Florida Woman Traverses Tennessee To Help Parrots

COLUMBIA, Tenn. - June 5, 2013 - PRLog -- Punta Gorda, Florida Woman Traverses Tennessee To Help Parrots

DORENA LANDING, Missouri (July 11, 2013) - 314 miles.  100 degrees Fahrenheit.  Outrageous humidity.  Steep mountains.  Trucks roaring by, spewing black exhaust.  Feet pounding the hot asphalt for more than a week.  Why would anyone want to run all the way across Tennessee in July?!?  

Dusty Hardman is doing it to raise money to help parrots.  

Dusty, 44, is a volunteer with the Parrot Outreach Society in Punta Gorda, Florida and is also an experienced long-distance runner.  For the past decade, she has regularly run ultra races - foot races longer than a marathon, often so long they take several days.  She ran The Last Annual Vol State Road Race 500km last year in 8 days, 11 hours, four minutes, 47 seconds.  She’s going to run it again this July.  But this time, she’ll be concentrating on how much money she can raise to buy new cages for the homeless pet parrots at the Punta Gorda rescue facility.  

“We average 50-60 birds in our care at all times, and currently have 30 to 40 birds that are ready to be adopted,” Dusty says.  “These are pet birds that have been given up due to a change in family situations, death of their human, or a multitude of other situations.   We provide a safe place for these displaced birds, and match them with qualified new owners - their forever families.”  

Until new adoptive families are found, the birds are cared for at the center at 1105 Taylor Road in Punta Gorda.  

“Cages are an extremely important part of keeping a bird happy, secure and safe,” said volunteer Parrot Outreach Director Pam Hill.  “The cages the center currently has are very well-used.  They are wearing out and need to be replaced.

Ms. Hill explains, “Ideally, we would like to replace our current cages with stainless steel ones that are larger, stronger and more durable, and that will not rust when repeatedly cleaned.  However, stainless steel cages are quite expensive.  The average cost of a quality macaw cage is $500 to $600. When Dusty started volunteering here a few months ago, she came up with a plan to run the Last Annual Vol State 500K Road Race to raise funds to buy new cages.”  

Dusty will begin her trek on July 11, 2013, and will run 30 to 50 miles a day until she finishes.  She hopes that local animal lovers will donate to the cause to keep the homeless parrots safe, healthy, and comfortable in new heavy-duty stainless steel cages until they find their new families.

“We’re calling it Pennies for Parrots, but donations in all amounts will be accepted and appreciated,” she says.  “I’ll be running from Missouri, into Kentucky, across Tennessee, hitting just the northeast corner of Alabama, and ending in Georgia.  It’s going to be quite an adventure, and I hope parrot lovers will get behind me with a donation to help keep these beautiful, amazing creatures safe, happy, and healthy.  Every penny donated will be used for the purchase of spacious new cages.”  

If you’d like to help buy new cages for Parrot Outreach Society parrots, you may donate to “Pennies for Parrots” through Fundrazr.com, (https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/aU388)  or send a donation to Parrot Outreach Society, 1105 Taylor Road, Punta Gorda, FL 33950.  POS is a 100% volunteer 501c3 organization, and all donations are tax-deductible.   For more information on the Parrot Outreach Society, see www.parrotoutreachsociety.org.  

Contact:

Dusty Hardman

Dusty.hardman@comcast.net          

(307) 413-7318