Pretty Pretty Posters

I picked up the freshly printed posters last week and delivered them to Jay, so he could sign the edition.  We were both so pleased with how lovely they turned out!  No surprise to me - the designer and printer are both top notch.







While Jay signed the posters, their dogs kept us company.  Here's Murray - you've met him a few times before.



And  here's Lucky Joe, a new addition to the family.



 Here are a few detail shots of the pretty posters.







Each poster is numbered.



And signed by the artist.



Since they arrived, I've been working feverishly to pack the orders up, and get the posters to you.  I  finished shipping off the last few of them yesterday - hooray!  It was no small task and took six jumbo rolls of packing tape to get the job done!

We still have a few left, so if you would like to pick one up, please visit the shop!

Thanks again for this beautiful poster design, Jay.  You really knocked it out of the park, and we couldn't be happier.

A Message from the Shelter Kitties

Thanks to Marguerite for the awesome pics!

The Numbers and More Thanks!

There were many, many folks out there who thought our huge goal was too huge - none of you, of course - you would never doubt the power of this community.  

At times, reaching it did seem very far away to me, but I always knew in the end we would get there - and we did.

And then some!

Let's take a look at our numbers!!

Online FUNdraising:   $107,025
Paypal donations:            $1500
Offline donations             $1100
Auctions + poster sales    $5650
Team member Sarah        $1055
Team member Shana         $860

So, for those people out there in the world who thought we couldn't raise $100,000 - I suppose you were right.  We didn't raise $100,000 -  WE RAISED $117,190 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess how much they raised at Dog-A-Thon this year?  $234,000.    Yep, do the math friends, and be very, very proud - WE RAISED HALF OF THAT!!! 

Throughout the FUNdraiser, we had a few days devoted to specific programs and causes.  Below you'll see how much we raised for each - these amounts are included in the $117,190 total.

Foster Program - $8000
Special Needs Cats & Kittens  - $6000
Senior Cats - $13000
Spay & Neuter Programs - $7000
Food Bank / Meals on Wheels - $ 7000

And in all our years of FUNdraising,  look at how much  The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee Community has raised.....

Year 1 = $23,000
Year 2 = $48,000
Year 3 = $66,000
Year 4 = $87,000
Year 5 = $117,190

For a grand total of $341,190!  Can you believe it???!!!!!  That is SO MANY SQUILLIONS! 

Thank you, everyone, who contributed to this huge success!  Thank you for giving those squillions and for saying "I wish I could give more".  Thank you for helping us meet every match presented. Thank you for sharing our links and telling your friends about our cause.  Thank you for cheering us along. Thank you for believing we could do it.  Thank you for your many kind words and comments.

Thank you for caring so much and wanting to help the homeless cats and kittens. Thank you for being good people and reminding us of how much kindness and compassion is out there in the world.  Thank you for not going away while we asked again and again and again for more squilions.

Thank you, EVERYONE!!!!

And a big thank you to Craig, who is always so tolerant and wonderful during this busy time.  Thank you for not minding the extra clutter that accumulated, the neglected tasks, or the telethon set on the kitchen table.  Thank you for being so supportive.  Thank you for creating the lovely painting of Wylla to auction off.  It was perfect.

Thank you to my dear pal, Jay Bryant, for designing our awesome poster.  I know you're a busy guy, and I appreciate you finding time to squeeze us in.

Thank you to Natalie for matching our donations with warm, fuzzy hand-made kitty beds.

Thank you to Christy at Libertine Tacoma for donating a portion of their sales!

Thank you Marlene for matching dollars with kitty sketches!

Thank you to Wylla and Charlene for taking so many shifts on the phones. I know it cut into your napping, and I appreciate the sacrifices you made over the past month.

Thank you to Opal the Human, Ellis, and Jennifer for paying us a visit and bringing us a donation that inspired others to give.

