March 16, 2008
Hop on Down the Bunny Trail in Knoxville!
The Young-Williams Animal Center in Knoxville, TN is planning a fun Easter event:
When: Saturday, March 22, 10:00 – 10:00 am
Where: Young-Williams Animal Center, 3201 Division Street, Knoxville, TN 37919
Visit the Animal Center for some spring fun! There will be an egg hunt (bring your own basket), rabbit education station, an opportunity to make a shelter rabbit a toy, an area for kids’ crafts, give-aways and treats, light refreshments, and adoptable animals--including rabbits! Contact Deonna Light at dlight@knoxpets.org or 865-215-6662 for more information about this fun and FREE event.
Posted by Terri at 11:05 PM
March 09, 2008
MMC in the UK
Our supporters in Great Britain will be happy to know that the Make Mine Chocolate! signature pins are now available without having to pay for international shipping! The Hay Experts, one of our UK Partners, is carrying the pins on their website. Proceeds from sales of the pins will go to a local rabbit rescue.
Posted by Terri at 09:11 PM
April 07, 2007
Good Eggs
Working right up to the last minute, here's what our supporters have been up to in the past few days:
From Wichita: Joyce Gedraitis of Bunny TNT appeared on the KSN Channel 3 news in Wichita on April 4th. Watch the video!
From Philadelphia: We've heard that 6-ABC consumer reporter Nydia Han ran a spot on her news show this week, and radio station WOGL welcomed a guest from the Philadelphia Zoo who shared our message about rabbits as Easter pets.
From Columbus: Columbus HRS's Karalee Curry is scheduled to make a guest appearance on The Rolonda Watts Show on Monday, April 9th at 12:06 EDT. Be sure to log on and listen!
Posted by Terri at 11:19 PM
April 05, 2007
More Media Coverage!
Alabama EARS is making two appearances on TV this week. Candice Cordell of WVUA TV in Tuscaloosa arranged for them to be on the Midday Show on April 4th. Linda of Alambama EARS will also be on Good Day Alabama on Fox 6 at 8:25 am on Friday, April 6. They said, "yes, we will be bringing Easter baskets with chocolate bunnies!"
Karalee Curry of the Columbus House Rabbit Society and MMC Campaign appeared on the Louie Free radio program at 4pm on April 3rd. Louie Free broadcasts on WGFT 1330AM in Youngstown, Ohio and maintains a blog for his show.
Supporter Lois Veeder contacted her local paper, which resulted in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer this past Sunday, complete with a picture of a woman holding a bunny. The article entitled "When They Stop Being Cute" appeared on the cover.
Columbus HRS member Wendy Marshner had a letter to the editor published in the April 4th Columbus Dispatch.
Our supporters and Partners are doing a fantastic job of keeping MMC in the news! Keep up the terrific work!
Posted by Terri at 12:14 AM
April 03, 2007
Bunnycam going dark for Easter
In a bold move, the Brooklyn Bunny Cam is going dark (well, pink) for Easter. Because this live cam shows Roebling the Brooklyn Bunny in all his bunny cuteness, his webmasters fear that he could inspire some viewers to acquire a bunny of their own without realizing the enormous responsiblities of rabbit guardianship. So, in an effort to discourage impulse purchases, they have taken the bunny cam offline until after Easter. We salute them and eagerly await the return of Roebling.
The Brooklyn Bunny Live Cam is an MMC Friend through MySpace.
Posted by Terri at 12:06 AM
April 02, 2007
Iowa Partner hosts Easter event
Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary and Rescue of Boone, IA is hosting an Easter event at a local Petco. Linda says, "The Manager at our Petco LOVES US." This particular Petco does not allow rabbit sales within ten days before or after Easter in the hope of preventing impulse purchases.
RVAS is offering photographs with a giant chocolate bunny, an in-store Easter egg hunt with "instant winner" tickets hidden in 25 of the 250 eggs they are hiding. The prize is - of course - a CHOCOLATE bunny! They will pass out MMC literature and have a bunny expert on site to answer any questions the public has on living with a bunny.
Posted by Terri at 11:55 PM
Partners in the News!
Our Partners are getting all kinds of media attention!
In Wichita, KS, Joyce (aka "Grandma Bunny") of Bunny TNT will be promoting MMC in her interview Tuesday, April 3rd on local NBC affiliate KSN's evening news.
Rabbit Haven of Santa Cruz, CA was featured in an article in the March 31 Kitsap Sun. The Sun paired the article with a streaming video/audio slideshow of Rabbit Haven's Sue Brennan telling the story of how her group began.
The Montgomery County (MD) Humane Society was featured in a terrific article in the DC Examiner. They are also hosting "Bunny Hop" events, to allow kids to interact with real rabbits and learn about responsible pet care.
Our own Terri Cook was interviewed for an article by Sunny Branson of the Catalyst magazine as well as for the Kitsup Sun article listed above.
MMC has also made the front page of the Pets section of the Humane Society of the United States' website.
If your group or organization has made the news, please let us hear about it! Email a description of your appearance and a link to mmcinfo@makeminechocolate.org
Posted by Terri at 11:47 PM
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 09:40 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 09:33 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 05:24 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 09:16 PM
February 28, 2007
National Confectioners Association partners with Make Mine Chocolate!
NCA is pleased to announce a partnership with "Make Mine Chocolate!" for Easter 2007. The goal of "Make Mine Chocolate!" is to educate the public of the challenges of properly caring for rabbits and to encourage them to purchase chocolate Easter bunnies instead of live rabbits. This Easter, NCA will tout a "Battle of the Bunnies" campaign and reveal results from a nationwide survey that show Americans prefer candy bunnies to live bunnies as Easter gifts. Visit NCA's web site or the Make Mine Chocolate! web site in the upcoming weeks for more news on this exciting partnership. Contact NCA's Susan Fussell at (703) 790-5750.Posted by Terri at 04:06 PM
March 29, 2006
Going Global
Last year we were surprised by the support we received from around the world. We were mentioned on several websites from Europe and Asia to Africa and Australia. This year, we are again receiving global support. In addition to our Canadian Partners, we have added Partners from the United Kingdom: Bunny Burrows joins us from North Yorkshire, and the Bunny Camp Sanctuary hails from West Yorkshire. A supporter in Melbourne, Australia is posting flyers in grocery windows, including one near a local pet store.
Posted by MMC Team at 08:40 PM
Support from the Great White North
This year, we have had the support of several groups and individuals from north of the border. Some of our Canadian Partners include the Small Animal Rescue Society of BC (SARS BC) in British Columbia, Vancouver Rabbit Rescue and Advocacy, and the Lexington Road Animal Hospital in Waterloo, Ontario.
We’ve also had many individual Canadians showing their support by wearing our pins and shirts, printing and distributing our ads and flyers, writing letters to local newspapers, and appearing on television and radio shows.
We send a big, warm Thank You to our friends up North for helping to educate their countrymen about house rabbits.
Posted by MMC Team at 08:32 PM
Retail Partners Spread the Word
Some of our retail Partners have come up with a creative way to spread our message. Mail-order suppliers such as Rabbit Central and Cats & Rabbits & More are including one of the MMC flyers in all outgoing orders.
If you have a retail business and would like to support the campaign, consider slipping a postcard or flyer into each order or shopping bag. Our flyers can be found here.
What a great way to help save the lives of rabbits across the country!
Posted by MMC Team at 08:24 PM