Support Apollo's World Record Attempt
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The gist:
We're going to attempt to break the world record for loudest bark by a dog (yes, really). There are a lot of requirements needed to measure and document the attempt, including special equipment, sound professionals, video documentation, photographic evidence, and independent eye witnesses. Apollo doesn't have a job so he can't pay for any of it. We've started this fund raiser to help raise the money he'll need to break the record, with 50% of proceeds going to charitable causes until our costs (still TBD) are funded. If there is any money over that amount, 100% will go to charity. You can read more about the charities below.
Our story:
My parents died in 2021 and 2022 at the ages of 65 and 71, respectively. Both died primarily of cancers they had been fighting for many years. Both spent time in a combination of Assisted Living Facility (ALF), Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF), or short-term rehabilitation facilities. Both were unable to care for themselves independently. Both lived alone.
Seeing the effects of their isolation, both at home by themselves, and in these facilities, added another level of heartbreak to an already devastating situation. These facilities exist out-of-sight, out-of-mind for most people, with high staff turnover and sometimes shockingly little oversight.
My parents were fortunate that they had us to be advocates for them, because otherwise, things would get missed.
Even with our best efforts, my dad died, in part, due to cancer medication that was never dispensed to him by his ALF (Watermark Retirement communities) over the course of several months before his death.
The people in the facilities helped by Silver Santas and Be a Santa to a Senior are mostly forgotten about. I spoke to representatives at each organization, who told me most of them don't have any family to visit them during the holidays.
With my parents gone, I don't have a lot of family to see over the holidays, either. Since their passing, the holidays have been a very hard time for me - being isolated and alone. My first Christmas without either of them, one person sent me a gift in the mail. I don't have many people to buy presents for, which was a favorite part of the holidays for me.
I've spent much of the past few years completely alone. Until May of this past year, when I got Apollo.
I have a theory as to why people love their pets so much, considering them like their children. It's because we take care of them. They depend on us, and can only thrive because of the care and duty we provide them. It is the same with babies. We love what we tend to.
It was the same with my parents. They were what I tended to, cared for, helped survive. I got to love them on a level I didn't know was possible. After 6+ years being a caregiver, over a span of 8 months, everything was gone.... Silence.
Silence, no longer.
Apollo is here, and he is loud.
He's my best buddy. We hang out every day. I feed him, I walk him, I find ways to keep him entertained and enriched. We split an apple every day, and I tuck him in every night. He gives me purpose, and I feel less alone. Before, during the depths of my isolation, I might go days without speaking to anyone. Now, I tell Apollo "Hi" about five thousand times a day.
I wasn't sure what having a dog would be like. I just generally knew that they improve people's mental health. I can say without a doubt that having Apollo has improved mine, and has helped me cope with the eternal heartbreak that I face each and every day.
That's why, when thinking of how we could turn this little fun endeavor of ours into something good, I chose those specific nonprofits. For my parents, and people like my parents, who might not have anyone else to help them.
Because the best way to help ourselves is to help someone else.
Every donation will see 50% go to these nonprofits that are near and dear to my heart. If we manage to cover costs and there's any leftover, 100% will go to these nonprofits. Apollo isn't in this for the money. He's in it for the fame.
So with your help, we can cement the name 'Apollo' in the history books. The name will be synonymous with "loud environment" notifications from Apple Watch.
So donate now to be a part of history!
About the nonprofits:
The Be a Santa to a Senior and Silver Santas programs will both benefit local seniors in St. Petersburg, FL, and Pinellas county. These programs have collected wish-lists from in-need, low-income seniors who are in danger of being forgotten this holiday season. These men and women are in long-term care facilities, and often have no family or anyone to visit them during the holidays. Their wish-list tags are placed on Christmas trees in local businesses so that people in the community can fulfill these wishes, which are often items of necessity, for this neglected population.
The Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness (CESIL) is a 501c(4) organization founded in 2018. It is a member organization formed to engage diverse stakeholders, increase public awareness, and advocate for policy change to address the adverse consequences of social isolation and loneliness and advance approaches that improve social connectedness for all Americans.
To learn more:
Better Living for Seniors, Pinellas Chapter
Area Agency of Aging of Pasco-Pinellas, Inc.
Organizer
David Kiester
Organizer
St. Petersburg, FL