By Cindy Agoncillo
August 9, 2013
“Where does the money from the silent auction go?” It’s a concern inevitably asked at each of Barkleigh Productions’ grooming expos, where guests can quote on whatever from dog beds as well as pet-themed welcome mats to cordless clippers as well as bottles of shampoo.
To response simply, all proceeds from the silent auctions are contributed to gifts of like International, an organization established by Don as well as Barb Kassebaum, the original owners of Tropiclean Pet products (Cosmos Corporation), to assist people around the world increase out of poverty. gifts of like worldwide provides aid primarily to Guatemala by establishing an orphanage as well as leadership school, supporting a number of churches in a few of the country’s most dangerous neighborhoods, as well as providing clothes, shoes, as well as other supplies to the bad as well as needy. gifts of like worldwide has a long history with Barkleigh’s silent auctions. In the 1990s, Don wished to take a group of groomers to Guatemala to ensure that they might see the work the organization was doing there. Don really hoped to provide a tractor-trailer full of contributed items, which would need over $5,000 to transport. Sally Liddick, the late creator of Barkleigh Productions, composed about this “Groomers to Guatemala” job in Groomer to Groomer, calling it their “most ambitious job to date.” Sally explained, “Exhibitors were summoned to contribute to the job by contributing products to a silent Auction at Groom Expo. Groomers were motivated to quote on the contributed items.” An enthusiastic Hilery Zusi as well as Frank Rowe took fee of the show close auction, which increased $5,800 as well as brought the weekend’s overall to over $10,000.
Joining Sally on that very first trip to Guatemala was her finest buddy as well as business partner Gwen Shelly, speaker Judy Bremer-Taxman, market icon Frank Rowe, as well as almost 20 other friends, household members, Barkleigh employees, as well as groomers. They stayed at the Casa Bernabe orphanage, satisfied the kids who lived there, as well as assisted to discharge not one however two tractor-trailers full of donations, including a new washing machine for the orphanage. After discovering about the chronic monetary needs of the orphanage as well as the people of Guatemala, Sally as well as Gwen decided Barkleigh productions would make a monthly monetary commitment to gifts of like worldwide as well as would devote the silent auctions to the organization.
Over 15 years as well as many silent auctions later, one more trip to Guatemala was in the making. James Severs, the director of operations as well as advertising at Barkleigh Productions, was thinking about serving the less fortunate around the world, as well as at Gwen Shelly’s urging, he contacted Don Kassebaum about traveling to Guatemala. As Don as well as James discussed the trip further as well as more details fell into place, Gwen decided she likewise wished to go as well as would prolong the chance to the rest of Barkleigh’s employees. It was not long up until Gwen, James, as well as I were boarding a airplane in Harrisburg, PA, headed for Guatemala.
As we descended into Guatemala City, I was struck by the hardship visible from the plane’s little window. little homes built from corrugated sheet metal filled the mountainside. Our landing was rough, as the runway was cracked as well as eroding. I believed about the U.S. airports surrounded by metropolitan areas not far from sports arenas as well as famous landmarks, as well as as I looked out over the city surrounding Guatemala’s primary airport, I wondered, “Is this as great as it gets here?”
We stepped off of the plane, as well as the warm as well as humidity hit us like a wall. The inside of the flight terminal brought bit relief. together with the heat, the sights as well as seems were overwhelming. “Sensory overload,” James said. As we attempted to navigate the customs as well as immigration process, what we presumed were flight terminal workers asked us en español if we needed assist with our luggage — in exchange for tips, of course. Barb Kassebaum, who joined us in Houston for our flight into Guatemala, assisted to equate as well as continually advised us, “Stay with the bags.” We carefully complied with the guy who pushed our luggage cart as he led us to the street where Don as well as a big crowd of people were waiting to pick up their buddies as well as family. Within the crowd were little kids who were selling trinkets as well as assisting with luggage in order to make money for their families. Tourists are likely to provide one American dollar, which is approximately 6% of the typical everyday wage in Guatemala.
In the years since the Groomers to Guatemala project, gifts of like worldwide bought 26 acres of land in Brito, Guatemala. They built a new orphanage that currently homes 20 kids as well as a number of full-time “parents,”nullnull
