MANASQUAN — Although Manasquan School District’s mascot for generations has been the Warriors, it was the adored comfort dogs Remy and Popi that were subjects of a successful T-shirt and sweatshirt donation drive that raised funds to benefit a local animal shelter.
The donation drive was organized by the Manasquan Elementary School (MES) Community Warriors, a group of students selected by staff members that represent school values through community involvement and service. In a friendly competition, students sold T-shirts and sweatshirts tracking which dog would raise more money for the donation drive. In the end, Popi prevailed in a narrow race, with the fundraiser ultimately raising $385 for the Jersey Shore Animal Center.
On each design, the T-shirt immortalized the face of each of the dog’s colossally cute faces on the front and their names on the back, each with an accompanying acronym, beginning with “Squan is.” Remy’s shirt says “Squan is Respectful Empathic Mindful Your home” and Popi’s shirt says “Squan is Powerful Optimistic Positive Inspirational.”
Through Sneakers Plus, School Counselor Anthony Cinelli organized a team shop with both sweatshirts and T-shirt options for each dog and emailed the shop link throughout the district. With overwhelming support, students and families rallied behind the beloved comfort pups and purchased hundreds of items from the shop. Principal Megan Manetta said Remy, aged 3, enjoys hanging out with the kids more than anything while Popi, aged 1, is an “equal opportunity dog” who loves anyone willing to take the time to pet her.
The two miniature golden doodles use their cuteness and comfort techniques to tend both the elementary and high school students and staff, something the Community Warriors students agreed helps better their experience and environment at school.
Talking to The Coast Star about the comfort dogs, several Community Warriors students collectively said, “We just love them.”
Cinelli, who himself adopted a dog from the Jersey Shore Animal Shelter, told The Coast Star, “The dogs really do help create a more inclusive community environment for all students.”
On Tuesday, Community Warriors students, Cinelli and Manetta welcomed representatives from the Jersey Shore Animal Center and presented them with a $385 check in the MES Mindfulness Court Yard. While Remy and Popi enjoyed their time in the enclosed area bouncing off the walls with excitement, shelter representative Lori Fasinski discussed the importance of supporting animal shelters.
“We are not for profit. We strictly rely on donors. We do not receive money from any place else, it’s people who generously help the animals through donations like this, it gets put to good use. So thank you all for doing this, this will go to taking care of our animals until they leave us. Just know that every cent, it all goes to the animals,” Fasinski said.
Located in Brick Township, the Jersey Shore Animal Center is a shelter whose mission is to rescue, care for and rehome unwanted, abused, abandoned and sick animals, according to the organization’s website.
Since the donation drive was such a success, Cinelli said that the school is considering bringing back the fundraiser. After a hard day of work, the two dogs return home with their caretaker, Superintendent Robert Goodall, before returning back to work on Broad Street during the weekdays.
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