Thank You Very Much
We do good things once in a while.
Our fundraising team for Bark In The Park raised over $25,000 this year, a new record for us. I am so proud and thankful for this. Thankful to the great folks on the team who I got to say hello to on Saturday. Thankful to our sponsors who supported the team (MortgageCS, LL Pavorsky and Draft Kings). Thankful to everyone who donated and spread the word, and put up with me regularly begging about it.
I am also so proud that the second largest fundraising team for the event was Trust The Pawcess, a team put together in honor of 2019 Ricky team member Andrew Schock, who passed away due to liver cancer. They raised over $5,000 this year, which is amazing.
As I get older, these things become more important to me. From an animal perspective, my animal advocacy that has grown over the last 10 years or so has changed my life. It gives me purpose beyond myself. From a community perspective, I am so very thankful for the folks in the Ricky World who help out in the number of ways that they do.
I did not have any pets growing up. It wasn’t until I moved to Chicago when I was 29 years old, felt sort of lonely, that I went and adopted Alabama (my wonderful cat who crossed the rainbow bridge in 2021). And it wasn’t until I was pressured for years by my wife did I get a dog (Rebel), and then a second dog (Scotchie). I could not imagine who I would be without Alabama, Rebel and Scotchie. Their presence has made me a better person. And my wife’s animal adovacy has been something I’ve looked up to for years now.
If you’re reading this, thank you. In some way, you helped do a great thing. You helped saved animals and you helped support the wonderful people at Providence Animal Center who save them.
If we took a photo on Saturday, please send it along. See you next year!
Love,
Spike