Fur Ball grosses $729k for Richmond SPCA to treat homeless animals’ veterinary needs
Saturday’s successful 25th Annual Fur Ball brought in $729,688 to replenish the Richmond SPCA’s Cinderella Fund.
“For the past 25 years, the sponsors and supporters of our Fur Ball have helped create, nurture and sustain this beacon of hope for our community’s most vulnerable pets,” said Chief Executive Officer Tamsen Kingry. “In 1998, when the Richmond SPCA hosted the first Fur Ball, outcomes were very different for homeless animals in our community. The life of a dog or cat arriving at a shelter with even a minor illness or injury would have been at risk. Today, with the support of our generous community and compassionate transfer partners, we save thousands of lives every year, including pets with complex medical needs. The Cinderella Fund is a critical resource in our mission to save the life of every healthy and treatable homeless animal.”
The Cinderella Fund now delivers treatment and rehabilitation to 87% of the homeless dogs and cats sheltered by the Richmond SPCA. Last year the nonprofit spent more than $980,000 delivering pre-adoption veterinary services to 4,433 animals, 3,838 of whom required additional treatment beyond sterilization and preventative care.
Presented by Dominion Energy, the Fur Ball is the local animal welfare charity’s signature black-tie fundraiser. Proceeds are used to provide lifesaving veterinary treatment and rehabilitation to thousands of sick, injured and neonatal homeless pets each year.
The gala at the Jefferson Hotel was attended by 375 guests and 36 pets The event began with cocktails in the hotel’s rotunda, sponsored by The London Company. Pets and their people descended the Grand Staircase in the The Parade of Pets, sponsored by Holiday Barn Pet Resorts, with introductions by emcee Bill Fitzgerald of CBS6. The parade began with DeVito being walked by Holiday Barn Pet Resorts Leader of the Pack Michael Hughes and his wife Charlotte. Title sponsor Dominion Energy was also represented in the parade by Richmond SPCA alumna Merida who accompanied Lisa Hicks-Thomas, member of the Richmond SPCA Board of Directors and her husband Sam Thomas. Joe Bamisile, joined guests in the Parade of Pets to highlight Lucinda. The Cinderella Fund was a source of lifesaving veterinary treatment for both DeVito and Lucinda, who are hounds awaiting adoption.
The program in the Grand Ballroom began with the presentation of the Ellen Glasgow Award for Humane Service to Mitch Haddon, immediate-past chairman of the Richmond SPCA Board of Directors and president and CEO of ColonialWebb Contractors. Haddon’s leadership in guiding the organization through adoption of a new strategic plan, the opening of a satellite spay and neuter clinic, and capacity-building renovations to its humane center were honored among his accomplishments.
Dinner, sponsored by Moore Subaru of Richmond, was followed by the Cinderella Video, which highlights the humble hound dog. Hounds, and their unique medical and behavioral needs, make up a third of the dogs the Richmond SPCA finds homes for every year. The introduction of Lucinda, a hound taken into the care of the Richmond SPCA in October set the stage for lively bidding in the live auction.
The Irongate Capital Advisors Fur Ball Raffle was open to all and offered five prize packages. Only in-person guests had the option to purchase tickets in the Diamonds Direct 1-in-100 Raffle, in which fewer than 100 tickets were sold for the chance to win a white gold and diamond bracelet valued at $3,300.
Those attending the event in person and participating from home had the opportunity to bid on more than 90 packages in the online auction, sponsored by Tranzon Key, and make direct gifts to the Cinderella Fund. Those cash donations, or Angel Pledges, were sponsored by ColonialWebb, and brought in $115,264 from 121 donors. These contributions will provide a wide range of veterinary interventions from orthopedic surgeries to management of kidney disease among homeless animals.
Additional photos from the 25th Annual Fur Ball, all courtesy of our talented photography volunteers, are available to view and download. When sharing, please credit the photographer named in the image title of our gallery.
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