Animal lovers in the Powell River area are urged to slide into their favourite pair of walking shoes and get moving to help a furry friend. Registration is open for the annual Scotiabank and BC SPCA Paws for a Cause walk held each fall to raise funds for homeless and abused animals in BC.
Each year participants in 37 communities around the province walk with colleagues, friends, family and with their dogs to raise $1 million to help animals in need.
“This is the largest single event supporting animals in BC,” said Denise Meade, the society’s director of development. “Participants are already signing up and will be fundraising in their own communities all summer long.
“The creativity and passion that people show each year is remarkable,” she added. “People in every region of the province—the Lower Mainland, Coast, Island, Interior, Kootenays and Northern BC—gather together each September to go on walkathons and hold many interesting all-ages events and activities to raise money to help animals in their community.”
Last year Katie, the amazing can-collecting canine, raised hundreds of dollars by collecting cans on her daily walks and returning them for refunds. “As far as we know, Katie was the only non-human to personally sign up,” said Meade. “And what’s more, she actually did her own fundraising.”
Paws for a Cause will be held on Sunday, September 11 at Willingdon Beach. Registration begins at noon and the walk will begin at 1 pm. There will be on-site games, activities and a silent auction, as well as nail clipping by donation, courtesy of Salty Paw. A closing ceremony will take place at 3 pm where prizes will be awarded.
To register or learn more about the walk, interested readers can visit www.spca.bc.ca/walk. More information on Powell River and District SPCA is available at www.spca.bc.ca/branches/powell-river/ or by calling branch manager Audrey Hill at 604.483.3506.
