logo
Paws and Pints Wellness Weekend brings fun for pets and their humans

Paws and Pints Wellness Weekend brings fun for pets and their humans

Yahoo13-04-2025

DES MOINES, Iowa — Paws and Pints celebrated their third Wellness Weekend on Saturday with the help of several vendors, including the Fi Smart Dog Collar.
'It's a way that we can give back, our customers and our members are so local to us so this weekend is a chance that we can give back to them,' said Kyle Casey, Owner and Cofounder of Paws & Pints. 'It means a lot to my wife and I, when we started this company, our goal was to be more active in the community and do things like today's event.'
Paws & Pints is a local dog park that offers a good time for both pets and people. During the event, dogs enjoyed a foam party, pup cups, and unlimited tennis balls. Meanwhile, their owners learned about the latest in dog tracking and healthcare from more than 20 local vendors.
Greenfield Mercantile grand opening brings business to rebuilding town
In its first Des Moines appearance, the CEO and Founder of Fi Smart Dog Collar, Jonathan Bensamoun, showcased a collar that tracks your best friend's steps, sleep, and location.
'The collar is all about enabling dog owners to give their dogs the best lives they can and enjoy the outdoors like they are here at this park,' said Bensamoun.
The product first hit the market five years ago, and Bensamoun said he was motivated after getting his own dog eight years ago.
'He's a German Shepherd, and when I got him, I was really worried about him exercising enough. You know German Shepherds are very active, so I wanted to make sure he was working out enough. I also wanted to make sure he didn't escape, so I tested out tracking devices and realized there was room for a new product out there.'
Paws & Pints will wrap up their festivities Sunday with Puppy Yoga at 11 a.m. in their Training Facility, featuring adoptable puppies from Hope Animal Rescue of Iowa.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Third Time's the Charm: Magenta Giving Month Breaks Records With $3.3M in Donations, 27K+ Volunteer Hours
Third Time's the Charm: Magenta Giving Month Breaks Records With $3.3M in Donations, 27K+ Volunteer Hours

Associated Press

time20-05-2025

  • Associated Press

Third Time's the Charm: Magenta Giving Month Breaks Records With $3.3M in Donations, 27K+ Volunteer Hours

