Meridian Kiwanis Club of Columbus celebrated local residents and their dogs and cats for raising money for local, state and national infant mortality initiatives.
The event, conducted Thursday evening at the Upland Columbus Pump House, celebrated the end of club’s “Coolest Pet in Columbus” contest. About 25 people attended, including Meridian Kiwanis Club members, the owners of the most popular dog and cat and representatives from March of Dimes, Riley Children’s Foundation and Healthy Communities.
The contest, which was from May 23 to July 6, raised $6,823. Each organization received a $2,000 donation from the club during the event, said Dick Boyce, Meridian Kiwanis Club of Columbus member. The remaining $823 was used to cover contest-related expenses. A total of 46 dogs and 16 cats had been entered in the competition.
The winning pets, however, were not in attendance, but commemorative beer glasses by Upland Brewing Co. with artist renderings of the most popular pets were given away.
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“(The contest) created, I think, a good deal of interest in the community,” Boyce said. “It was the first year. While our goal was $7,500 and we didn’t make it, I think we created a lot of interest and our hope is to do it again next year.”
To participate in the contest, contestants uploaded a photograph of their cat or dog onto the contest’s website and wrote a few brief sentences about why their pet is the coolest pet in Columbus. It cost $10 to enter the contest and each entry received 10 votes. Additionally votes could be purchased for as little as a $1.
Sarge, an English bulldog, who lives in Bargersville, received the most votes of any dog with 1,755 votes.
“It was awesome, and it went for a good cause,” said Jeff Wood, 55, Sarge’s owner.
A cat named Annie tallied 1,185 votes, the most votes of any cat.
Annie’s owner, Jill Tasker of Columbus, said it was “thrilling” to raise money for infant mortality initiatives.
“I’m so glad we got off to a great start, and I know we’re going to do twice as well next year,” she said.
Representatives from March of Dimes, Riley Children’s Foundation and Healthy Communities briefly spoke at the event, describing how their organizations planned to use the money.
Riley Children’s Foundation will use the money for its upcoming maternity and newborn health unit at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
“(The unit) will give us the opportunity to be able to deliver babies at Riley for the first time ever,” said Amber Miller, associations and radiothon coordinator at the foundation, who attended the event and accepted the $2,000 donation.
Healthy Communities representatives said they would use the $2,000 to fund training for two community doulas in Columbus and provide health screenings for expectant mothers at a community baby shower this fall, said Patty Pigman, infant mortality prevention coordinator.
Doulas, also known as birth companions, are women who guide and support a pregnant woman through pregnancy and labor.
Most of the funds the March of Dimes received will go toward research on a new blood test the organization has developed, said Derek Richey, development manager.
“We just had a major breakthrough,” Richey said. “…We have just developed a blood test using biomarkers that will allow us to tell with about an 85 percent certainty that a mother is going to give birth prematurely.”
The infant mortality rate is the ratio of infant deaths per 1,000 live births. For the purposes of calculating the rate, an infant is defined as a baby younger than 1 year old. Researchers and policymakers often consider the infant mortality rate to be a barometer of the overall health of a community.
Indiana has a high infant mortality rate compared to other U.S. states. In 2017, the rate was 7.3 deaths per 1,000 live births — the seventh highest rate in the country. Only Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Alabama and Tennessee had higher rates. The rate in Indiana was 7.5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000.
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Visit gogophotocontest.com/meridiankiwanis for more information about the contest and for photos of all the pets that were entered.
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