8 minute read
Family
Superhero September: Hope is Stronger Than Fear
By Michelle Talsma Everson
An award-winning law veteran, Sean Reavie is the founder and president of the board of directors of Put on the Cape: A Foundation for Hope. This month, and all year-round, Reavie and his team of real life superheroes raise funds to empower children suffering acute physical and sexual abuse by adopt advocacy and child crisis centers in Arizona to ensure the children visiting have all their needs addressed.
“Put on the Cape (POTC) uses superhero mythology to empower children victimized by physical or sexual abuse or who may be witness to heinous crimes,” Reavie explains. “Superheroes overcome adversity and tragedy and use their new found strength to serve others… POTC raises awareness for family advocacy centers and the work done within those walls. The centers have no budget for toys, clothing, food, and basic necessities like diapers, underpants, toothbrushes, shampoo and other basic needs people sometimes take for granted. We organize events around the country asking for donations of superhero action figures, Barbie dolls, superhero themed t-shirts, and those basic necessities. Our mission is to provide those items to the centers, so they can take the time they normally spend fundraising and focus 100 percent on the child.”
Superhero September started in 2015 as a one-time promotion that grew each year—so much so, it was the catalyst for creating POTC. “I decided that Superhero September limited me to holding events in just September,” Reavie shares. “I incorporated all events, intellectual properties, and trademarks into Put on the Cape: A Foundation for Hope.”
Like many nonprofits, POTC is feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their fundraising efforts.
“It [the pandemic] has devastated our ability to do what we’ve done for the last five years. Our signature events were designed to go right to the public. We had seven events planned for March and April and had to cancel them all,” Reavie says. “Our sponsors are hurting and unable to donate as they have in the past. I began to realize I needed to change our approach to fundraising and our advocacy.”
To help make up the difference, the POTC team is turning to localized virtual events. To find these events, community members can go to putonthecape.org and click the link for upcoming events or find Put on the Cape: A Foundation for Hope on Facebook and look under the event section. All events are virtual and support seven child advocacy centers and 10 cities across the Valley.
In addition to the virtual events, community members can get involved by organizing a donation drive to support the center in their city, Reavie explains. “All centers have a wish list of items they need to give to children and their families. We can give them [community members] that list and they in turn can empower their business or school to participate. You can make a difference with donating one action figure or $10. I have seen first hand the change in a child when handed their favorite superhero action figure. They become happy, animated, and child-like again. Someone stole their right to be a little kid. We aim to give it back to them.”
To learn more, visit putonthecape.org or e-mail sean@putonthecape.org.
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Cover Story
Doggone Good!
Dogtopia of Paradise Valley Village helps four-legged family members to live their very best lives
By Michelle Talsma Everson
Whether you’re returning to the office and you need a place for your furry family member to go to for help with separation anxiety, or you’re working from home and you need a little space from your active pup, Dogtopia of Paradise Valley Village has you covered.
Family-owned and operated, the local iteration of the popular national brand is relatively new to the neighborhood, having just opened over the summer.
“We moved to Arizona a couple of years ago and we love dogs, so we wanted to open a dog daycare, boarding facility and spa,” explains Steve Weberman, who along with his wife Elaine, owns Dogtopia of Paradise Valley Village. “Dogtopia was the perfect fit for what we wanted to do. Obviously, opening in the middle of the pandemic was hard, but we have a very loyal customer base and some wonderful dogs we see daily.”
Dogtopia of Paradise Valley boasts 5,200 square feet of indoor space with three large playrooms. Each of these playrooms has been specifically designed with your pup’s needs in mind included, according to Dogtopia.
Dogtopia shares that each playroom includes: • Potty platforms with hypoallergenic K-9 grass • Rubberized flooring that is easy on your dog’s paws and joints • Upgraded air conditioning that provides optimum temperature regulation, and filters and circulates fresh, clean air for an odorfree environment • Soundproofing to keep noise between rooms at a minimum • Agility equipment for exercise and lounging • Cots for soft spots to nap
“We also have an 800-square foot outdoor play area that allows our pups the perfect space to get some fresh air and enjoy our pool and bubble parties,” according to Dogtopia. “Our outdoor area comes fully equipped with misters, shade, and hypoallergenic K-9 grass to keep your pup feeling cool and comfortable.”
“We focus on daycare, but we do also have grooming available, so we have some grooming-only clients,” explains Rebekah Curry, assistant general manager. “Some of our professional grooming
services include de-shedding treatments, scissoring listen and don’t judge,” Zach says. “By participating and shaving, and we even have a blueberry facial.” in Foundation Fridays, we enable dogs to make a When it comes to their pup-tacular daycare, Curry says that it’s all about teaching the dogs social cues, having a blast at playtime, and building their confidence. “We have three different rooms for different temperaments and sizes,” Curry says. “We have canine coaches in each of the rooms who help with education, play a lot of games, and help dogs to learn social cues.” The dogs even have a set naptime, where pet parents can bring their pet’s beds and blankets from home to enjoy the ultimate comfort. Worried about them? There is webcam access for pet parents to check in and see how their furry family members are doing. positive change in the world.” ‘‘ When it comes to their pup-tacular daycare, it’s all about teaching the dogs social cues, having a blast at playtime, and Curry adds that Dogtopia does all it can to make building their confidence. doggie daycare as affordable and convenient for families as possible. They offer a variety of different payment options, including full and half days, a punch card system, and a monthly membership. For pet parents who are worried about COVID-19 When it comes to convenience, you can bring Fido’s safety, Steve shares that the health of their favorite food and treats, or they have two different “house blends” (grain-based and grain-free). If a four-legged client is staying overnight for boarding, they can even administer medications (just no injections).
So how do they know if your pup is a good fit for daycare or boarding? Steve shares that there is a meet and greet process for each new potential pup client. This includes testing their temperament around other dogs and humans with one of the canine coaches. All dogs who go to Dogtopia, after age seven months, need to be spayed or neutered, and older than three months must have their Parvo/ Distemper, Bordatella and Rabies vaccinations. Dogtopia of Paradise Valley Village doesn’t just provide an awesome place for dogs to go, but they also host a variety of events to make sure their fourlegged clients live their very best lives. Steve says that interested pet parents can visit their social media and website for different event info, but some examples so far have included celebrating Snoopy’s birthday, themed photo shoots, and manicure Monday, among others. Zach Weberman, general manager, says that one of their favorite events that give back to the community is Foundation Fridays. Each Friday, they have pool time and sell special treats; all proceeds from the treats go toward the national Dogtopia Foundation. “Dogtopia Foundation helps to sponsor service dogs for veterans and provide youth literacy programs where youth can read to dogs because they just customers (both two-legged and four) and their 18 employees is of the utmost importance. He notes that masks are required of all people, and there’s a Dogtopia app where customers can coordinate curbside pick up and drop off.
“We always follow heightened cleaning protocols, and have a closed UV HVAC system,” Zach adds. “We clean three times a day and deep clean on the weekends.”
Everything from their HVAC system to their special floor in the playrooms (rubberized floors that are easy on their hips of course), to pet-safe cleaning products, Dogtopia of Paradise Valley Village is all about your furry family member.
“It’s always about the dog first,” Zach says.
Dogtopia of Paradise Valley Village is located at 13001 N. Tatum Boulevard, Suite C01, in Phoenix. To learn more, visit dogtopia.com/ phoenix-paradisevalleyvillage or call 480-6053044. You can also follow along on social on Facebook @ DogtopiaParadiseValleyVillage and
Instagram @dogtopiapvvillage.
