Sandra Bigelow, who is a volunteer with the Committee to Protect Dogs, a registered ballot initiative committee, is organizing a benefit concert for the greyhounds on Sunday, June 22, from 1-6 p.m. at Speakers Nightclub in Marlboro.

The event, which includes live bands, guest speakers, a vegetarian buffet, cash bar and prizes, will benefit the initiative to end greyhound racing in Massachusetts, and get the Greyhound Protection Act question on the ballot this November. The Committee functions under the umbrella of GREY 2K USA, along with support from the Humane Society and the MSPCA.

Right now, volunteers are working to secure signatures, presently in phase two of gathering these signatures to get the question on the ballot.

"Last year, the Committee worked to pass a bill to strengthen laws against dog fighting," says Bigelow, who is also in one of the bands playing at the event, "and now it is headed to the ballot with a question to phase out dog racing."

Like Christine Dorchak, president of GREY 2K, Bigelow is confident that we are closer than ever to banning greyhound racing. Last Fall, says Bigelow, during the first phase of the signature drive, many people talked of the Michael Vick case. "In the same way," she says, "people understand that the business of racing dogs for profit is also cruel and inhumane. Right now, almost 3,000 greyhound dogs are living in tiny cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around inside the warehouse-style kennels of Wonderland and Raynham Greyhound Parks."

Raynham and Wonderland are presently the only two dog tracks left in Massachusetts, and Bigelow says state records document more than 800 cases of injury, including cardiac arrest, broken legs and seizures. Dog racing is legal and operational in 13 states, still. Eight states have banned commercial dog racing, including Vermont and Pennsylvania. All the Connecticut tracks have recently closed.

"This month, I will join about 3,000 other volunteers to complete the second and final round of signature collection," says Bigelow. "In the Fall, we gathered over 100,00 signatures in just nine weeks. Now, we have three weeks to gather 30,000 additional signatures to qualify the greyhounds for the ballot."

She hopes the event on June 22 will educate the public about the cruelties of dog racing, as well as raise proceeds to fund the cause (getting a TV ad on prime time during the voting season can run 1/2 a million dollars per ad).

Get involved by calling 617-666-3526 or visiting www.protectdogs.org.