It’s Wednesday morning, and I’m sitting down to talk with seniors Jacob Thawley and Trey Rill the secretary and treasurer of Decatur’s reinstated club, Kids Against Animal Abuse and Testing (KAAAT). Thawley and Rill are excitedly explaining the club’s initiatives for this year (more on that later), when Thawley interrupts with, “You should talk to the one and only Mac, she’s the one that basically started this whole thing.”
“Our fearless leader,” Rill laughs.
As if on cue, senior Mackenzie Chmar walks into the DNN studio. Chmar is the president of KAAAT, and, after speaking with her for a few minutes, it’s easy to understand why. She took over the club last spring, after it had slowly become less active and with the retirement of the previous advisor, Ms. Kimberly Patrick. Chmar explains that this year, KAAAT is back and going to be more mobile than ever before. “Over the summer, I was messaging with the [Worcester County] Humane Society— emailing back and forth— about how we’re going to be partnering with them. We’re already in contact about volunteer opportunities and upcoming events,” Chmar says further. “I talk really fast, so let me know if you want me to repeat anything.” Her excitement and fervor for the club are palpable.
One of KAAAT’s big projects this year is helping the Humane Society expand their building, since they have outgrown their space on Sinepuxent Road, and KAAAT is working to raise funds for the renovation. Kicking off the year, KAAAT set up during the “Do What Decatur Does Open House” and collected funds in a donation jar, but that was just the start. Bigger, more explicit fundraisers are coming later this year. Another project, one very meaningful to Chmar, is real advocacy against animal testing. “I’ve always been one for political advocacy and I’m always looking into the legal and political side of corporations. Our focus is against animal testing, so we’ll be petitioning and emailing,” she explained. KAAAT is hoping to make tangible waves of change in our community, and beyond. This is a shift from last year’s focus, which was centered more on general awareness.
As a club, it’s clear that KAAAT has strong values and a distinct, defined purpose. At about 50 current members, it has a powerful foundation but is always looking to expand. If interested in joining and learning more, Kids Against Animal Abuse and Testing can be found on their official Instagram page, @kaaatclubsdhs. Alternatively, talk to President Mac Chmar for more info.