Step into the lobby of T-Mobile's Bellevue, Washington, headquarters on a spring day in April, and you might assume the buzz in the air was all business — until the barking began. The source? A pack of irresistibly adoptable pups wagging tails and melting hearts. Thanks to T-Mobile's work with P.A.W.S. – Progressive Animal Awareness Society, employees on campus had the chance to take home new furry family members, with all 11 puppies adopted. It was undeniably one of the cutest ways to give back — but far from the only one. The event was part of T-Mobile's third annual Magenta Giving Month, a companywide movement where employees across the country roll up their sleeves for causes that matter in the communities they call home. Team Magenta has delivered heartwarming results through time, sweat equity and good old-fashioned generosity over the past couple of years. While 2023's initial Magenta Giving Month efforts led to an impressive $2 million in donations, T-Mobile and its employees raised a whopping $2.6 million in 2024. Now in its third year, Magenta Giving Month has reached a new high: more than 27,000 volunteer hours and $3.3 million donated to communities in need. With 875 pints of blood, thousands of STEM kits, and enough food packed to feed a small stadium, it's safe to say T-Mobile's Magenta magic is real. 'Every year, this moment is about more than just volunteering,' says Mike Katz, President of Marketing, Strategy and Products at T-Mobile, and this year's Magenta Giving Month executive co-sponsor. 'It's about coming together as One Team, Together to make a real impact in our communities.' Starting April 1, every T-Mobile employee receives a $30 donation credit from The T-Mobile Foundation. They can use it to support a nonprofit of their choice — whether it's focused on education, healthcare, environmental conservation or another cause they care about. The Foundation's mission is to make a difference by mobilizing the company's brand, technology and people for social good — and Magenta Giving Month brings that mission to life in a big way. Many employees went beyond donations by volunteering at events hosted coast to coast. Throughout April, T-Mobile campuses were alive with activity as employees teamed up with nonprofit partners like Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Food Lifeline, Harvesters and the American Red Cross. Whether they were packing STEM kits, sorting essentials for food-insecure families, or literally saving lives through blood drives, their impact reached far and wide. Fighting Hunger Across the Country Ben Burgess, Corporate Relations Manager for the Atlanta Community Food Bank, knows firsthand how crucial those efforts are. 'Roughly one in nine Georgians are food insecure, and one in six children in our 29-county service area,' Burgess says. 'We've seen the need grow by almost 60% in the last three years. This year, we're on pace to distribute over 125 million pounds of food to the over 700,000 people we serve.' At T-Mobile's Atlanta event alone, employee volunteers sorted nearly 17,000 pounds of food — enough to serve over 14,000 meals. Meanwhile, at T-Mobile's Overland Park, Kansas, headquarters, the rhythm of 10,000 sack lunches being packed for Harvesters echoed through the halls. 'The Give Lunch bags that T-Mobile is providing help tremendously,' says Paula Pratt, Director of Community Engagement for Harvesters. 'Our organization serves 27 counties across Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri, with more than 900 partner agencies serving 226,000 people every month. Many of these are distributed through our Food+ Program, at libraries, bus stops, health-care facilities and other places people go to find help like pantries and summer feeding programs.' Pratt points out that demand remains sky high with grocery prices still elevated, making the support more critical than ever. And over near Bellevue, employees matched that hustle, sorting more than 11,000 pounds of food for Food Lifeline, a hunger relief organization serving 17 counties and nearly 300 meal programs across Western Washington. 'Since 2019, we've continued to see a rise in the number of clients we serve every year,' says Marisa Kent-Guerra, Corporate Relations Officer for Food Lifeline. 'And with major budget cuts looming, our work is more vital than ever.' Partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs for STEM Success Beyond food insecurity, T-Mobile employees also powered up the future by partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs to build thousands of STEM kits across the country. In Overland Park alone, employees packed 4,480 STEM kits, while Bellevue added another 4,200 kits. In Frisco, Texas, employees packed 2,240 kits, plus another 840 kits in Herndon, Virginia. 'This is the second year T-Mobile's Kansas City employees have come together to help the kids we serve at our 11 clubs,' says Katie Onello, Resource Development Coordinator for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City (GKC). 'Our goal for 2025 is to serve 5,200 kids by combatting learning loss over the summer and providing safe places outside of school.' T-Mobile also provided each organization with cash as a result of the 2:1 match on volunteer hours. In April alone, the TMO Foundation provided $601K through volunteer-hour matching. That means for the Boys & Girls Clubs of GKC, the Un-carrier added almost $13K on top of the STEM kits. In Washington, Jules Pollack, Director of Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue, says the impact is undeniable. 'These kits provide hands-on learning experiences that help kids build problem-solving skills and spark an interest in STEM careers. The energy during these events has been incredible.' On the other side of the country, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington serves 24 clubhouses across D.C., Maryland and Virginia, where 100% of their youth graduate high school. 'T-Mobile generously covered the cost of the kits and materials and even reimbursed us for a U-Haul when we needed extra transportation!' says Jasmine Culver, Director of STEM at BGCGW. Serving Up Good: Donating Blood, Planting Trees, and Scooping Froyo for a Cause And when it comes to life-saving efforts, T-Mobile once again joined forces with the American Red Cross, hosting 26 blood drives together and with seven other blood collection organizations. 'In the U.S., someone needs blood every two seconds,' says Mario Brown, National Partnerships Manager at the American Red Cross. 'Last year, T-Mobile collected 454 units with us — potentially helping about 1,362 people.' This year, T-Mobile collected 693 units of blood through its drives with the Red Cross, potentially saving up to 2,079 lives. When combined with other blood drive partners, the company helped collect 875 total units during Magenta Giving Month. To add a sweet spin to giving back, T-Mobile leaders hosted 'Froyo for Good' pop-ups in support of local organizations like Mary's Place and Seattle Humane. And at events in four locations across the country, volunteers planted more than 150 trees as part of a partnership with The Arbor Day Foundation. Magenta Giving Month made one thing clear: T-Mobile's commitment to using its scale and resources for good — in communities big and small — continues by empowering employees to come together and make a difference. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from T-Mobile International AG

