Fairfield girl fundraises for veterans

?My mom and dad keep saying they are proud of me, but I?m not proud ? I?m proud that someone else is happy,? said 9-year-old Fairfield resident Carley Seeley, who single-handedly raised $1,000 this year for a non-profit organization that supports military veterans with service dogs.

?I feel so good because I know that I?m helping somebody?s life,? she said.

Carley has been raising funds for the Des Moines-based Puppy Jake Foundation for around two years.

The organization helps wounded military veterans with the assistance of professionally trained service dogs.

The busy fourth-grader has rallied support for her cause through lemonade stands, tip night at Pizza Ranch and even the sale of her own created awareness bands.

?We went online and found a company that made the bracelets, but we designed them,? said Carley?s father Troy.

Troy, who is a probation officer with Juvenile Court Services in Fairfield, said he initially read about Puppy Jake while reading the newspaper two years ago. He said he mentioned the idea to Carley to see if she wanted to get involved with helping out.

?My dad wanted to get me into more community service work and one Sunday he found the Puppy Jake Foundation,? Carley said, adding that she liked the idea and immediately become involved with fund raising for the foundation.

Carley said she sold cookies, doughnuts and lemonade, and her mother Jody created Puppy Jake flyers.

?My mom does all the graphic work at her work,? she said. ?My dad has the brains and he comes up with all of these ideas,?

Carley, who turned 9 in February, opted to forgo her own birthday gifts, requesting that her party guests bring dog collars, leashes and other items to support Puppy Jake instead.

?A lot of them brought dog-poop bags and doggie toothpaste and tooth brushes,? she said. ?They brought bowls, and collars and leashes, and many of them brought doggie toys.?

The 9-year-old was fine with declining birthday presents.

?It felt so great. I knew I was doing something great to help people,? she said.

?We are really proud of her and what she is doing,? Jody said. ?She really cares and she?s got a big heart.?

Carley recently attended the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines and personally gave Puppy Jake $1,000.

The foundation?s CEO Becky Beach asked Carley if she would join Puppy Jake?s youth advisory committee.

?That felt so amazing. I know that it will pay for a dog, a training vest and lessons so I feel like I?m helping someone?s life,? she said.

The rising fourth-grader who will attend Libertyville Elementary School, said she has plans for doing even more to support the foundation.

?I?m going into the fourth-grade this year and I plan to ask my teacher if we can have an assembly and have the Puppy Jake Foundation come down and have a contest to see who can come up with the most money or bring water bowls or a really cute leash,? she said, hoping her classmates would become involved with the fundraising efforts. ?I know that would really help and I?m sure that my teacher would love the idea. Of course, we would have to get the principal involved, but he?s super nice and I know him really well.?