BENEFIT FOR HOMELESS, ABUSED AND INJURED ANIMALS IN BALDWIN COUNTY SET FOR NOV 19, 2010
The Baldwin County Humane Society (BARC!) will hold the 16th annual Christmas by the Bay fundraiser on November 19, 2010, at the Fairhope Civic Center.
The annual event raises funds for homeless cats and dogs that may face euthanasia in city and county shelters due to limited space, injuries or health problems and the many programs and services provided by BARC!
Tickets are $50 per person which includes gourmet hors d’oeuvres from dozens of Baldwin County's finest restaurants and entertainment by Jeanine “Dr Jazz” Normand playing the twinkling glamour piano.
The silent auction offers a great opportunity to get unique Christmas or Hanukkah gift items. One of the main items is an official Crimson Tide football autographed by Nick Saban.
Guests may also sponsor a homeless pet in honor of someone on their gift list.
“Christmas by the Bay is a fun event and a great way to kick off the holiday season for a very worthy cause in Baldwin County,” said Maria Gwynn who is president and one of the founders of the organization established in 1979. “We urge everyone to buy a ticket or make a donation. And, consider making Christmas by the Bay a holiday outing for your book club, supper club or other group.”
“Never has the need been so urgent,” said Nevin Yankie, board member and chair of the BARC! Development Committee. “The economy is forcing pet owners to surrender their pets. The calls from pet owners who have lost their jobs or facing foreclosure are heart-breaking. Some people are so desperate that they abandon their pets.”
Other BARC! services include monthly adoption events, helping find lost pets, training and grooming homeless pets to make them more adoptable; and transport of homeless Baldwin County animals who have been adopted through out-of-state rescue groups. The BARC! Pet Food Pantry is the first of its kind in this region. The organization also funds a county-wide low-cost spay and neuter voucher program for cats and dogs designed to reduce the number of unwanted pets.
The Baldwin County Humane Society (BARC!) is a 501c3 established in 1979. It is volunteer driven and operates solely on grants and donations.
For more information, to purchase tickets or make a donation, call 251.928.4585, stop by the BARC! office at 306 Magnolia Avenue in Fairhope, or click here for secure online transaction.
Board members pictured front row, from left: Lynn Mostyn, Treasurer; Nevin Yankie, Secretary; Christine Sherwin, Vice President; Kathleen Thompson; and Maria Gwynn, President. Middle row holding the Crimson Tide football autographed by Nick Saban: Sonja Presley, Executive Director with Shelby Mitchell, Honorary Board Member; and Jeanine “Dr Jazz” Normand, who will play the twinkling glamour piano at the fundraiser. Board members, back row: Bill Taylor; Sue Caudill; Dr Stephanie Powe; Deneen Balistere; Donna Burns; Fran Druse; Lou Ausman; Elizabeth Hall, Kathy Murchison and Alice Webb. Not pictured: Linda Brokaw; Hamp Johnston; Catherine McGinnis and Wendy Vogel. Photo courtesy of Pet Portrait Network.