
2017 Report
The Gregory J. Reiter Memorial Fund supports organizations and causes that Greg backed with money, time, and energy during his life. I am honored to share this summary of what you helped achieve through the Fund – in memory of Greg, and for so many animals.
In calendar year 2017, the Fund issued a total of $113,500 in grants to the following twenty organizations, and also helped to design and implement some of these organizations’ programs.
Grants of $10,000+
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
PETA’s Community Animal Project (CAP), which brought Greg and me our horses Henry and Caroline and late dog Itchy, continued to serve underprivileged communities along the border between Virginia and North Carolina, caring for abandoned and neglected companion animals, and performing thousands of spay and neuter procedures. Additionally this year, CAP team members with emergency experience – along with a staffer from the Virginia Beach SPCA, recipient of this year’s PETA Gregory J. Reiter Animal Rescue Award – conducted disaster relief in Texas and Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Harvey and Maria.
PETA’s Cruelty in Horseracing campaign, which rescued my newest adoptee Charlie, introduced a new technology that allows bettors to donate for racehorse aftercare, and prevent them being sent to slaughter in Canada or Mexico. Stay tuned for more big announcements from this campaign in early 2018!
PETA’s legal department has received a steady stream of honors, from Corporate Counsel magazine’s 2017 Best Legal Department, to the University of Virginia School of Law Shaping Justice Award for Extraordinary Achievement, for victories ranging from shutting down Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, to ending SeaWorld’s orca breeding program.
Animal Place Food for Thought Program
Greg and I first visited Animal Place, a Northern California farm animal sanctuary and education center, when we lived in San Francisco in the year 2000 – and were inspired thereby to become first vegetarian and then vegan.
Through the Greg Fund, I have partnered with Animal Place to expand its Food for Thought program from animal shelters to wildlife and environmental organizations. In 2017, we published a new wildlife/environmental brochure, and issued one-time recognition grants to ten organizations that newly formalized vegan or vegetarian menu policies. (Complete list at the end of this section.)
White Coat Waste Project (WCW)
This dynamic new organization chalked up many successes in its work to stop taxpayer-funded animal experiments. For example:
As reported in USA Today, the U.S. House unanimously voted to defund the Department of Veterans Affairs’ most painful dog experiments, based on information revealed through White Coat Waste exposés.
As reported in the Washington Post, following a lawsuit filed by White Coat Waste Project and a plea from Dr. Jane Goodall, the FDA suspended nicotine experiments on monkeys.
Grants of $3,500-$6,000
Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary
I have continued to support this Poolesville, Maryland sanctuary, long a favorite of Greg’s and mine, through both the Greg Fund and my volunteer time.
Poplar Spring provides a permanent home for over 200 rescued farm animals, like Billy Bob the goat, rescued after a high speed chase; and Ellie the pig, rescued after falling from a truck on the DC beltway.
The sanctuary also educates DC area residents about farm animal lives through annual events and a sponsorship program.
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
Greg was a longtime supporter of PCRM, and admirer of president Dr. Neal Barnard.
PCRM’s numerous successes in 2017 included ending live animal labs at the Cleveland Clinic, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and other advanced medical training programs; and helping thousands of patients at the new Washington DC Barnard Medical Center, which integrates plant-based nutrition into patient care.
Greg and I were regular contributors to COK and attended many of its events; the annual autumn DC VegFest was a favorite.
As reported in the Washington Post, COK’s recent accomplishments include documenting mistreatment of chickens at Tyson Foods-affiliated farms, resulting in animal cruelty convictions.
This new organization works with scientists, investors, and entrepreneurs to develop clean meat and plant-based alternatives to animal products.
Among its many innovative projects in 2017, GFI collaborated with the University of California at Berkeley (Greg’s and my alma mater) to conduct a university course on plant-based meat and an entrepreneur competition focused on plant-based seafood innovation.
Grants of $250-500
Direct
Beagle Freedom Project (Valley Village, CA)
Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation (Arlington, VA)
Have a Heart Farm (Glenview, IL)
In partnership with the Animal Place Food for Thought program, for adopting vegan or vegetarian menu policies:
Animal Help Now (Boulder, CO)
Climate First! (Takoma Park, MD)
Colorado Native Bird Care and Conservation (Lyons, CO)
Fauna Foundation (Carignan, Québec)
Friends of Washoe (Ellensburg, WA)
Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (Phoenix, AZ)
North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (San Francisco, CA)
Second Chance Wildlife Center (Gaithersburg, MD)
Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation(Pueblo, CO)
Wildcare (San Rafael, CA)
In 2017, the following individuals contributed to the Fund, and authorized me to acknowledge their donations by name:
Irene Abdou
Robert Benedict
Chris Bledsoe
Alka Chandna
Jeana Curro
Kelley Grady Dunkelberg
Jane and Glenn Fisher
Bruce Friedrich
Ann and Tony Garvey
Shannon M. Gilmore
Charles Gordon
Lisa Hausner
Joni and Paul Jablansky
Krista Jacobsen
Susan R. Johnson
Stephanie Jones
Lisa Kirchenbauer
Adam and Krisztina Kobor
Cindy Lax
Desmond Macauley
Syd Marcus
James P. McWalters
Dana Meeker
Greta Nance Morris
Daphna Nachminovitch
Michael and Jennifer Nardacci
Diana Ok
Debbie Pedro
Kalpana Ramiah
Jeanne Roush
Steve and Sharon Rowenhorst
Kevin and Nicole Sid
Sally and Don Snidow
Elizabeth H. Ward
Betsy Wason
Lisa Woods
Huijuan Xu
The Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation and Charles Schwab Foundation also contributed to the Fund through their employee donation matching programs.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Alysoun Mahoney
info@gregoryreiterfund.org
http://gregoryreiterfund.org
https://www.facebook.com/gregoryreiterfund/