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March 29, 2007
Badges and bunnies in San Diego
This weekend, the San Diego HRS chapter is hosting an educational event where they plan to pass out MMC flyers. They have been a fantastic Partner! But their real spark of genius this time was to dream up MMC "badges" for the kids (aka round sticky labels) with a ribbon at the bottom! They've also arranged for photos with the "Easter bunny" - a person in a bunny suit! Now that's the kind of Easter bunny we're talking about!
Posted by Terri at 11:47 PM
Bunny TNT on B98-FM
Bunny TNT was featured on the Brett & Tracy Morning Show on B98-FM in Wichita, KS last Monday. The family-oriented Brett & Tracy show is the top rated morning show in the city. Bunny TNT representatives Michael and Joyce shared the limelight with bunnies Sky and Marshmallow – be sure to check out their photos (on the right side of the page, scroll down). The also treated their hosts to MMC pins and chocolate bunnies from Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates!
Then, in a surprise gesture, B98-FM presented Bunny TNT with the "Make A Difference Monday" Award for bringing the Make Mine Chocolate campaign to Wichita! Congratulations on a great campaign and a terrific achievement!
Posted by Terri at 9:40 PM
March 28, 2007
George the Blogging Bunny
George, the Blogging Bunny is the author of "The Hay Diaries" and as an "Ex-Easter Dump", is a vocal supporter of "Make Mine Chocolate!".
He and his friends have quite a bit to say and it's a real kick to "hear" their opinions! We thank them for their support - keep spreading the word, George!
Posted by Terri at 11:14 PM
March 27, 2007
MMC fliers go home with students
Columbus HRS member Emilie Davis has been working with the Talawanda School Board in Oxford, OH to share the MMC message with students. She has arranged to have a “Make Mine Chocolate!” flier sent home with every child in the school district. “That's a lot of families that will get the word that rabbits don't make good Easter presents,” Emilie said. We say, “Good job, Emilie!”
Posted by Terri at 10:44 PM
March 26, 2007
Alabama EARS on the radio!
Representatives from Alabama EARS and sanctuary bunny, Morgan, were on Star 99.1 FM on a program called The Tennessean Journal on Sunday, March 25th. They said that even though the listeners couldn’t see or hear Morgan, she certainly gave a nice focus to the show.
Ruth Fledermaus says, “It was a pre-recorded show with announcer Mark Hunter, and he really made us sound great.” We know it’s because they are! Of course it doesn’t hurt that they took a big chocolate bunny basket with them!
Posted by Terri at 10:42 PM
Gourmet Chocolatier joins with Wichita Partner
Bunny TNT (Training, Nurturing, and Therapy) in Wichita, KS has teamed with premier local chocolatier Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates to distribute Make Mine Chocolate! pins.
Having the support of Cocoa Dolce will bring increased attention to the campaign, as it is “one of the hottest must-do's in the area.” The shop offers coffees and gelatos, but their chocolates are considered a true luxury. At Easter, some of their chocolate rabbits retail for $35, but we’ve heard they are worth every indulgent cent.
Bunny TNT will also be on the radio today to talk about their Make Mine Chocolate! campaign, including their partnerships with the local Humane Society and Cocoa Dolce.
Posted by Terri at 9:33 AM
March 25, 2007
Partner creates a great "treat" for the kids!
Ladies Blend, our natural bath and beauty Partner, has created a special product just for kids at Easter. They've also made a special page and added information about the Make Mine Chocolate mission and website, including links. These chocolate and vanilla scented bath salts are another option for parents, family and friends who are contemplating giving a rabbit to a child as an Easter gift. Ladies Blend is offering these wonderful natural products at an exceptional price for Easter. They also remind parents that "quality time teaching your children about natural bath goodies along with kindness and respect for animals is time well spent." We agree!Posted by Terri at 11:20 AM
March 21, 2007
Rabbit Central donating 5% of sales to MMC!
Rabbit Central is a corporate sponsor of the Make Mine Chocolate!
campaign and has come up with a great way to support MMC this year. 5% of every order using the MMC coupon code will be donated to our campaign, now through April 8th. I guess you know what that means....SHOP!
www.rabbitcentral.com/make-mine-chocolate.html
Posted by Terri at 5:24 PM
No More Homeless Pets & Make Mine Chocolate!
