This is an invitation to all who would like to be active in promoting the household ferret to selected members of the public and to United States Army personnel this weekend at the local US Army base Fort Lewis, located in western Washington. This promotion will take place Saturday and Sunday, June 5 and 6, @ 8 to 4 oclock, on Federal property inside Fort Lewis in conjunction with the Special Olympics for the developmentally disabled. I have been invited and accepted as a worker volunteer to organize, promote, and produce a program, that in keeping with the olympic spirit of athletic competition that will involve ferrets, to involve developmentally disabled children and adults in simple achievements of ferret races, ferret contests and other "fun" events, to enable the presentation of Certificates of FERRET MERIT to all who choose to participate, irrespective of who wins any one ferret olympic event. Please consider this your invitation to come with your ferret(s) and display them in a manner appropriate to the situation and possibly enter them as a "host" for a developmentally disabled child or adult to experience the thrill of seeing "their" ferret in an olympic event, just as they themselves will participate in one or more junior olympic events. There may be "powerlifting" in Building I, the "Nelson Recreation Center." Could this building by named for Colonel Willard B. Nelson, DVM, US Army Reserve? Wow. You will need a car pass to pass through the gate at Fort Lewis and have proof of liability insurance and a valid auto registration. To "volunteer" for this heart-warming experience in helping those perhaps less fortunate than ourselves, please contact Cindy Baker, Venue Manager, Special Olympics Manager @ [not yet approved to post her phone number, but am awaiting permission] Address 2150 North 107th Street, Suite 220, Seattle, WA 98133-9009. For more information, please contact Edward Lipinski @ 206 232-1228. PS Wouldn't this be a wonderful example for the Washington State Ferret Association to demonstrate its dedication to the household ferret and at the same time succor the less fortunate? Let's hope that the WSFA can give this effort a lotta support by urging its members and friends to participate. Would suggest a recommendation be forwarded to Colonel Doctor Skip Nelson to provide veterinary care and consultation oversight in case of ferret heat stroke or other accidental injury to a ferret. Edward Lipinski, and his fertile, fuming ferret farmyard of frettful, funky, frolicky, fluffy, furry Frettchens. (Phew! Try saying that 5 times in a row rapidly.) [Posted in FML issue 2692]