First Annual Paint Clay for Hay Fundraiser Supports OPD Mounted Patrol

The Clay Canvas is hosting an event on Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to support the Oxford Police Department’s Mounted Patrol. Kelly Whitten, owner of Clay Canvas, will donate 10 percent of sales to Friends of Mounted Patrol, a local nonprofit organization that helps OPD with the Mounted Patrol’s finances.
“I read the Friends of Mounted Patrol article in Hotty Toddy News, and it piqued my interest. My brother, Kevin Houston, is an Oxford cop and I wanted to help the OPD,” Whitten said.
She and her husband are the new owners of Clay Canvas. The Whittens bought the business last year and relocated to 1015 North Lamar Blvd. Its new location has a spacious parking lot with plenty of room for the horses as Oxonians paint.
“I would love for people to come out this Saturday,” David Sage, president of Friends of Mounted Patrol, said. “We need money right now for stuff like horse feed. This is a great opportunity to help these horses and the men who take care of them.”
Saturday’s fundraiser is a partnership with an anonymous corporate donor. If Friends of Mounted Patrol and Clay Canvas raise $5,000, the anonymous donor will match it.
“They set that bar high,” Whitten said. “I like a good challenge! Like the saying goes, ‘shoot for the moon, even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.’ I’m sure going to try!”
The corporate sponsor said, “(The Mounted Patrol’s) presence is appreciated by all, especially the children who see the policeman on a horse as interesting and a solid role model for them.”
At the Clay Canvas during the fundraiser, folks can paint, enjoy treats, meet the mounted patrol, and enjoy the day for a good cause.
“We will be selling hot dogs and lemonade,” Sage said. “We will also be selling raffle tickets for a new Bennell shotgun.”
“If we all worked together, like in the old days when people reached out to each other in hard times, I think we can do a great thing for Oxford,” Whitten said.
– Callie Daniels is a staff writer for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at cadanie2@go.olemiss.edu