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Finalists Aija Gillman and Don McKendree Day Thirteen Update With only two contestants left, the tension continued to build. The weather hadn't been nice in days, and today was no exception, seemed like it was either very rainy or very hot and humid. Tammy went to a nearby restaurant, and brought back a heartier breakfast for everyone, including Aija's mother Susan, since with her there were only five people left in the encampment. Neighborhood supporters continued to straggle in as the whim struck, to discuss the events of the day or find out who was left out on the field. Most of the neighborhood was very kind and supportive, with the exception of a few people who seemed to just 'wait' for something to go wrong to complain, a common occurrence in small town America. A 'truly anonymous person' said at the next township meeting there would be several people show up to complain, he'd be sure to let us know what they said. (Not sure we'll want to hear it!)
The games began at 12:00, with the exception of our standing 'pulse' reading contest. Don felt that contest was made to favor younger adults, because their pulse and blood pressure remained much more stable than older adults. Another contest slightly favored Don, as it was the same as the earlier hotdog eating contest we'd run, instead this time substituting a vegetarian breakfast link. Aija upped her time to match Don's earlier time of :38 seconds, but Don more than doubled his speed, popping the lid off and gulping down his sausage in a record :14 seconds!
They had both scored the same in the psychic test from the day before, so we tried that one again, this time putting ten of twenty items in a box in the new car. (Darn if Atlas didn't jump into the new car, getting sand and mud in there before the winner ever got to look inside!) They tied as before, both receiving 5 out of the ten possible points.
The final two contests were more physical, the first involved kicking an orange from one post to the next, four posts in all. The person who made it in the least kicks won the event. The second of the final two involved moving ten oranges from one location to another, blindfolded. The contestant who did this in the fastest time won the event.
A news crew from Channel Six showed up just before Aija started her blindfolded challenge, which made it even MORE fun for her, stumbling around in front of a camera... We released to the media that closing ceremonies and announcement of the winner would occur Friday, July 14th at noon, so we wanted to keep the winner 'hush hush' until then. Which of course meant just ask anyone in the neighborhood if you wanted to know the answer! (Or Rocky or Jim....) However, this would have been unfair to Aija and Don, after waiting all that time, to keep them chained for another day, not knowing who the winner was.
We took them off chains at 5:00 p.m. July 13, Tammy doing the honors, and you would have sworn Don had just won the biggest prize in the world! He was so excited he'd made it to the end and been unchained, he no longer cared who won, he knew he'd won his FREEDOM. He jumped around, hugging everyone, and acted like a young pup himself! He kept saying, "We made it, we made it."
We all went down to the big tent, and revealed to our final two contestants the final score—Aija had beat Don by two points, and won our inaugural year's Chain Off 2006 Contest! Don was just as happy for her as he'd have been for himself, it was something to see. He won second prize of $200 and a signed, numbered, framed print of Tammy's Americana 1: Home of the Brave artpiece. The art meant a lot to him, and he vowed it would always remind him not only of his struggle, but also of the struggle of America's chained dogs.
Aija and her mother Susan, who'd camped there the whole two weeks, cried tears of joy, and immediately started phoning family at home in Illinois to tell them the good news. Don, Aija, and Tom (who'd come back to see who won) just had to go back into the woods to see where the trails led. They felt an undying curiosity about those woods, because day after day they watched people come and go through them, and had to know where they were going to or coming from. They likened this to what the chained dogs do when they get loose—run out to explore the world just out of their reach. The world that passes within their view daily but they are powerless to enter. Aija and Susan went to Subway so that Aija could buy some food she actually liked, and then on to the hotel room to get some rest and of course a LONG shower before the closing ceremony on Saturday.
Don said he was going right home and unchaining Nikki, his beautiful husky. He graciously allowed us and reporter Jim Lauffer to come with him, where we were able to document her freedom from chains on film and on camera! What a glorious cap for our first-ever contest! Nikki was so happy to see Don, and he her. She had not spent all her time outside, but he said that she is a runner, and would take off at her first chance, and that for some reason she peed where she slept, which had frustrated him greatly. Hence she ended up spending much of her time outside.
But all that would now change...Dogs Deserve Better is providing fencing materials for Nikki (can you chip in?) and also a doggie door so she can come and go outside as she pleases, which we hope will cut down on her desire to dig out of the fence. Don is determined that she will never be chained again, and he will work with her as needed to make sure it doesn't happen. We want to do our part to help, and fencing is the first step.
If you can help us to provide Nikki and Don with a great fence, please donate whatever amount possible. We will use any excess for further fencing help for dogs who need it on a daily basis.
If you'd like to help, please donate to our cause today! We need your help.
Don's Empty Doghouse
Nikki's Empty Doghouse Contest-Day
One/Two & Synopsis, Photos: First to Go Contest-Day
Fourteen & Synopsis, Photos: Event
T and Water Bottle Combo Sets, Only $11.75!
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