5 MORE SLEEPS UNTIL DONKEY DAYS

For those of us involved in making sure Donkey Days 2012 is as successful as our previous celebrations, the idea of 5 more sleeps is both exciting and terrifying. Exciting because the festival is the opportunity to showcase our wonderful donkeys and Refuge and to provide an opportunity for visitors to provide financial support that will allow us to continue to care for our charges. Terrifying for the very same reasons. This is our major fundraising drive, and everyone involved in putting this event together knows what is at stake. We want everyone to love the donkeys and appreciate the work that the staff and volunteers do at the Refuge, both to ensure excellent care for the donkeys and to advocate on behalf of animal welfare in general, and donkeys in particular. We anticipate 1200 visitors over the two days. In purely financial terms, we need 200 sponsorships, 200 memberships, 1200 visitors to pay the suggested admission donation of $7/$5 and record breaking Shoppe sales. If we can add in significant miscellaneous donations, we will be well on our way to having adequate funding to run the Refuge in the off-season. It would be such a relief to go into the upcoming winter and spring knowing that the funds to maintain the herds and the property were already in the bank. There are still many projects to complete, displays to be set up, volunteer schedules to confirm, donkeys to groom, prayers for good weather to be said, and, with any luck at all, a few hours of sleep for Shirley and Rob. DONKEY DAYS IS ON, COME RAIN OR SHINE. THE DONKEYS NEED CARING FOR, COME RAIN OR SHINE. HMMMM! SEE YOU THERE. Be Prepared To Have A Great Time and Give Generously!