Episode 52: Talking Texas Society Pt 2 - Reimagining School Safety

Liss’N Kristi

Kristi's non-profit "K9s4kids" protects 2.5 million children in schools across America, every day.

In the second installment of our conversation with Texas society influencers Rob Giardinelli and Lance Avery Morgan, we discuss how she got it started, how it works, and the enormous challenge of fundraising to keep K9s4kids and K9s4cops running and growing.

It is easy to imagine how law enforcement dogs could help in the horrific school shootings across the country. But Kristi also explains how they enhance the school communities in which they serve, and how they can help the mental welfare of the children, as well as the physical. As presidential candidate Nikki Haley asked: "Why don't we have this in every school?"

Then there are the millions of dollars in drugs Kristi's dogs have helped remove from the streets with their law enforcement handlers throughout the United States.

The group discusses the challenge of fundraising, from small donations to hosting big gala events, and the cumbersome and paper-eschewing process of applying to state and federal authorities.

STORIES:

00:00 Start

00:01 The idea for K9s4kids - the horrific Connecticut School Shootings

01:03 The shootings can happen anywhere

01:45 "Shelter in place" exercises now routine

02:22 Uvalde - a dog could have taken that guy down

02:55 How we find the dogs

03:20 The volunteers

03:58 Taking millions of dollars of drugs off the streets

04:20 Support from Congress: McCaul and Cuellar

04:45 Nikki Haley: "Why don't we have this in every school?"

05:34 Texas philanthropy and Texas causes

05:55 How Rob started the "Fun in Fundraising" podcast

07:03 The 3 key ingredients for an event; wow, fun, and heart

07:50 Organizing a great gala event

08:29 A plea from Governor Abbott's office

08:55 "The Carvana of Canines"

10:29 "I want the dog to retire" - the dogs retire with the handlers

11:05 Finding a consignment of titanium batteries

13:20 k9s4kids protects 2.5 million children at school

15:05 How the dogs help the children's mental health as well as their physical protection

17:20 "If one of the billionaires we were talking about adopted this cause"

https://k9s4cops.org/

https://curatedtexan.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgiardinelli/

https://societytexas.com/tag/lance-avery-morgan-editor-in-chief-and-creative-director