Shelter hopes fundraiser more popular
By Al McInnis, Citizen Staff
Organizers of one of the SPCA’s biggest fundraisers are making changes in an effort to attract more participants and raise more money this year.
Prince George SPCA branch manager Jeannine Woodhouse said organizers are pushing harder at promoting the local Paws for a Cause Walk to increase awareness and support animals in need.
The walkathon in Prince George is scheduled for Sept. 12 at Cottonwood Island Park.
“We’re really encouraging kids to participate as well,” said Woodhouse.
Among the prizes added this year are a portable Sony CD player and Famous Players movie packages.
The addition of an online system has been created this year, enabling individuals and teams in the 31 communities involved to set up personalized web pages to collect donations. Through the system, participants can contact friends and family by email, and post pictures of their own pets and message about why they support animals in need.
“We’re hoping it increases the support,” said Lorie Chortyk, manager of community relations of the BC SPCA. “A lot of people are shy about collecting money (in person).”
People who participate in the walk collect pledges to support their pets and the SPCA. The top pledge collector in BC wins a Holland Tulip Bloom cruise for two courtesy of the Vantage Deluxe World Travel, while prize winners are announced in AnimalSense Magazine. Participants who raise at least $75 will receive a free T-shirt.
This is the ninth annual walk in Prince George, and 17th in BC. The walk raised about $200,000 provincially in 2003.
The BC SPCA is the largest animal welfare organization of its kind in North America. It relies almost entirely on donations to support its work. The organization works with more than 57,000 abused, injured and abandoned animals.
It will cost the BC SPCA about $22 million to perform all the necessary services provincewide in 2004, said Chortyk.
“We’re mostly paying the same cost as the general public is,” she said.
Pledge forms are available at www.spca.bc.ca or the local SPCA branch at 4011 Lansdowne Rd. For more information, call 562-5511.
Sponsors of the event are Scotiabank, Global, The Province, and Vantage.