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(Reprinted from "Golden Retriever News," Nov-Dec 2005)
Rachel Page Elliott, author of Dogsteps, champion of sound structure in motion, and mentor to lovers of Golden Retrievers and dogs of every breed, walked into the Gala event of the
2005 National Specialty never guessing anything was afoot.
About 1,000 of her friends and colleagues had kept the
secret regarding the establishment of the Rachel Page Elliott Educational Fund.
The fund started with an idea from Betty Gay and Marcia Schlehr, judges, long-time GRCA members, multiple-term Board members, and leaders in breed education. The GRCA Board embraced the idea and proposed the fund to the GRF, pledging $5,000 of the $25,000 needed to launch it. In just a few months, a quiet fund raising effort headed by Joy Viola, GRF Director of Development, raised the remaining $20,000.
The next challenge was figuring out how to get Pagey to the
Gala without spilling the secret. Did she become suspicious
when her friends and family coaxed her from her home in MA
to the National in Gettysburg, PA?
“Well, no, I really didn’t,” she said. “I couldn’t believe I was
being urged to go because I thought, what else could they do? They’ve already honored me every way they could. I decided
they wanted me there because the Red Dog Challenge was
such a big deal and they wanted my presence.”
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Humble throughout her illustrious career, Pagey, as she was known to those in the fancy, gave to the
breed tirelessly throughout her life. The Rachel Page Elliott Educational Fund exists now to continue the mission to which Pagey was committed: building knowledge that will preserve the health, welfare, and
integrity of the Golden Retriever and all canines.The Golden Retriever Foundation is actively interested
in RPE Educational Fund grant proposals in the area of education, whether it is for a project that would
teach the general public about the care and training of Golden Retrievers; Golden breeders about genetic health concerns; judges about the finer points of the breed standard; or education or veterinary care professionals who will carry new knowledge into their practice, benefiting our breed far into the future.
To apply for a Rachel Page Elliott Educational Grant: send a narrative proposal, including the audience of
the project, funding needs, expense projections, and intended outcomes to the GRF. The primary
purpose of the grant must be to provide education about Golden Retrievers.
To Apply:
Fill out the Rachel Page Elliott Educational Grant Application (DOC or PDF) |