Thank you to Sarah and Shana for being a part of Team IBKC again, setting awesome goals, and going beyond them!  Well done, ladies!

Thank you to Ninja Bob, Blixa, Jim, Lynn, Alex, Craig, Sarah and Shana for walking the walk!

Thank you to Sue for loaning us her precious kittens to take a few shifts on the phone banks.

Thank you Marguerite and the whole HS for all the support.

Thanks to the generous bidders on our auction items.

Thanks to all the families of our alumni who shared the pictures and stories of their former IBKs.

Thanks to all the families and alumni that let us come visit them.

Thank you to Mary, Lynn and Alex, Sarah E, Alison, Eleanor, Wendy,  Rosemary, Laura and Roger who offered up some very generous matching donation challenges.

Thank you to our big-hearted Awesome Anonymous Donor who matched so many matches.  You are awesomely awesome and we wouldn't have hit our goal without your help.

And last, but certainly not least, thank you dear Cynthia.  You mean the world to us and when I think of you and all you give,  and the many ways you give,  I always get misty.   I am so grateful that you found your way to us.  If I thanked you every second of every day in my life, that still wouldn't feel adequate.  I know you get a wee bit embarrassed when we gush about you, but you are so gush-worthy.   We love you and your huge heart.

I hope I'm not forgetting anyone - I am tired, and my brain isn't functioning at 100% today.  Please forgive me if I have.

We've done something really huge, and I hope you're feeling as proud of us as I am right now.  By providing all of these squillions to our shelter, we are giving them  the resources to care for this  population of homeless cats and kittens,  get them healthier and happier,  and help them find their forever families.    

Thank you, dear IBKC Community.   Your generosity and support  made tears well and hearts swell.  We love you and are touched deeply by your kindness and compassion.  

XOXO 

Laurie

Coming Soon!

I've been working on the big FUNdraiser wrap-up post this morning, but it is coming slow. I'll share it today, but not until later.  

I'm feeling a little weary after a very long past six weeks - plus a certain two cats prevented a good night's sleep last night. They had relay races in the wee hours,  followed by laps around our bed in a attempt to wake us up so we could give them snacks.   My head's a bit foggy this morning, and the totaling of all those squillions isn't happening too fast.

In the mean time, a quick pic of wee Wylla on my shoulder at Dog-A-Thon.  It was a great day, Wylla was awesome, and the full report on the walk will be coming tomorrow.

Now, back to the numbers.....    

XOXO

We're Walking the Victory Lap!

Well, today's the day!  Soon, we'll be  heading out to Ft Steilacoom Park in Lakewood  to walk the walk for homeless cats and kittens!!  



This is something we always look forward to, but it's even more exciting this year because we are extra proud of what this community has accomplished.  

I wish EVERYONE could join us, but I know that can't happen, so I promise to take lots of pictures and tell you all about it later!

Thank you again for giving us a reason to walk with our heads held high.


XOXOXOX

WOW, What a Morning!

OH friends, what a morning it's been!   I knew we would be rolling past our hefty $100,000 goal, but I didn't think we would see it happen so early in the day!  

For those who weren't able to follow along, this how it all played out...

We started out the day with a total of $86,125.  Cynthia offered up another match of $2500,  which would take us over the top if met,  then donations starting coming in at a steady pace.  We were about $700 away from meeting the match, and I expected it would be  an hour or so before we rolled it over, but nope, it came sooner than that.  A $2100 donation from an anonymous donor came through and took us over the top!   And then a couple more huge donations came in, I added Cynthia's match and we were past $106,000 in a matter of moments!

It was all very exciting and even though we knew we would reach our goal, the ending was unexpected, and left me speechless.

After a few tears of joy, actually some pretty heavy sobs, I gave Cynthia a call and we had a nice chat about the FUNdraiser, all of you fine folks, and the wonderfulness that comes out of the event each year.

