TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — After Tucson Police K-9 Kenzo died in October, students at Warren Elementary School knew they wanted to do something. The answer was vests for military dogs on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
It's part of the community service portion of the Department of Defense’s Starbase Youth Program.
“We care because these K-9s help the military and they are very precious,” said one fifth-grader.
The school raised over $1,000 in a week.
And that money gets the K-9s more than vests. The order request from the Air Force base also includes bite pillows, tug toys and harnesses that help train the dogs.
“For this small community to turn around and give it back to us and give it back to Davis-Monthan is huge,” said Warren principal Jill Ronsman.
Most of the students involved come from low-income households. The Starbase program is a way for them to envision a brighter future, cost-free.
They focus on S.T.E.A.M. learning, diving into robotics, chemistry, computer-aided drafting, physics and more.
"It’s stuff that we can’t normally provide in our fifth-grade classroom," explained Ronsman.
10-year-old Jolise Ndikumana said she’s already thinking about careers.
“I’m still deciding," she said. "But I think technology would be good for me since I’m really good at it.”
The school is still taking donations for the D-M K-9s. Community members can bring in a check addressed to the principal at 3505 W Milton Road.
Mikenzie Hammel joined the KGUN 9 team as a multimedia journalist in the summer of 2023. She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. With her passion for human connection and visual storytelling, Mikenzie is honored to share the stories of Tucson and southeastern Arizona. Share your story ideas and important issues with Mikenzie by emailing mikenzie.hammel@kgun9.com.
