CONCORD, N.C. – What started out as a fun idea to complete his school project and bring awareness to his mom’s non-profit pet food bank turned into a labor of love for 10-year-old Chase Carey of Concord and resulted in a Guinness World Record.

Carey, a fifth-grader at W.R. Odell Elementary School and a member of the school’s Academically and Intellectually Gifted program, had to complete a 50-hour community service project. The son of non-profit, Petey’s Promise, founder Liz Mellott, he thought using crayons would be a great way to get children and adults to look at the harder side of pet ownership and to support the Petey’s Promise, which offers assistance to struggling pet owners throughout the Greater Charlotte area.

The charity is close to both Mellott and Carey’s heart as they faced losing their lab-spaniel mix when as a single mom Mellott was forced to make hard choices to survive financially. Luckily, they were able to keep Petey and when she got back on her feet, the non-profit was born. Since its inception in 2008, Petey’s Promise has fed more than 4,000 animals.

“We were lucky to keep Petey, and it makes me sad to think there are kids who lose their pets because their parents can’t feed them. I am very proud of my Mom and Petey’s Promise,” Carey said. “So I thought it would be fun to combine my project with it.”

Gathering more than 80,000 crayons over the course of five months, Chase talked everyone he knew into helping with the project. The plan was to melt all the crayons and assemble the almost 10-foot crayon on Oct. 29 at The Village Church in Concord during the Coloring for Critters Fall Festival and to unveil it in the late afternoon.

Physics, however, had other ideas. The massive crayon, which would eventually stand 9 feet 9 ¾ inches tall and weigh an impressive 731 pounds, was going to take a little longer than a few hours to assemble. With the help of lots of friends, family and members of the community, Carey and his engineers (his father, Ben Carey, and other employees of Roush-Yates Engines) had assembled the base of the crayon by 3 p.m., but that is when things started to go wrong.

Even with six months of testing, no one really knew how much time it would take 700 pounds of hot crayon wax to solidify. There were also unforeseen complications when the group went to attach the cone as the hot wax seeped out of the mold. The decision was made to let the crayon solidify for at least 48 hours to ensure it would hold.

“The best laid plans, right? It became apparent early in the day that this was going to be more about forgoing the plans of Coloring for Critters and more about an all-out thrash to make sure Chase met his goal,” said Mellott. “We had people in the community jumping in to buy crayons and peel crayons on site – just helping out any way they could to make sure we made that crayon. There is always time for festivals, games and other fundraising activities, but you only get the chance to make the world’s largest crayon once. At least if I have anything to say about it.”

Despite the setbacks, Chase and Petey’s Promise would not be denied their record. It might have taken an extra couple days, but the World’s Largest Homemade Crayon, Petey’s Passion, was completed at approximately 7 p.m. on Halloween night while trick-or-treaters were out in full force and photos with the crayons were in high demand. It broke the previous record held by a group in Hinesville, Ga., whose crayon set the record at 9 feet 8 inches, 605 pounds.

“I love it, but I’m done with crayons for a while,” Carey laughed. “I think it is cool that we’re going to be in the Guinness Book of World Records with the world’s largest crayon. I really want to thank everyone that helped and donated, especially my Mom and Dad.”

Coloring for Critters presented by Crocktees benefits Petey’s Promise and the W.R. Odell Elementary’s AIG program. The group is still working to meet their fundraising goal.

“It was a really ambitious project, and I think Chase has learned the magnitude of what he has done, the attention it garnered and is proud of the six months of hard work he has put in,” Mellott said. “However, at that point, I think he was ready to put on his costume and just be a kid again.”

And we need YOUR help to do it!

PLEASE donate crayons – new or used – by emailing peteyspromise@gmail.com.

On Saturday, October 29th, come out to The Village Church Field for:

• Food
• Craft Booths
• Pet Booths
• Silent Auctions
• and More!

The Village Church Field is located at 9280 Davidson Highway, Concord, NC 28027 – beside Coddle Creek Animal Hospital (see map).

Event will be from 10am to 2pm – RAIN or SHINE

Interested in helping on a sponsorship level?

Pick your sponsorship:

Petey’s Passion Sponsor – $250
Primary sponsorship branding on all printed promotional materials including t-shirts and media releases; 10′ x 10′ premium booth location at event, 4 event t-shirts for sponsors/attendees

Razzmatazz Sponsor – $150
Associate sponsorship branding on all printed promotional materials including t-shirts and media releases; 10′ x 10′ premium booth location at event; 2 event t-shirts for sponsors/attendees

Aquamarine Sponsor – $75
Associate sponsorship branding on all printed promotional materials including t-shirts; 10′ x 10′ premium booth location at event

Electric Lime Booth Participant – $45
10′ x 10′ booth space

Sponsorship deadline (for shirts only) is OCTOBER 15. Booth space is available until OCTOBER 28. Please click here to access our online sponsorship form.

