Wellington Rotary Club’s
Kevlar For K9s
Raffle Supports Heroic Dogs
Story by Mike May • Photos by Abner Pedraza
Heroes come in many different shapes and sizes. Our heroes may be short, tall, fast, strong or possibly even covered in fur. It is those animal heroes that the Wellington Rotary Club’s Kevlar for K9s fundraiser aims to protect.
(L-R) Larry Kemp, Don Gross, Mark and Peggy Candreva, Andrew Burr, Randy Pfeiffer, Susan Odell, PBSO Deputy Ed Quinn, Mickey Smith and PBSO Deputy Dwayne Brown promote Kevlar for K9s at the recent Paws at the Mall event.
Heroic moments can and do occur at any given time at any given place, often when they are least expected. Heroes and their heroic moments are not predestined. They just happen, such as the sacrifice made by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office K9 Cigo last Christmas Eve. While Wellington residents were celebrating the holiday, perhaps in church, singing Christmas carols, finishing up holiday shopping or enjoying time at home with friends and family, a
forts are now underway with help from two local organizations to raise enough money to buy protective bulletproof Kevlar vests for as many PBSO K9s as possible. Kevlar for K9s is a raffle fundraiser being run by the Wellington Rotary Club, which is selling raffle tickets for $100 apiece between now and May 16. This raffle is being sponsored by local law firm Lesser, Lesser, Landy, & Smith. The winning raffle ticket will be drawn on May 16, and you don’t have to be
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may 2019 | wellington the magazine
heroic incident occurred in a most unlikely location by a most unlikely hero. While helping subdue a violent criminal in the parking lot near the Mall at Wellington Green, Cigo was shot and later died from his injuries. Not only did Cigo become a hero that night, but the three-year-old dog gave his life in the process of doing what he was trained to do — protect the public. Since then, Wellington locals have sprung into action, and fundraising ef-