Paws and Pints Wellness Weekend brings fun for pets and their humans
Paws and Pints Wellness Weekend brings fun for pets and their humans

Yahoo

time13-04-2025

  • Yahoo

Paws and Pints Wellness Weekend brings fun for pets and their humans

DES MOINES, Iowa — Paws and Pints celebrated their third Wellness Weekend on Saturday with the help of several vendors, including the Fi Smart Dog Collar. 'It's a way that we can give back, our customers and our members are so local to us so this weekend is a chance that we can give back to them,' said Kyle Casey, Owner and Cofounder of Paws & Pints. 'It means a lot to my wife and I, when we started this company, our goal was to be more active in the community and do things like today's event.' Paws & Pints is a local dog park that offers a good time for both pets and people. During the event, dogs enjoyed a foam party, pup cups, and unlimited tennis balls. Meanwhile, their owners learned about the latest in dog tracking and healthcare from more than 20 local vendors. Greenfield Mercantile grand opening brings business to rebuilding town In its first Des Moines appearance, the CEO and Founder of Fi Smart Dog Collar, Jonathan Bensamoun, showcased a collar that tracks your best friend's steps, sleep, and location. 'The collar is all about enabling dog owners to give their dogs the best lives they can and enjoy the outdoors like they are here at this park,' said Bensamoun. The product first hit the market five years ago, and Bensamoun said he was motivated after getting his own dog eight years ago. 'He's a German Shepherd, and when I got him, I was really worried about him exercising enough. You know German Shepherds are very active, so I wanted to make sure he was working out enough. I also wanted to make sure he didn't escape, so I tested out tracking devices and realized there was room for a new product out there.' Paws & Pints will wrap up their festivities Sunday with Puppy Yoga at 11 a.m. in their Training Facility, featuring adoptable puppies from Hope Animal Rescue of Iowa. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

'A survival game': How the cost of living has changed since the 2021 federal election
'A survival game': How the cost of living has changed since the 2021 federal election

Yahoo

time07-04-2025

  • Yahoo

'A survival game': How the cost of living has changed since the 2021 federal election

