NGA Greyhound Review 2016

Hall of Fame News www.greyhoundhalloffame.com

‘Pet me’ program a winner

J ade, a resident greeter at the Greyhound by Cecilia Harris
Hall of Fame for nearly eight years, no
longer perks her ears up and rises from her newest greeter is WW’s I Giver, now
resting spot when the Hall’s front door opens. An called Ginger, from Julie Ward Kennels.

ambassador since August of 2008, the greyhound “Their job here is not just to entertain
people who want to pet dogs, but they
whose race name was San Tan Goforit, died in are an enhancement to the museum,” she
adds. “It’s really neat people can see the
February. hounds are like and promoting grey- racing greyhounds and then go in and
Hall of Fame Director hound adoptions,” Lounsbury says, relate them to the other exhibits in the
adding greyhound greeters have been at museum. It makes the museum so much
Kathryn Lounsbury says the resident the Hall since the early 1970s to show more interesting to visitors.”
greyhound greeters are an integral the breed’s gentle nature. Gary, a resi-
part of the Hall’s education program. dent greyhound since 2011, and Jade But Lounsbury says the pet pro-
both came from Allen Kennels, and the gram nearly ended just a few years
“They show what real racing grey- ago when the museum was struggling
hounds look like while at the same time to make ends meet, and she is grateful
demonstrating what real pet grey- Karen Keelan, a Greyhound Hall of
Fame board member, agreed to pro-
vide monetarily for the care of the
Hall’s resident greyhounds.

Jade

Ginger, the latest ambassador at the Hall Of Fame

“It was a few years ago when the increased when the campaign began time, a third was added in 2002 when
Hall was going through a financial in 2002, and today travelers along the opportunity arose to have as a
situation and everybody of course try- Interstate 70 in Kansas still steer off greeter E.J.’s Douglas, one of the best
ing to do the right thing with looking the highway to pet the resident grey- sprinters of the 1990s and a 1999 Hall
to cut costs,” Keelan says. “I know hounds at the Hall of Fame after see- of Fame Inductee. In the November
how much people love to see the dogs ing the signs. 2002 issue of The Greyhound Review,
up close and personal, and how many then GHF Director Ed Scheele lik-
people haven’t ever seen a greyhound, Keelan agrees the billboards – and ened the inclusion of E.J.’s Douglas to
and that’s one of the biggest draws the greeters - are an important mar- having Hank Aaron greet visitors at
going for the Hall of Fame. I felt very keting tool. the Baseball Hall of Fame.
strongly that we needed to keep the
greyhound greeters at the Hall.” “It just shows that people want to A second Hall of Fame greyhound
see the real thing, and that’s why I just inductee became a greeter in 2008,
Keelan believes the greeters are couldn’t imagine the Hall of Fame the same year of his induction.
not only ambassadors for the sport, without the greeters because they are Talentedmrripley’s role as a grey-
but for the breed as well. so important to the whole concept of hound ambassador again prompted
greyhound racing and greyhounds, interest in the only sport with a Hall
“So many times people have a mis- which is what the Hall is all about,” of Fame athlete residing where
conception of them, and it broadens Keelan adds. enshrined. Ripley was the star of a
people’s eyes to see what beautiful dogs news segment broadcast over seven
they are and how wonderful they can Since the early 1970s, most resident NBC affiliate television stations
be,” she said. “And that’s why I offered greeters at the Hall have been retired throughout Kansas, and also was fea-
to subsidize the care, feeding, health, racers including Texas, Suzy, Lucky, tured in several articles published in
and vet appointments for the dogs, Duchess, Auto, Derby Drive, Sharon, Kansas newspapers, industry publica-
because I felt it was so important.” Chig and Abby. Both Chig, who raced tions and on websites before his death
as Bets On Chig, and RU MS. Kim B, in 2011.
The greyhound greeters are the nicknamed Abby, were adopted through
biggest attraction at the Hall of Fame, TLC Greyhound Adoption Agency, and “He would get Christmas cards
Lounsbury says. The faces of former the two later graced the cover of Kansas from visitors,” said Lounsbury, then
greeters Sharon and Chig still stare at Heritage magazine and were featured GHF general manager, in the January/
the automobiles whizzing by on the in several Kansas newspapers during a February 2011 issue of The Greyhound
interstate highway, their eyes plead- marketing campaign to promote the Review. “People wrote him they were
ing “pet me” in a billboard campaign Hall of Fame. looking forward to coming back to see
to entice more visitors to the muse- him again.”
um. She says attendance significantly Although the Hall typically housed
only two resident greyhounds at a