http://landofpuregold.com/herodogs.htm) for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 aged youngsters, will be honoring all those heroes of the Golden persuasion. It celebrates Donna M. Jackson's recently published children's book, "Hero Dogs: Courageous Canines in Action." In this book, which honors those special 'Canines With A Cause,' the author details stories from the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, along with tales of everyday hero dogs.
These heroes or 'Goldens With A Cause,' who are defined as those providing assistance, protection, comfort, rescue or entertainment, may include any one of the following . . . .
-- Assistance Dogs who see for the blind (Guide Dogs), hear for the deaf (Hearing Dogs), or reach out for the disabled (Mobility/Service Dogs)
-- Assistance Dogs who alert to distress, such as seizures, heart problems, or panic attacks
-- Facility Dogs who work with professionals in group settings to help with those with intellectual, physical or emotional problems
-- Therapy Dogs who comfort the sick, troubled or lonely through visitations
-- Therapy Dogs who work with professionals to help motivate the disabled to resist their physical, intellectual or emotional problems
-- Therapy Dogs who help those dealing with disasters
-- Search & Rescue Dogs
-- Disaster Search & Rescue Dogs
-- Detection Dogs who sniff out drugs, bombs or crime-scene evidence
-- Family Dogs who rise to the occasion in an emergency
-- Entertainers (like Air Bud’s Buddy, Sue Thomas, F.B. Eye’s Levi)
There is no entry fee for this contest. And, with an incredible $800 prize package and every published entrant receiving a laminated Land of PureGold bookmark and personalized certificate of participation, there is certainly much reason to enter.
Youngsters from Kindergarten thru Grade 12 are invited to enter, via three separate categories of competition: Pre-Kindergarten thru Grade 3 (Primary); Grades 4 thru 5 (Intermediate); and Grades 6 thru 12 (Middle/Senior). Entries may be made by individual or groups of children (for example, 4H groups, classrooms, etc.). This entry must be submitted by a parent, teacher, therapist, or health professional, certifying that it has been created independently by the named youngster or group, and that there is adult approval for their involvement in the activity. If the entry comes from a group of youngsters, whose ages vary across more than one grade category, this adult should indicate the category to be most representative. Entries can be submitted in either a written or digital video format. Depending on the grade category, written entries could range from one paragraph to an entire essay. Digital video entries should not extend beyond fifteen minutes.
The adult submitting this entry needs to be sure to provide the following identifying information: the grade category (Primary, Intermediate or Middle/Senior) for the entry; the name(s) & age(s) of all the youngsters who contributed to the creation of the piece; the city and state in which each youngster resides; the relationship that he/she has with these youngsters (that is, parent, teacher, etc.); and, his/her own contact name, home address, phone number, and email address.
The basic message to the entry needs to address why a particular Golden Retriever is a Hero Dog or Canine With A Cause. That is, just what sets him or her apart with respect to "unique skills, special talents, and superior work ethic." The Golden Retriever must be one that is personally known. For example, it could be a family member, a Golden that belongs to close friends or someone known to the family, a Golden that the youngster personally works with in a facility, etc.
If the entry is being submitted in written form, it should have a title and be written in clear sentences that displays good grammar and correct capitalization and punctuation. It can be sent with or without photographs, but photos will certainly provide 'extra credit' and give the entry an edge over photo-less entries. The name of the photographer, responsible for taking each photo, will need to be provided, so that he/she can be given credit for their contribution. And, a brief description of the pictured Golden in each photo should be noted (such as formal and/or call name, sex, age in photo). Also, if any persons appear in these photos, a statement must be enclosed verifying that they are 'okay' with their images appearing here at the site.
About Rochelle Lesser:
Rochelle Lesser is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist engaged in private practice in Millersville, Maryland. She utilizes her Golden Retrievers in the roles of Demo & Therapy Dog as noted in the news article highlighted at http://therapy.landofpuregold.com. Her website, LIVE, LOVE & LAUGH with Golden Retrievers (at the Land of PureGold), has grown to be the most recognized site on the breed, with 125,000+ page views monthly.
About Donna M. Jackson:
Donna Jackson, who has written five books, is an award-winning author who specializes in creative nonfiction books for children. She is the author of the award-winning book, "The Bone Detectives," which received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal and was named an ALA Best Book. More information on her collection of works can be found by visiting http://donnamjackson.net. |
