Cara Brady
For The Morning Star
It’s easy to find the treasure in a rainbow.
Gordon Tucker and his team are working to raise funds so that Unity, the Pet Rainbow, can start to spread its message of peace, respect and happiness. The idea started when Tucker, who moved to Vernon from Newfoundland four years ago to take a job as a project manager with a local company, was talking with a business partner.
“We see so many social and political problems and we wanted to come up with something that would send a message that we could all work together to make a better world. Almost everyone thinks a rainbow is special — it’s something you stop and take a picture of,” he said.
“Everyone goes through some rough and tumble in life but there is a rainbow at the end of the storm — some promise that things can be better. We both thought of it at the same time and I sketched it right away.”
The prototype is a smiling pouch toy named Unity with red representing love, orange respect, yellow happiness, green health, blue hope, indigo peace, and violet forgiveness.
Tucker plans to start the Pet Rainbow Project with donations of Unity to children in hospitals, funded by donations from others who would like to have Unity as a gift or for themselves.
He has a Kickstarter page with details of how people can help and receive the Pet Rainbow Project package.
Fundraising started June 15 and is already at $6,000 of the $20,000 needed to start production.
“Everyone who hears about it is really pleased and excited and wants to help out. We’ve had interest from around the world because this helps promote friendship across a large audience. The rainbow is something that is multicultural and part of many traditions. People tell us that the world needs this right now,” said Tucker.
Fundraising from the Pet Rainbow Project will also help organizations that makes wishes come true for sick children and Ronald McDonald House.
Tucker is looking forward to making the first donation to a hospital, starting in Vernon in the fall if all goes according to plan.
“It makes me feel good to be a part of this and that Vernon and so many other people are supportive,” he said.
Fundraising goes on until the end of July.
For more information, see www.petrainbowproject.com.