Marguerite, our friend and director of development at the HS, stopped by a few minutes later with a large balloon bouquet attached to a bag filled with some lovely gifts and gift cards that were donated by several local businesses.   In typical cat fashion, both Charlene and Wylla were excited by the ribbons tied to the bag, but frightened by the hovering balloons.

Next came more phone calls, emails, and texts from friends and family congratulating us all!   It's been quite a morning!

We accomplished something pretty huge and I am so very proud of us.  This community is lovely - so generous and kind.   The way you give not only helps the homeless cats and kittens, it helps us humans out too.  With each donation and act of support, you show compassion and kindness which reminds us of that there is a great deal of goodness in this world.

Thank you dear people of the IBKC community.  You truly make this world a better place.  Thank you for giving and caring.



I'm not done thanking you yet - I've got much more to say and lots of individuals  to thank as well.  That will all come on Monday, when I write the wrap-up post and share our totals!

Because we've met our goal, I won't be pestering anyone for more donations, but if you were planning on donating, and just haven't gotten around to doing so yet,  I'll be leaving the Firstgiving widget on our blog to make it easy for you to do.

Now, I must go and prepare for tomorrow's event.  Please join us if you can! We're gathering near the DAT registration area shortly before 10:30.  We'll be easy to spot - we'll be the only  "cat people" in a large sea of "dog people'.


xoxo
We love you,
Laurie

WE DID IT!!!!!

WE DID IT!



WE DID IT!



WE DID IT!



WE DID IT!



WE DID IT!!!!!!



WE DID IT!



WE DID IT!!!!!!!



WE DID IT!!!!!



WE DID IT!!!!!!!




WE DID IT!



OH YES, WE DID!!  THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!!!

OH, my goodness!  We were creeping up there, then BANG,  a big donation put us over the top!!  

I've got so much to say, but I need to collect myself,  call Cynthia,  and do a happy dance with the Charlene and Wylla!

And I can't even see the keyboard with these watery eyes.  

I LOVE YOU!

THANK YOU FOR CARING AND GIVING SO MUCH!!!


WE DID IT!!!!!!

Live from the IBKC FUNdraising Headquarters - Herding Cats

Oh, I am so glad everyone is here now.  We've got a big day ahead, and we all need to pitch in to handle this high call volume.  



Let's all take our positions, and get right to work.  I need you to focus.  



Wait. What are you doing, Lola?



Lola, please get down. You're going to get glitter all over your paws.



















Now, I don't want the rest of you getting any crazy ideas. Please get over here and take your seats.  Focus kittens, FOCUS.

 


GUIDO! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?




Geez.  It's like herding cats.



Literally. 

We've Got Our Eyes on the Prize!

 OH, dear friends.  We are close, close, close to hitting our goal!!   Yesterday we worked very hard, met ALL THREE matches, brought in a very nice sum, and now we're chipping away at our final few thousand!

Thank you to Mary, Sarah E, Eleanor and Alison who offered us these generous matches and thanks to all of you who made donations to help us meet them.   Thank you too for listening to our many pleas - I am sure your ears were growing weary yesterday.   I so appreciate your patience through all of this.    Thankfully, we are almost done!!!

We're currently at $96,175 and guess what, we've got another matching donation challenge! It's a nice one and it will take us OVER the top once met.  

Our dear, dear friend Cynthia has offered up this final challenge for the 2013 FUNdraising season and will be matching our donations, dollar-for-dollar, until we reach the $2500 cap, or until 4:00 PM, which ever comes first.   Once that match is met (I just KNOW we will meet it) we'll drop her $2500 in the kitty and we will roll past $100,000!!!  

And then the squee-ing will commence!!!

Oh, I can hardly wait to get there!

To help us meet that final match and hit our huge goal, please pay a visit to our FUNdraising page and make a tax-deductible donation today!

Thank you AGAIN, dear Cynthia, for offering up another wonderful match.  We wouldn't be where we are without generous YOU.  

