together to make the initial show a success. Attendance that first year was estimated at over 25,000 peo- ple and, after all the bills were paid, the event was able to purchase a very special transport vehicle for The Children of St. Jude with a cost above $37,000. The publicity from the event was extremely positive and all involved decided to make it an annual event. Over the years the event would add and subtract events and adjust to changes within the sport. The event would also hold galas in conjunction with the event and would offer individuals in some cases an op - portunity to visit the hospital. After visiting St. Jude some of those people were so moved that they made future bequests to the mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in their wills. By the time our run ended in 2009, we had raised hundreds of thou- sands of dollars for St. Jude. We had entertained several hundred thou- sand visitors to the event, contained anti-canine legislation while also introducing many new people to our sport and making a positive impact in our community. DID WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE? From 1995 until 2009, we put on a very special show. It was an event that I truly believe made a positive difference in our world of dogs. Since that first show, AKC has added agil - ity, herding, rally, and recognizes so many titles that were not available in 1995. We’ve seen the AKC build the AKCChampionship Show inOrlando into an event that has incorporated a lot of what we did way back in 1995. We now see “Meet the Breeds” being held not only by AKC in New York and other areas, but that many local clubs are now incorporating it into their weekends. We have all seen an increase in ac- knowledging our dogs as a vital part of society. There were two members of our Showcase committee that were in New York after 9/11 with their search
and rescue group following the twin towers disaster. The Memphis area has created several therapy groups, some of the Kennel Clubs have added herding and other events by recruit- ing people that had been involved in the event. ENDING OF AN ERA We all know that over time the dy- namics within clubs and groups ex- perience change. After my relocation to Knoxville, I started to see a change within some of the organizations that were a part of the event. Eventually, some people within the various or- ganizations felt that the event was a burden to their group and started to have a very negative effect on the overall mission of the event. What fol- lowed was a very difficult time in the treatment of many of the volunteers that had contributed so much over the years. All things in society eventually expe- rience change. So, for a variety of rea- sons, the St. Jude Showcase of Dogs ended its run in 2009. I imagine if the time and effort I had put into the event through those years had been put into advancing my judging career I could be an all-breed judge today. Rather, I chose to pursue an idea. With the great help of so many people through the years, I believe we accomplished what we set out to do. That was to raise money for the kids at St. Jude and show the world the sport of dogs does indeed have a lot to offer. IN CLOSING All of us know, eventually, there is a beginning and an end to most things in life. The Showcase of Dogs taught me a great deal about myself, about other people, and most importantly, the value of volunteers and the abil- ity to enjoy the experience of people working together outside of any per- sonal agendas in order to achieve something for the greater good. I would suggest that if you want to think outside the box—if you have an idea that you think has benefits—go for it. I know I did, and I am a better man for it.
“There is no way an event like this takes place without volunteers. I estimate that annually we would have over 300 individuals volunteer in some way to make this show work.”
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