Kenosha-Racine Quota Club Shares Quota in 3-D

Kenosha-Racine Quota President Sister Janet Weyker (standing, at left) and Past President Judy Walthers share Hear Ye, the Quota dog, with Cops 'n' Kids founder Julia Burney (seated, with Judy's grandchildren).

The Kenosha-Racine Quota club in Wisconsin, U.S.A., shares Quota's service goals with the community in 3-D.

The club's first creation, Hear Ye the Dog, was painted Quota blue and held a hearing aid in its mouth. Last year, the club promoted the Cops 'n' Kids literacy program with Cops 'n' Kiddies—a large cat offering a book. This year, the club is working on a bear with an environmental message to be called "The Good, the 'Bear-able,' and the Ugly."

The annual club activity is part of a city-wide public arts event, started in 2002, to promote Downtown Racine. Each year, a different fiberglass animal model is created for the competition. Local businesses and organizations sponsor, for $250, one of the 150 models and decorate it for display in a downtown shop or business. The artworks remain on downtown streets throughout the summer. In October, the animals are auctioned in a fund-raiser.

Hear Ye: Quota’s Hearing Dog
The first event, "Dog Days of Summer," featured life-sized dogs. The Kenosha-Racine Quota club sponsored a pooch and then brainstormed clever ways to use the opportunity to share Quota with the community. Because of Quota's devotion to helping hearing impaired people, the club came up with a hearing dog called "Hear Ye."

An accomplished artist, Sister Janet Weyker, O.P., now club president, painted the model Quota blue and white with a large Q on his chest and an orange collar around his neck (the sign of a "working dog," says Sister Janet). With a hearing aid in his mouth, Hear Ye looks as if he just fetched the aid for his master.

• For more about Kenosha-Racine's GREAT IDEA, click here.
  
  
• For a great story of Quota friendship in Kenosha-Racine, click here.
  
  
• The Kenosha-Racine club won second place in the We Share Foundation's 2003 International Photo Contest. To view the club's winning photo, click here.

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