Young philanthropists form Charity Club

Eleven-year-old Emma Stamper has just two rules for members of the Charity Club:

"You need to be nice to all the other members and you need to be committed to the club," said the Scarselli Elementary School sixth grader.

Emma and her friend and classmate Maddie Curtis, 11, created the club after a few discussions on the playground and after school.

"Maddie and I were riding home one day and we decided we wanted to do a club. We said there were a lot of people who needed money, and animals need blankets," Emma said.

So, the girls went to work.

In a few weeks, they recruited members Kassidy Ward, 11, Bri Ryan, 12, and Victoria Weaver, 11. And they decided on their first beneficiary - Douglas County Animal Care & Services.

"We've done one donation to the animal shelter," Emma said. "When we went there, there was a dog getting returned. It was really sad."

The dog was Moe, a 3-year-old neutered male beagle who lasted just one day with a prospective owner.

Because the placement was unsuccessful, adoption fees were returned. The girls, heartsick over the development and smitten with Moe, decided to raise money so his next owner wouldn't have to pay any fees.

Emma said she tried to talk her mom, Kat Simmons, into adding Moe to their household of two cats and two dogs (plus an older brother).

"She said 'no,'" Emma said. "We already have two dogs and two cats and they really don't get along that well."

But that didn't mean the whole family didn't get involved with Moe's future.

So far, the Charity Club has raised nearly $120 through labor (shoveling snow and raking leaves), enterprise (making friendship bracelets), and donations.

When friend Joannie Artman learned about the club's efforts to bail out Moe, she chipped in $60.

Club members hope that Moe's next owner will be a little more patient, and, perhaps persuaded by the fact that a group of tender-hearted girls have taken care of the beagle's adoption fees and preliminary expenses.

Emma's brother Jon suggested that if people can't make financial donations, they can pledge work hours or other service.

But, back to the Charity Club.

"We didn't want that fancy of a name for it," Emma said. "It's for Charity and it's a club, so we came up with 'Charity Club.'"

They meet at Blind Dog Cafe in the Gardnerville Ranchos which graciously offered to sponsor the club by providing a meeting place and free drinks.

"We try to meet once a week, but sometimes that doesn't happen," Emma said.

She said the young philanthropists' next project would be directed toward childhood cancer or breast cancer.

That commitment also honors their sponsors, Blind Dog Cafe, which donates to help fight childhood cancers.

Simmons said she was pleased and proud of her children and the club members.

"I am touched and pleased and proud that they would be so resourceful. I know it gave them a really good feeling to hand over the money and the blankets to the animal shelter," Simmons said.

DETAILS

-- Charity Club has a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Charity-Club/162554663778470

-- For information about Charity Club, contact Kat Simmons at 775-721-8864.

-- For information about Moe and other adoptable dogs and cats, contact Douglas County Animal Shelter, 782-9061.