BRANFORD COMPASSION CLUB HOSTS ANIMAL AWARENESS DAY and the Annual Blessing of the Animals
OCTOBER 3, 2021 ON THE BRANFORD TOWN GREEN
Dear Friends and Supporters:
That time of the year is coming up again – time to celebrate our animal friends of the family with a pet festival as the Branford Compassion Club Feline Rescue & Adoption Center looks forward to once again hosting Animal Awareness Day noon – 4 p.m. Sunday, October 3, 2021 on the Branford Town Green.
Unfortunately, as you remember, this event had to be cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The celebration was modified to virtual and online events during the month of October (Animal Awareness Month!) which included a drive-through blessing at a local church parking lot, and other online fundraisers such as a Silent Auction and candle sales. We all deeply missed our day on the Town Green celebrating with local animal lovers across the state. Though the pandemic is still sweeping our country, we are hopeful that by October some sense of normalcy will be returned to our lives so we are moving forward with our plans for Animal Awareness Day! It’s a fun day for everyone, including live music, children’s activities, food trucks, live animals (mini horses!), live animal educational demonstrations, huge bake sale, booths featuring a variety of area animal care and rescue groups, as well as business vendors whom we all patronize to give our pets the best life possible, and you never know what other surprises may happen!
The highlight of the day, as always, will be the Blessing of the Animals at 1:30 p.m., the annual nod to the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, large and small. An interesting array of pets always makes their way to the Green to be blessed by local clergy from several denominations. In past years, that parade has ranged from dogs, cats and gerbils to horses, rabbits and birds.
To make all this possible, we are in great need of your financial assistance. There are varying levels of sponsorship, as noted on the attached form, ranging from $5,000 for presenting sponsor to $100 for bronze sponsor. All sponsorship levels include a booth space if you choose to use it. We are also offering vendor booth space (form attached) and those fees are $50 for businesses and $25 for rescue organizations and nonprofits through Aug. 31 (fees will be $65 and $30 after that date).
You can pay by mail, making your check (sorry, no credit cards) payable to Branford Compassion Club, along with your completed form, and mailing them to Chris Gagne, c/o BCC’s Feline Rescue & Adoption Center, 2037 Foxon Road, North Branford, CT 06471. The deadline is Aug. 31.
The Branford Compassion Club, celebrating its 24th anniversary this year, is a privately funded nonprofit organization founded in 1997 to raise awareness about the importance of spay-neutering felines, to aid in the adoption of homeless cats and care for those deemed unadoptable in area feral colonies. These feral cats are trapped, neutered and released into the perpetual daily care of BCC volunteers. The shelter, which opened in 2011, has found forever homes for more than 2,400 cats, while BCC has adopted out several thousand more before opening the Feline Rescue & Adoption Center. The shelter still remains closed to the public due to COVID-19 but the need to rescue and find homes for thousands of homeless cats in our community remains a high priority.
For more information about BCC, please call 203-483-6309.
Your support is deeply appreciated!
Chris Gagne, Board of Directors and Fundraising Chairperson chriskat32@aol.com