Love is in the Air

I was blessed again this year to attend the Action for Animals annual Fundraiser, “Love is in the Air”.  This year the event was held at the Bishop Connare Center in Greensburg, and was a very inviting and comfortable setting.  The room was bright, offered lots of space with ample seating, and extra room for the buffet tables.  So nice!  My friend Renee and I represented Smail Auto Group at the event.  I had never been to the Center and was amazed at the size of the campus.  I had no idea which building to go to but managed to follow a group of ladies through the rain to the door with the puppy-shaped balloons tied to the entrance door.

Along one corner of the room were tables laden with raffle baskets, filled with gifts ranging from doggie treats to weekend get-aways to wine baskets and jewelry gift cards.  Renee and I went up and down the tables several times, dividing our tickets among our favorite choices.  There were pictures of senior dogs and cats with their stories printed out and framed.  One table held golden-wrapped chocolate bars with vintage 1950’s valentine cards – ironically, just like the several I had tucked away in one of my keepsake boxes from my own childhood.  I purchased one of those and entered my name in the raffle box. 

After eating more than our fill of delicious food, we topped it off with cute pink-iced sugar cookies shaped like dogs and dog bones.  My favorite, though, were the chocolate covered strawberries.  Yum!  The guest speaker for the evening – honoring senior cats and dogs, several of which were in attendance – was the shelter manager LuAnn Hutcheson. As she pointed out, how could someone not love those little (and big!) guys?  She shared stories of their rescues and eventual placement in furever homes.  It costs an incredible amount daily to keep the shelter open, and the evening’s fundraising efforts went a long way toward that goal.  There were fostership options, where you could agree to adopt a pet for 6 months (or more) and get email pictures and updates on your animal’s progress.  Several of the ‘guests of honor’ were adopted out before the evening was over. 

After the speaker, the basket raffle winners were pulled, and Renee won a puppy treat basket.  To my own surprise, my name was pulled for the winner of the golden chocolate bar drawing.  PLUS I had the candy bar to eat on top of the prize.  The event was very well done, lots of fun, informative and entertaining.  If you have it in your heart to help these little guys that can’t help themselves, you won’t regret it.  Check them out at www.afashelter.org.  Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day!