|
 Ashten Wolf and her mom Heather Gaule stopped by
to deliver a check for $150 to the shelter, money they had earned
through a fundraiser held in honor of the first birthday of their
dog Parker.
Heather explained that they received Parker as a puppy from a family
friend. Parker is a mixed breed with a lot of character and
personality.
His linage includes Husky and his coloring resembles
that of a German Shepard. He’s a great dog that Ashten loves a lot.
When the day was approaching that Parker would be one year old, the
two wanted to do something special to “celebrate” Parker’s birthday.
At about the same time, news came out that due to the current
restrictions associated with coronavirus, the Humane Society was not
going to be able to host its annual garage sale at the Logan County
Fairground this June.
That is a huge blow for the HSLC that operates solely from funding
raised through donations, fundraisers and community support.
The no kill shelter brings in animals when the original owners are
no longer able to care for them. At the shelter the animals receive
medical attention as needed. They are spayed or neutered and receive
their vaccinations. The animals are cared for in comfortable housing
and get plenty to eat. They also spend time with the volunteers
helping with their socialization and getting them ready for new
owners in the future.
The shelter is run entirely by volunteers, so every dollar brought
in goes directly to the care of the animals and the upkeep of the
shelter.
Heather said that she knows the shelter relies heavily on the money
earned at the garage sale, and she and Ashten decided that doing a
fundraiser for the shelter would be a great way to honor Parker and
support a program they believe is very valuable to the community.
The two put together doggy treat bags and sold them
for $3 each. Each bag contained dog biscuits, Milk Bones for clean
teeth, and Puppy Popcorn. [to top of second
column] |
Heather said that they sold around 40 bags of
dog treats. She said that she and Ashten were very pleased when
folks would pay more than the asking price for the bags as a
show of support for the HSLC.
When the fundraiser was done, the two were happy
to have raised $150 for the HSLC.
On Thursday, they also delivered a large bag of their
left over treat bags to the Shelter for the dogs who are currently
living there.
Dowdle said that the donation was greatly
appreciated. Right now, what the shelter needs most is cash
donations. The loss of the garage sale this year means that the
shelter has lost about $7,000 in revenue for the year and that is a
big blow to the budget.
Heather and Ashten said that they are hopeful that there will be
others who feel driven to help the shelter. She noted that the $3
donation for a bag of treats was not a lot of money, but it added up
quickly. She is hoping that others will see how easy it is to make a
difference a couple dollars at a time and will pitch in as well.
NOTE: Maybe we can all take this one step further. Many of us look
forward to the annual garage sale and we go and spend money. We’re
not necessarily buying things we need, but more just items that
catch our eye and we decide we want. How about this year, figure out
how much you think you spend at the garage sale every year, and make
a donation equal to that amount to the Humane Society of Logan
County.
Mail your checks to:
Humane Society of Logan County
P.O. Box 404
1801 E. Lincoln Parkway
Lincoln, Illinois 62656
The HSLC is looking forward to holding the garage sale next year,
but for this year, they are one of the dozens of businesses and
organizations that are trying to figure out how to survive in these
difficult times. A little bit will go a long way for these folks.
Everyone at the shelter is there on a volunteer basis. No portion of
the money they raise goes to paying wages, it all goes to the
animals. And again, those $5 or $10 donations will add up if we all
do it!
[Nila Smith] |
