Hello everybody,
 
I would like to invite participation in the Washington State Special
Olympics to take place at a military base south of Seattle at Fort Lewis
on Interstate Highway 5.  This event is a three day activity that hosts
4,000 special Olympics athletes and Unified partners who participate and
compete in a wide array of athletics.  The date of the Special Olympics
is June 3-4, 2000 and is sponsored by the US Army.
 
So you ask:  what's this got to do with ferrets?  The answer is PLENTY.
 
As a volunteer participant "Ferreter" last year in this huge event, I was
overwhelmed by the interest, joy and love expressed by many of the
physically disabled and retarded youngsters and adults as they held and
caressed the several ferrets that I and others had brought to the
F.E.R.R.E.T.S. NW tent at Fort Lewis.
 
Let me tell you I had a lump in my throat andd tears in my eyes to be able
to bring to these wonderful youngsters and adults our little four-legged
bundles of fuzzies for them to hold, caress and love.  And that's exactly
what they did.  I have never known how much joy a little ferret can give
to a person in a situation like this.  It's total FRETTCHEN VERGNUEGEN at
the max.
 
May I invite you and your ferret(s) to attend this one or two-day event
(number of days is up to you) down at Fort Lewis as an honored guest of the
US Army.  Refreshments and light finger foods are provided by the host and
you are treated with the utmost respect by nomcoms as well as all officers
of the army.
 
All you need to do is to display your ferret and relate to those who wander
by our tent (provided by the US Army) some of delights you experience with
your ferret.  Last year I was talked out of one of my loveliest ferrets and
sold her to the mother of one of the special olympics athletes.  That
little silver mitt was so well loved by all who held her.
 
To be a part of this experience you need to contact the following persons
by e-mail and you will receive the necessary application papers.
 
        angelstanhope@ hotmail.com           [log in to unmask]
 
With respect to the Ferret Olympics normally held the last Sunday in
August, I need to know how many people will come.  The admission is $10
for the whole day regardless of how many ferrets you have.  We need to hold
the Ferret Olympics on private property adjacent to a lake or a slow moving
river for the ferret swimming contest.  I would appreciate a property owner
donating his property for the day.  There is a minimum of 50 persons who
need attend.  Fewer than 50 persons will negate the Ferret Olympics.
 
My contact with officers of the Washington Ferret Association today by
telephone resulted in no interest in either the Special Olympics down at
Fort Lewis nor the Ferret Olympics in Seattle or environs.  So I thought
this would be the way to reach others who may be interested.
 
Edward Lipinski @ Ferret Endowment for Research, Rehabilitation,
Education & Training Society, NorthWest  aka  F.E.R.R.E.T.S. NW, or more
simply, FNW
[Posted in FML issue 3054]