Current Sponsors:

• The Price Family
• The Village Church
• Roush-Yates
• Race City Steel
• Crock Tees
• Bizzy Bees

The event, Coloring for Critters, will take place Oct. 29 at The Village Church on Highway 73 in Concord. All proceeds will benefit Petey’s Promise and the AIG Program at W.R. Odell Elementary School.

Chase came up with the idea to make the world’s largest crayon for his AIG Community Service project after reading about a group of students in Georgia who set the current record at 9’8”. Getting Petey’s Promise involved was a no-brainer for the 5th grader since the organization is named for his family’s own rescued spaniel-lab mix. He understands exactly how scary it is to face giving up your pet because your family is struggling financially. It was why his mother founded Petey’s Promise.

“We almost had to give up Petey when I was little, and it was really scary for my mom and I,” Chase said. “I always want to help Mom feed more pets, and I am really excited about the chance to break the Guinness World Record for the crayon.”

Petey’s Promise is the only pet food bank in the region, serving greater Concord and Charlotte. The non-profit offers assistance to struggling pet owners so the pet owner can keep and maintain their beloved pets despite their financial situation.

“Chase and I know from personal experience how devastating it can be to face losing your pet. I was a single mom, and I wasn’t sure I would be able to support us and Petey. Luckily I did, but now that we are able, it is important to him and I that we make sure other families don’t have to face the same decisions,” Mellott said. “Petey’s Promise has fed more than 3,000 pets in just a little more than three years. I am so proud of Chase and his dedication to Petey’s Promise and the Coloring for Critters event. Now, we just need to break that crayon record.”

Carey and Petey’s Promise are currently collecting crayons, asking local businesses and the public to donate old, used or broken crayons to help make the 10’ crayon. Sponsorship opportunities and booth space for the Coloring for Critters event are also available.

If you would like to donate crayons or participate in the event, please visit www.peteyspromise.org or contact Mellott at peteyspromise@gmail.com.

Join us Wednesday, August 10 from 6pm until …. at Galway Hooker Restaurant and Irish Pub for Happy Hour. Enjoy drink specials and a new menu, while hanging with your best friend – dogs are allowed on the patio!

We will hold a silent auction for an autographed piece of salvaged NASCAR sheet metal, a 50/50 raffle and have our dramatically reduced $2 grab bag of items, as well as our Petey’s Promise tees, available for purchase.

Visit Galway Hooker online to preview their menu and click here to stay up-to-date on the weather in Cornelius.

17044 Kenton Drive • Cornelius, NC 28031 • (704) 895-1782 • www.galwayhookerpub.com

THEN, on Thursday:

If you can’t join us on Wednesday, PLEASE do not forget to sign into Facebook on Thursday, August 11 and vote for Petey’s Promise in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program.

For those that don’t know, Petey’s Promise – Provisions for Pets in Need, is one of 500 finalists in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program, which will award vehicles to 100 nonprofit organizations based on votes from the public.

Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program will showcase five non-profit organizations each day for 100 days on Toyota’s Facebook page, facebook.com/toyota. Visitors to the page can vote once a day for the organization that they feel is most deserving of a new Toyota vehicle. Petey’s Promise will be one of the five organizations highlighted for voting on Thursday, August 11th.

Everyone is encouraged to support Petey’s Promise and their quest for a new Toyota Tundra. If Petey’s Promise receives the most votes and is awarded the vehicle, it will be used to pick-up and deliver large quantities of pet food to be distributed to applicants striving to keep their pets and families together.

It is that time again … The Kannapolis Intimidators Ballpark is going to the dogs! Well, it’s going to one dog, Petey from Petey’s Promise.

The 3rd Annual Petey’s Promise night is finally upon us, and Petey will be throwing out that fun first ball on Tuesday, July 12. Join us for contests, auctions and giveaways, while supporting pets in needs.

Tickets are $6 each or 2 for $10, and will be held in your name at Will Call. Tickets are available on the Petey’s Promise store.

We’re also selling 50/50 Raffle tickets for this event. The drawing will be held after the 7th inning and you do not need to be present to win.

Speaking of Christmas gifts, have you checked out our new t-shirts on our store yet? We have three new Petey’s Promise designs, and also will be featuring some shirts from the Guardians of Animals non-profit as well. Guardians of Animals is a leader in promoting “Puppy Mill Free America”, and we are excited about being able to work with them on not only their apparel, but their raffle as well. For just $20 you can purchase a raffle ticket to win a 2008 Ford F-150 XL truck. They are only selling 2,000 tickets, so your chances of winning are excellent. Soon you can purchase your tickets on the Petey’s Promise store. The drawing will be held December 15th, 2009. What a great Christmas surprise that would be for a loved one!

