Well, THAT was amazing!
There's still a tiny bit trickling, so the total will rise just a wee bit, but get this, my dear friends, team IBKC raised $144, 284 this year! This brings our all-time grand fundraising total to $894,005! I was having a hard time wrapping my brain around all of this last night, so I added, and added again, and again, and again, and I kept getting the same numbers, so this must be right!
You all must be so exhausted after giving so much!!!
It truly is remarkable the way you give. I talk about this Community of ours all the time, and people are always impressed by you. Friends I have who work in the world of fundraising can hardly believe that you exist! You are such a rare, beautiful gem.
I appreciate your donations so much, and I am so happy to place this $144,284 in the capable hands of our Humane Society. They will put it to good use, and so many cats and kittens will benefit from your generosity.
But your gifts are not just a monetary amount -- it goes way beyond that.
These gifts make our hard-working shelter staff and volunteers feel supported and appreciated. This work isn't easy on the soul. Your donations illustrate that there is great value in the work they are doing. It lifts them.
You are putting something very positive into the world. There are a whole lot of people who prefer being negative -- offering no solutions -- just criticism and complaints. You recognize there's a problem and know you can do something to help. You take action -- you give.
Watching you give inspires other to do the same -- to our shelter, and to other rescues. Your giving is contagious.
And personally, your gifts impact me profoundly. Can you imagine how good it feels to have so many lovely people, most of whom you've never met in real life, supporting you in this way? I am so grateful for all of the love you show me -- not just during our fundraiser, but year 'round.
So, thank you for all of this. I appreciate you big-hearted kitten lovers so much. You are what's right in this world -- you are positive, you are good, you are inspiring. Thank you for making this happen, dear Community. We love you.
I'm far from done thanking you. I've got so many individuals that I need to give a "shout-out" to -- I'll be sharing that tomorrow. The list is long so it's going to take some time to put that together!
Thank you, beautiful friends. You are amazing. You made something huge happen.
Way to go for all the hard work you put in making this fundraiser happen! I know it must be a lot. I'm happy the fundraiser was a success and am looking forward to getting to know this batch of kittens better as everything else slows down!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is all thanks to YOUR blog that this community was born. I would like to think others have done what I did - matched my donation to this Humane Society with a donation to a local shelter. In my case, The Animal Haven in CT. Thanks for all you do for the bebbes.
ReplyDeleteThank you Laurie. I'm happy to give each year, because it's a good cause, and also as a way to express my appreciation for your wonderful blog. Yes, we are all part of this community, but you are the one who started it and keeps it going.
ReplyDeleteI will echo what Susan said. Thank you, fearless leaders, Laurie and Craig, and of course to all of the feline phone staff (even if they did fall asleep on the job from time to time).
DeleteI also want to point out that we should easily roll past the $1,000,000 mark next year. How exciting is that?!
Laurie, you have MADE this community and I thank you for it. From Ricky the senior rescue dog and his Mom, with love to ALL the kitties and all the humans who help them. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteWithout your blog:
ReplyDeleteI would never have known about the programs at the HS in Tacoma.
Laurie & Craig and Charlene & Wylla would
not be known 'round the world.
I would never have met the fabulous people I have met when I take volunteer shifts for any number of roles.
Laughter and smiles would be a little harder to find, but we all have a wonderful place that 'makes happy happen'!
And we all have so much love for you, Laurie, for all you do for the kittens and cats, not just during the fundraiser but every single day! Thanks go out to you, and to Craig, and the shelter staff, and all the donors who funded the challenges that helped generate such a tremendous amount for the kitties!
ReplyDeleteWe. Are. Amazing. Every year, we come together to raise more money than the year before, and, every year, we pass the goal because we want to help cats. A few people give big donations, and THANK YOU SO MUCH to those people, but it's a whole lot of smaller donations which, together, equal squillions and squillions to buy cat food and litter and KMR and TNR and special surgeries and the electric bill and the phone bill and advertising so people know about all the awesome cats waiting to adopt them (dogs, too, I suppose. ;D). We've done so much for the cats! Let's celebrate!
ReplyDelete