Rachel Chiasson, 36, recently settled into an apartment in Edmonton's Cromdale neighbourhood, ending a nearly two-year endeavour that included a period of precarious living situations. She was renovicted from her Calgary apartment in May 2023. The management company gave her eight months' notice, Chiasson said, but she had to uproot her life because she couldn't find anywhere else nearby to live. Chiasson, a licensed practical nurse, tried moving to Edmonton, but again struggled to find housing, she said. She, her German Shepherd and two cats lived in her car for two weeks, then a motel for one month, before finding a place in Redwater, Alta. She commuted about 60 kilometres to and from Edmonton for work, until she finally found her new apartment in the city. "[Inflation has] affected me immensely," said Chiasson, who's originally from Halifax. "I was homeless — and I know lots of other people are facing this on the daily. There have been times when I've not had much money to even just eat. "It was hard for me mentally, physically, financially … and I was still working during that time," she said. Rachel Chiasson, 36, spent a weeks-long period living in her car and a motel with her three pets, after getting renovicted from an apartment in Calgary. (Craig Ryan/CBC) The steep, years-long rising cost of living is still a top federal election issue, especially amid the U.S. trade war. Using Statistics Canada's monthly consumer price index (CPI) data, which measures inflation on goods and services, CBC News calculated Alberta's inflation rate since the last federal election in September 2021. Overall, prices grew by about 13.7 per cent as of February, the latest month for which data is available. The national rate was nearing 14.1 per cent, data shows. But inflation is not uniform, as markets differ for things like food, gas, rent and streaming service subscriptions. At the grocery store, for example, coffee and tea are almost 40 per cent more expensive, while eggs cost 25 per cent more, data shows. But reading materials — including books, newspapers and magazines — are five per cent cheaper. "This is substantial inflation," said Beyza Ural Marchand, a University of Alberta economics professor. Ural Marchand is currently researching how the recent inflation has impacted Canadians, but could not yet divulge any of her findings. Her previous research, however, has found that lower-income households tend to be hit harder by inflation. Poorer households may consume about the same as higher-income households, but a larger share of their budget is dedicated to necessities, she said. If prices of essential products rise, they have less money to spend on other things, whereas wealthier households have more wiggle room. Multiple people told CBC News how their wallets and purse strings have tightened since the 2021 election. Some, like Chiasson, have experienced homelessness. Homeward Trust, an Edmonton agency dedicated to improving homelessness, estimated that more than 2,900 people in Edmonton experienced homelessness in 2023 — an increase of about 1,100 from 2021, when it estimated about 1,800 people experienced homelessness, municipal data shows. The dataset lists inflation as a contributing factor. "Something has to give," said Belinda King, 63. She was homeless in Edmonton for 10 months, much of which was spent in a women's shelter. "I had no addictions," she said. "I found myself homeless because the price of everything is going up, and the wages and incomes don't go up. I never chose to be homeless." King, who now lives in an apartment in the Dickinsfield area in the city's north side, said she worries she could be on the street again. She underwent knee replacements and hasn't recovered enough to work again, she said. In the meantime, she's scraping by on her CPP and AISH payments — the latter of which could be cut back. The six major federal parties — the Conservatives, Liberals, NDP, Bloc Québécois, Green Party and People's Party of Canada (PPC) — each promised initiatives to address the higher cost of living, should they form government after the election on April 28. The measures mainly include tax breaks and changes to social programs that aim to help Canadians keep more money in their pockets. The parties have also detailed how they each plan to increase the housing supply — affordable units and otherwise — and some measures that would seek to make buying a home easier for Canadians. The U.S. trade war, however, could compound the affordability issue. The United States government imposed tariffs on Canadian imports that don't comply with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the free trade agreement between the North American neighbours: 10 per cent on potash and energy products and 25 per cent on everything else. But the U.S. recently made exceptions for Canadian steel, aluminum and automobiles. Those goods are getting taxed an extra 25 per cent, regardless of complicity. Canadian companies affected by tariffs may have to lay off workers. Retail companies could absorb higher costs or try to recoup those costs by raising prices for consumers. Ural Marchand expects retailers — grocery chains in particular — to raise prices, she said, noting that they've done so in other recent moments of high inflation, such as when the war in Ukraine affected supply chains. "Given that they did not absorb the previous shocks, it seems unlikely," Ural Marchand said. "They all led to having these corporations making even larger profits, not lower." WATCH | Affordability, health care crucial election issues for seniors: The federal and provincial governments have enacted countermeasures to the U.S. tariffs. The federal political parties have also made tariff-related promises, some of which focus on helping laid-off workers from affected sectors. In the meantime, Lorephil Toledo, a single mother who owns a cleaning company in Edmonton, is just trying to get by. At work, she is navigating higher prices for supplies and losing clientele who opt for cheaper services, said Toledo, 37. She has laid off staff and hired her two teenagers to help on weekends. Meanwhile, she also has to make sure she brings home enough money to feed her kids, she said. "It's a survival game," she said. Toledo, who received Canadian citizenship last year after immigrating from the Philippines, will be voting federally for the first time, she said. She is still researching with which candidate she most aligns, but the economy is her top issue, she said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store