From 9am to 6pm – The SOSD Flag Day 2014 Experience
When Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD) sent out call out
for volunteers to participate in this year’s Flag Day, I knew I wanted to be a
part of it. But more than just asking people for donations on my own, I knew from
the start I would do it with Cole by my side. Besides being adopted from SOSD, I knew
participating in this event with him will make for a very powerful image when
we make our way around Orchard Road. Hey, he needs to do his part for all his brothers and sisters who have not found their forever homes yet. :)
Collecting our Tins. Photo credit: SOSD |
Photo credit: SOSD |
Throughout the nine hours, I was constantly talking about my
first days with Cole to what he is like now; peppering it with information on SOSD’s work and should they want to know more and get the full experience,
to head to the National Youth Park.
9am
Seeing as how most of Orchard Road should remain empty till
about 11am, I decided to park myself outside Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. Being a
major train interchange had its perks and there were no lack of willing donors.
I even had two people donating $50 notes here!
Photo Credit: Wikipedia |
1pm
After lunch and giving Cole a much needed break, it was time
to get back into action. And I knew the perfect place... Civic Plaza outside Ngee Ann City where the Subara MediaCorp Challenge was happening
Photo Credit: URA |
One thing I learnt while Googling on how to maximise your
Flag Day experience, was to park yourself outside convenience stores like 7-Eleven.
People are bound to have small change, right? There were so many who
came to me saying, “I don’t want all my coins, can I give them all to you?”
4pm
It was time to wind down and honestly, the tin can was
getting super full (and heavy!) with Cole getting a quite bored that we were in
one area for so long. With that, it was time to bring him for a walk around
Orchard Road and ask for donations before we ended at 6pm. By then, anyone who
even threw the slightest of glances at Cole, will have me asking if they would like to
donate… many were willing to!
Of course, there were quite a number who wanted to ask if he is up for adoption. "Sorry folks, you are one year too late!"
Of course, there were quite a number who wanted to ask if he is up for adoption. "Sorry folks, you are one year too late!"
It was heartening to meet throngs of people who were so open
and willing to find out more and it serves one cornerstone point in the entire
experience – if you love what you are doing with a mighty passion, who has time
to be tired? I certainly felt mentally awake the entire time!
Photo Credit: Sam Forest Loo Lim |
Unfortunately, it is no easy task to handle a 22kg dog and
ask a bunch of stickers with the collection tin at once, hence no personal
pictures on my side. But…! I am blessed to have friends who managed to snap a
couple of shots! Thanks to everyone who came down and picture credits go to
Jaster Ngui of Pawlicious and Sam Forest Loo Lim’s mummy, Ke Ying!
Pawlicious Pawsicle starting from $3.50 |
Oh, and yes! How could I forget our dear Jaster who gave an appreciative
Cole NOT ONE BUT TWO PAWCICLES! But of course, he deserves it for being patted,
prodded, hugged and stared at for nine hours, right?
Photo Credit: Pawlicious
Oh, before we left, this group of photographers asked if they could borrow Cole for a shoot they were doing with a model. I wonder... Whose look book will he appear in...
Labels: dog rescue, dogs, dogsofinstasg, flag day, gathering, mixed breed, pawlicious, save out street dogs, singapore special, sosd, sosd flag day 2014, the wong dogs