We have one more fundraiser to go this month. This Saturday, October 24th, is Dog’s Day Out at Les Meyer’s Park in Concord, NC. The day will include a Doggie Fun Zone, Contests (Obedience Contest at 11:45; Talent Contest at 12:15; Costume Contest at 1:15), Pet Photos, Information Booths, Vendor Booths, Veterinarian Village, Food, K9 Demos & MORE! Be sure you come out and stop by to tell us hello! We will be doing “Paw Readings” at our booth by the famous and amazing “Pet Whisperer”.

Also, don’t forget that anyone needing a dog house for this Winter can contact Petey’s Promise or Kitty City to sign up. They will be built this weekend at the Dog’s Day Out by Concord youth volunteers. This is a great project and we are so happy to see our youth taking a step to help their neighbors.

Okay, that’s it for now, but we will be back next week with photos from our October adventures.

Peace, Love & Paws,
Liz, Petey and the Petey’s Promise Staff

First, October 14th, from 11am-7pm Petey’s Promise has been invited to participate in the Greg Biffle Foundation Day at Roush-Fenway Racing. This is going to be a very exciting day for all racing fans! Potential drivers and special appearances will be made by Greg and Nicole Biffle, Matt and Katie Kenseth, Jamie and Christ McMurray, and Carl Edwards.

There will be live bands, horse/dog training seminars, booths full of local pet care providers, NC Agility Dogs and best of all FOOD! This is one event you will not want to miss! Please come by the Petey’s Promise booth and say hello!

Next up, on October 24th is Concord’s Dogs’ Day Out festival at Les Myers Park from 11am-2pm at Les Myers Park. There will be tons of vendors and non-profit groups participating. Also, this year we will have a group of Concord youth helping build dog houses for those in need of help keeping their animals warm this winter. If you are interested in signing up for a free dog house you can email us at peteyspromise@gmail.com or sign up at Kitty City.

I will keep everyone updated as plans fall into place for the two events.

Also, please check out our store if you haven’t lately! We are bringing in new merchandise everyday. Right now we have three new T-shirt designs that should be up in a few weeks, and also, my new book Cinderella is Dead and I don’t Feel so Good Either is for sale online. A portion of the proceeds from each book is going directly to Petey’s Promise!

Peace, Love, & Paws;
Liz and Petey

First, October 14th, from 11am-7pm Petey’s Promise has been invited to participate in the Greg Biffle Foundation Day at Roush-Fenway Racing. This is going to be a very exciting day for all racing fans! Potential drivers and special appearances will be made by Greg and Nicole Biffle, Matt and Katie Kenseth, Jamie and Christ McMurray, and Carl Edwards.

There will be live bands, horse/dog training seminars, booths full of local pet care providers, NC Agility Dogs and best of all FOOD! This is one event you will not want to miss! Please come by the Petey’s Promise booth and say hello!

Next up, on October 24th is Concord’s Dogs’ Day Out festival at Les Myers Park from 11am-2pm at Les Myers Park. There will be tons of vendors and non-profit groups participating. Also, this year we will have a group of Concord youth helping build dog houses for those in need of help keeping their animals warm this winter. If you are interested in signing up for a free dog house you can email us at peteyspromise@gmail.com or sign up at Kitty City.

I will keep everyone updated as plans fall into place for the two events.

Also, please check out our store if you haven’t lately! We are bringing in new merchandise everyday. Right now we have three new T-shirt designs that should be up in a few weeks, and also, my new book Cinderella is Dead and I don’t Feel so Good Either is for sale online. A portion of the proceeds from each book is going directly to Petey’s Promise!

Peace, Love, & Paws;
Liz and Petey

Kannapolis Intimidators

Also, thanks to Petey’s human cousin, Courtney Price, Petey managed to actually throw the ball all the way to home plate. Petey was going to let me do it, but, seriously, I throw like a girl. There are great pictures, by Jennifer Barbour Photography, of Petey on the pitcher’s mound, as well as the rest of the night, on our blog.

As always, we couldn’t have done it without all of our volunteers and supporters. You are the backbone of our organization, and we are truly grateful.

Quick Reminder: Please remember to pass along our name to anyone and everyone you meet! You never know who might need our help, but haven’t shared their financial woes with anyone.

Wednesday, July 22nd is Petey’s Promise Night, and not only will Petey be throwing out the first pitch (don’t ask – we don’t know how yet), but all the fans will join together to sing Happy Birthday to Petey during one of the first three innings. Tickets are still available on our store for $6 each.

OR, if for some unexplained reason, you can’t come to the game, please consider making a monetary donation to our non-profit. We will receive a lot of pet supplies that night, but we can’t pay rent in dog bones. We have tried, it doesn’t work.