Mascara Wands

As children, many of us longed for magic wands. None of us were gifted with one. However, as adults, some of the staff at SM&P decided to create a little magic of their own with the unlikely transformation of used mascara wands into life-saving tools for rescued wildlife.

The call went out to everyone in the firm to liberate the depleted wands from garbage cans and donate them to the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge’s Wands for Wildlife (WFW). The guys were reminded to tactfully inquire with the women in their lives about the whereabouts of used wands.

Victoria Turney, client relations director, will be collecting them from all six offices through the inter-office delivery for the next few months. “We girls don’t typically need a reason to buy new mascara,” she said. “But if one is needed, here it is.” Clients and friends of the firm are also invited to drop wands off at an SM&P office.

The wands should be washed with soap and water and placed in a plastic bag, explained Victoria. They will be donated to WFW for use in grooming small mammals and birds that are under their care. These repurposed items are exceptionally effective in removing fly eggs and larva from the fur and feathers of distressed wildlife.

“We have a lot of people in the firm who love animals,” said Mary Montgomery, SM&P’s founding and managing partner. “This is an unusual and fun way for them to help.”

Ugly ducklings — and ‘possums, raccoons, owls, bats, squirrels, and more — can turn back into the beautiful creatures they really are. That’s what magic is all about!