Raffle tickets for a $10,000 gift certificate at Atkinsons’ Markets are on sale, with proceeds to benefit the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley. Tickets are $20 each or six for $100.
Tickets are available from a number of local businesses, including the Barkin’ Basement, Hailey Coffee Company, Bellisimo, Thunderpaws Pet Shoppe, Pet Grooming by Debbie, Halo Hair Studio, Sawtooth Animal Center, Dirty Beagle and St. Francis Pet Clinic, as well as at Atkinsons in Ketchum and the shelter.
Last year’s raffle was a particularly happy occasion when Chris Block, winner of the $10,000 gift certificate, turned it over to The Hunger Coalition. “We were thrilled to be able to purchase items such as meat and dairy products that we normally cannot afford,” said Jeanne Liston, executive director of The Hunger Coalition.
The coalition and the shelter also work together to provide pet food for needy families through the Paws for Hunger program.
The winner will be drawn at the shelter’s benefit dinner and auction July 16 at 5:30 p.m. at Trail Creek Pavilion at Sun Valley, and the winner need not be present. Tickets also will be available at the benefit.
The Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley, the first “no kill” shelter in Idaho, promotes companion animal welfare by providing temporary shelter for homeless animals, adopting them to qualified homes and reducing animal abuse, neglect and overpopulation through community education and spay/neuter services. More than 90 percent of its funding comes from private donations.
In 2009 more than 1,500 animals received services from the shelter. This includes 350 animals that were adopted, 252 lost animals that were reunited with their owners, 255 shelter animals spayed/neutered, and 387 privately owned animals that were spayed or neutered at no cost to their owners. On an average day, the shelter cares for 45 dogs and 45 cats.
Additional information on the benefit and other activities is available by calling 208-788-4351 on the Internet at www.animalshelterwrv.org.
Jo Murray is a public relations consultant to the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley.