For the past six years, Ben Franklin Crafts and Frames Shop has worked with former 4-H leader Kris Stamey to bring bunnies into the store ahead of Easter for family photos, with proceeds going to deserving causes in the community.
"We started a few years ago with 4-H kids, and they aren't in 4-H anymore ' most of them ' but they still own their rabbits,GÇ¥ said Adrian Taylor, owner of Ben Franklins Crafts and Frames. "Their leader (Kris Stamey) had always wanted to do it, so she put together a coalition of kids that would come down and bring their bunnies.GÇ¥
For $10, families could get Easter photos taken with the bunnies and receive a photo CD with a special design on the front to mark the occasion. Bunnies were available Friday, Saturday and Sunday the week before Easter and Friday and Saturday the week of, for a total of $4,403 raised.
"We had pleasant memories for over 400 families,GÇ¥ Taylor said, "which was pretty good.GÇ¥
When Stamey couldn't get enough volunteers this year, Taylor said the Monroe YMCA stepped in to help, earning a percentage of the proceeds that way. The YMCA put in 72 1/2 volunteer hours, and Taylor recently provided the organization with a check for $742.
Stamey's volunteers received $10 per day for "wear and tearGÇ¥ on their bunnies, Taylor said, and put their $2,971 cut of the proceeds toward Relay for Life.
Taylor said the Easter benefit has grown in participation by about 20 percent each year.
Photo courtesy of Ben Franklin Crafts From left, Adrian Taylor, Leslie Ross, Emily Gibson and Kris Stamey during a check presentation. The money earned by Stamey and her group of bunny owners went to Relay for Life.
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