AWA says thanks

"Thank you" seems too little to say to all the wonderful people who supported the "Howling at the Moon" party to benefit the Animal Welfare Alliance on Nov. 5 at the Black River Coliseum.

Through the hard work of our board members and volunteers, the support of our sponsors and the approximately 200 good folks who bought tickets, the AWA made more than $10,000 on the event -- a record for us.

As customary with our donations, half will go into our current projects (vaccinations for pound puppies and vouchers for low-income pet owners to help them with spay/neuter costs). The other half will go into our building fund for eventual construction of a no-kill animal shelter to serve people in Butler, Ripley, Wayne and Carter counties who rescue stray dogs and cats.

A special thank you to Thin Blue Line, the fabulous band that donated its peerless talents for the evening. The success of "Howling at the Moon" has put us a lot closer to breaking ground for our own shelter. The generous people in this area are a blessing.

CHARLOTTE W. CRAIG, president,

Animal Welfare Alliance of Southeast Missouri,

Fairdealing, Mo.