By Candace Shepherd, Patriot Contributor & Brandon Farmer, Assistant Editor
A local 9-year-old is making a big difference for our furry friends across Powell County, and she is doing so one pageant at a time. Griffyn Shepherd took the initiative to partner with the Miss Shamrock Pageant, directed by Alexis Strange, to support the Powell County Animal Shelter. The event, held March 14 at the Clay City Municipal Building, became a platform for giving back, made possible by Griffyn’s bright and selfless idea. Rather than simply participating, Griffyn approached the pageant director ahead of time with a plan: she asked to sponsor special awards that would encourage contestants to bring donations of food, toys, and supplies for the Powell County Animal Shelter while simultaneously promoting her platform, Griffyn’s PAWSitive Impact.
With that vision in place, contestants and families were invited to contribute much needed items, such as food, litter, toys, and cleaning items. Donations were tallied using a point system, and Griffyn proudly presented two Humanitarian Awards—complete with crowns and trophies—to the top contributors in the 0–6 and 7+ age divisions. The response from contestants and the community was overwhelmingly positive, resulting in a large collection of much-needed supplies for the shelter.
On April 1, Griffyn, along with her friend Jaden, personally delivered the donations to the Powell County Animal Shelter, who received the items with immense gratitude and expressed sincere appreciation for the haul of critically needed supplies. The two helped unload items and spent time visiting the animals, making the experience even more meaningful. Griffyn, though, hopes this is just the beginning. Through Griffyn’s PAWSitive Impact campaign, she plans to sponsor similar awards at future pageants and expand her efforts to help animal shelters in other counties across Kentucky.
“I love helping animals, and I want to keep doing more,” Griffyn said, “There are so many shelters that need support.”
With her compassion, leadership, and creativity, Griffyn is proving that even the youngest members of the community can create a lasting, “PAWSitive” impact.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 16th because Amvets Post 67 is hosting the Miss United We Stand Patriotic Pageant with proceeds going to support Paws with a Cause, a special charity that helps pair disabled veterans with much needed service dogs. Entry is $40 and more information about this event can be found on Facebook.
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