Make Mine Chocolate! will be the topic of discussion on Best Friend's No More Homeless Pets Forum March 26th - 30th. Our very own Terri Cook will be the guest "speaker"! Have you ever wondered what happens to those cute rabbits sold around Easter? Tune in.If you would like to sign up for Best Friend's No More Homeless Pets Forum, please visit: http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/
Posted by Terri at 5:19 PM
March 20, 2007
Outsiders Welcome
We’ve all been there – you start talking about animal welfare, and some people’s eyes glaze over and their attention wanders. They’re just not interested because you’re simply another animal group and they’ve heard it all before. So while it’s very important for MMC to have the support of other animal welfare groups, it’s also equally important for us to get support and attention from groups and individuals outside the animal welfare community. It’s often these connections that give us coverage in the “outside” world – that world beyond the reaches of our individual groups. This year, we are fortunate to be supported by the Master of Trenton-Cyrus Lodge #5, F & AM (Free and Accepted Masons) near Trenton, NJ. As Master, Brian Harper is responsible for publishing an electronic newsletter, through which the MMC message will reach about 400 members. Another important partnership is with the Fanciful Fanny, an online cloth diapering business, through which the MMC message will reach an important target group: parents of young children. Our Partnership with Ladies Blend, an online specialty cosmetics company, will reach women searching for natural beauty products. And we’ll reach knitting enthusiasts through Marlena Clark’s article and link on her knitting blog. These “outsiders” represent a wide range of members and customers, who will be more likely to listen to our message if they receive it from a source they trust on other issues and interests.
These are just some of the groups and individuals sharing the MMC message outside of the usual animal welfare circles. They can share our message with those who may not think like we do – those who might consider giving (or getting) a rabbit at Easter or those who have never considered the plight of Easter rabbits or know there is a problem.
We are grateful for the support of our non-traditional Partners. We’re counting on them to reach the folks we can’t.
Posted by Terri at 9:16 PM
March 19, 2007
Campaign Updates from Our Partners
As always, our Partners are finding clever ways to share the “Make Mine Chocolate!” message. From the west coast to the east coast, in Canada and across the Atlantic in the UK, groups and individuals are telling their neighbors that rabbits are not disposable pets! Here are just some of the creative things our Partners are doing:
On the airwaves! Alabama EARS was on the Chris and Dee Dee show on Star 99.1 FM in Huntsville, AL (the top-rated radio station in Huntsville). They were invited to be on the show after they delivered a press release with a huge basket of chocolate Easter bunnies! They also made a new friend in Lisa Mason of the New 106.9 The Eagle, Birmingham’s Classic Hits Station, when she met them at the Cottontails Craft Show. She has been promoting MMC on her station’s website.
Alabama EARS offers this advice to other groups: radio stations really seem to like being bribed with chocolate bunnies and MMC pins!!
In Wichita, KS, Bunny TNT (Training, Nurturing, and Therapy) will appear on a very popular morning radio show on B-98 FM in a live interview before Easter.
Columbus HRS president, Karalee Curry, will be making her annual appearance on the Louie Free Radio Show, which broadcasts from Youngstown, Ohio.
Retailers hop to it! Rabbit Central is again including a flyer in with every order they send out! Cats & Rabbits & More is pasting our postcard to the outside of every shipping carton – that way even the UPS drivers will get the message that rabbits are not disposable pets!
MMC in print! MMC received extensive coverage in the current edition of Kind News, a publication of The National Association for Humane and Environmental Education (NAHEE), which serves as the youth education affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). And MMC’s Terri Cook recently answered interview questions for The Times of Northwest Indiana for an upcoming article. Other publications covering the campaign include The Wichita Eagle newspaper (Wichita, KS), who interviewed Bunny TNT, and The Journal News of Westchester, NY published a Letter to the Editor, written using the MMC template.
E-zine coverage! MMC is receiving coverage throughout the online community. A short article appeared on the Deviant Art website in early January. Freelance writer Terra Walters will be publishing an article in the coming weeks, and the April issue of Catalyst magazine will feature an article by Sunny Branson covering the MMC campaign.
High School MMC Fundraiser! The ambitious students of the Richardson (TX) High School CARE (Concern for Animal Reform and Education) group are holding a fundraiser to increase awareness of what happens to Easter bunnies around Easter time. The money they raise will be donated to Make Mine Chocolate! to allow us to continue our important work.
Adopt a rabbit! One of the most clever ideas we’ve heard this year came from All Creatures Rescue & Sanctuary in North Carolina. They’ve created Plush Bunny Adoption Kits, with each stuffed bunny coming with a care guide, the HRS coloring book, an "adoption contract" with simple-to-understand bullet points of responsibilities towards real bunnies, and a pretend "pen" for the bunny to live in, which the child can decorate. Each toy bunny is named after a real rescued rabbit and comes with a printout of his/her picture and real-life story.
Posted by Terri at 10:29 PM
March 18, 2007
MMC Gets Connected
“Make Mine Chocolate!” has gained popularity in cyberspace, and not just by linking to traditional websites. With the increasing popularity of personal networking pages, the ability to share the MMC message has exploded. One way is through Meet Up groups, who organize to meet and distribute our flyers, postcards, and other materials, such as SAVE (Saving Animals Via Education). We’re also connecting to individuals who believe in our message with our own networking pages. MMC can now be found on Facebook (at www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2245514436) and My Space (at www.myspace.com/makeminechocolate) . These pages have been created especially for encouraging visitors to link back to the main MMC site, to browse, explore the Interactive Bun, and learn that rabbits are not disposable pets. Linking to these sites (by becoming “friends”) will encourage visitors to your own site to check us out.Posted by Terri at 7:45 PM