The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Fundraiser to help animals in Puerto Rico
Portion of proceeds from art auction will go to hurricane-ravaged shelter
Some proceeds from a Geauga County Humane Society fundraiser will help a shelter affected by Hurricane Maria.
Some proceeds from an annual Geauga County Humane Society fundraiser will help a shelter on a Caribbean island that was affected by Hurricane Maria.
According to a news release from Rescue Village, its annual Foot x Foot, Paw x Paw fine art auction and fundraiser “will benefit animals far beyond Northeast Ohio.”
“A portion of the proceeds raised on Feb. 24 at the event will be donated to the Vieques Humane Society in Puerto Rico to help them rebuild their shelter in the wake of Hurricane Maria,” the release reads.
The annual event, presented by Julie A. Clayman, M.D., is scheduled for 7-10 p.m. at Lowe’s Greenhouse, Florist & Gift Shop in Chagrin Falls, 16540 Chillicothe Road, Rescue Village reports. It’s expected to feature “dozens of 12-inch by 12-inch” original works of art, donated by our region’s animal-loving artists, to be auctioned off during this party for the animals,” the organization’s news release states.
Rescue Village Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator Leah Backo said the third annual event helps the nonprofit, no-kill shelter do what it does best: help animals.
“Each year, the event welcomes hundreds of guests to bid on dozens of original art pieces and is a celebration of community, of lifesaving, and of art,” Backo writes in a Feb. 12 e-mail exchange. “The funds raised by this event go directly to caring for the homeless animals of Rescue Village. Rescue Village receives no government funding and relies completely on the generous contributions from its supporters, including at events like Foot x Foot.”
Backo added that “heavy hors d’oeuvres with a selection of beer and wine will be provided, as well as complimentary parking.”
Rescue Village Executive Director Hope Burstein
was inspired to produce the event during a trip to Vieques Humane Society, the agency’s news release states.
“Four years ago, several animal welfare activists, including... Burstein, visited Vieques and attended the shelter’s special fundraiser. This event featured 12-inch by 12-inch” original art and was hosted at a local gallery,” the release reads. “Having enjoyed her experience, Burstein
brought the idea for the event back to Rescue Village and implemented it as one of our annual fundraisers.”
This year, Rescue Village is partnering with Our Big Fat Caribbean Rescue, which works with the Vieques Humane Society to bring dogs to Rescue Village from the Puerto Rican island.
“As a hub and source shelter for transports, Rescue Village has also begun to take in dogs all the way from Puerto Rico,” Backo writes. “We work with a small rescue, who works with Vieques Humane Society, to transport the dogs from Vieques to Northeast Ohio. Once here, we help them find homes.”
Tickets to the Feb. 24 event are $100 in advance and may be purchased through online registration. Tickets at the door will be $125.
Backo also reports a new addition to this year’s program is an online auction featuring a family photo with your pets, whereby the highest bidder will receive “a special, custom photograph of themselves, their family, their pets, or all of the above made by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Amy Sancetta.”
A second online auction item is a chance to “See yourself in the funnies! Bid on the opportunity to see yourself or someone you love portrayed in comic strips across the country in the nationally syndicated cartoon strip Flo & Friends by Jenny Campbell.”