Archive: Around Town

SPCA of Tompkins County Executive Director Jim Bouderau announced a local private family foundation has challenged the SPCA to raise $20,000 before October 15 to receive a $20,000 matching gift.

Bouderau says "While the economy is showing small signs of recovery, we have seen a decrease in critically important grant funding. That's why this challenge is especially exciting and important."

The challenge message will be delivered in a mailing to shelter supporters this week. Bouderau mentioned the upcoming challenge on the radio a week ago, and the shelter prepared for the mailing with an email newsletter.

"The response was so fast," Bouderau said, "I was amazed."

Two teenage girls and their dad, an employee of Sal's Pizza, heard Bouderau mention the challenge on the radio on 9/5. The girls, Sabrina and Chelsea, keep a decorated donation jar for the SPCA at the pizza shop and decided it was the prefect time to bring the collection in -- a total of $671 which will be matched dollar for dollar by the donor.

Already, more than $3,000 has been contributed toward the challenge, which is separate from the shelter's upcoming event, the March for the Animals. "It's been a particularly challenging year, especially for our animal cruelty unit" Bouderau says. "It's tremendous that this family stepped forward to help raise money for the animals in our care."

All gifts go toward providing unwanted, abandoned, and abused animals with food, water, shelter, and medical care, and help to find new families who will cherish them.

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