‘Grit for President’ campaign raises more than $100K in first month for ABQ non-profit

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A local candidate for president has raised a shocking amount of money for his presidential campaign and that money is coming from supporters one dollar at a time.

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“It’s just blown up all over Albuquerque,” said Duane Kinsley, Campaign Manager for “Grit for President,” and Founder of Warehouse 505. “It’s just a little levity in this political season to have a dog running for president.”

It’s been a little more than a month since Grit the dog, a labrador, launched his run for the presidency. The four-legged candidate’s “campaign” has raised more than 100,000 thousand votes which translates to more than $100,000 raised for the local non-profit Warehouse 505. “We’ve already surpassed our goal, but we’re hoping we can raise a whole lot more,” Kinsley said.

All those proceeds will go to after-school programs that the organization offers for Albuquerque youth. “We have something that will impact them… directly, and we feel that we can make the biggest impact on our city by building a strong youth, and that’s way better and cheaper than trying to fix a broken adult,” Kinsley explained.

Warehouse 505 is a safe space for teens looking for afterschool activities outside of sports. Last year, 5,000 Albuquerque kids found something they thought was cool and could connect with. “DJ class, or break dancing, we have photography, movie making, podcasts, fashion design,” Kinsley added. “All of these things are really cool and relevant to middle and high school-aged kids, teenagers.”

Grit is running harder than ever with another campaign stop this weekend. He’ll be at Warehouse 505’s grand opening this Saturday, at their new downtown location near Broadway and 2nd Street, continuing his run for the white house by earning one vote, and one dollar at a time for Albuquerque youth.

The event will run from noon to 5 pm. Visitors will get a look at the programs the organization has to offer and will have live musical performances in their new concert venue.

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