And thank you to every single one of you for all your love, support, and many squillions. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, THIS is a very special bunch.   We love you!  xoxoxo

Stay close to your computers, friends, it's going to be an exciting day!!

The Third Hurdle

We've had a very good run so far today!  We've successfully met two matches and it's time to start up the third!

I know it's late in the day to start such a thing, but yesterday, after completing a big $2000 match, we were able to bring in another $1000.  Today we've met two $500 matches and I feel confident we can  push through this last $750 match.

Our friends Eleanor and Alison are the generous folks offing up this match.  We met them years ago, when they flew from Virginia, and joined us for our very first Tea with the Bean.    Eleanor was also responsible for naming at least two, maybe three IBKC kittens during naming rights auctions of previous FUNdraiser.

And speaking of names...

Our challenge is for all you great kitten namers out there and in honor of Laurie's superior naming skills. Make a donation and in the comments for the donations, put a great kitten name. It could be Itty Bitty human style - like Wylla Stout or more fantastical cat style, like Skimbleshanks, or Fluffy McCataloons, Esq. You could also donate in honor of a cat with great name. Laurie is not obligated to use any of the names, but who knows, maybe your contribution can make her list of possibilities!

- Eleanor and Alison 


Oh, this is going to be great!!  Let's make those donations and hear what you've got!

This $750 match runs until midnight tonight (Pacific Time) so we've got plenty of time to make it happen.  To get in on the fun, please pay a visit to our FUNdraising page and make a tax-deductible donation.

Thanks so much for this creative and generous match, Alison and Eleanor!!  And thanks in advance to all who play along!


And thanks again to Mary and Sarah E who offered up our earlier challenges and to everyone who helped us meet those matches!

We've got just $5000 to go to hit our huge goal!   We are sooooo close now!    I'm so proud of us!!!

Stage Fright

Ohhhh, TERESAAAAAAA. Come on out!  There's really no need to be so shy. 



I've taken a few calls, and the people on the other end are REALLY nice.  Really, really, really nice.  And they're "cat people". 

Many have called before, and they know exactly what to do.  It's easy, I swear. NOTHING to fear at all.  

 Now come on out of there, please.   You're kind of being ridiculous. 




OK. Fine.  I guess I'll just to handle all the calls, and hope once the others get here, they'll be ready to work. 



I'm SURE they'll be ready.

Matches, Matches, Matches!

Yesterday had us nervous!  We had a big fat match to meet, and the morning started off oh so slow!  Thankfully, in the late afternoon things really picked up, we had a little fundraising frenzy, and ended up meeting the match an hour and a half before our deadline.  And even after the match was met, another squillion trickled in last night!   What a day!

We've got THREE matches happening today.  Don't worry, they're totally doable -we've got two $500 matches, and one $750 match.  We'll spread them throughout the day, so the pace should be easy to keep up with.

Our first $500 match is from our friend Mary, who gave us the $500 match on the 4th of July (her birthday). Mary's touched by those "I wish I could give more" comments we see on our FUNdraising page, so she wanted to offer up the match so the dollars from those commenters can become more. How generous of you, Mary!  Thank you!

Because we've got three challenges today, they'll be quick ones.   Mary's will run until 10:30 (Pacific Time).  After her match is met, we'll move on to the next.

To get your dollars doubled this morning, please give us a holler!   We'll be waiting for your call!




We've got lots happening again today.  We've got a little Wylla video to share , a visit or two from our little temp workers again, and of course, three matches !

Also, the Wylla watercolor painting auction is ending this morning at 10:45 AM,  If you wanted to get a bid in, you can visit the auction HERE.

OH, friends we are getting so close.  Did you look at our total this morning?  Currently, we are a wee $7, 375 away from hitting our huge $100,000 goal.   I'm confident will hit it now and even go squillions past it too.  What do you think?    What do you predict our total will be this year?   

Meet Our Little FUNdraisers

You got a peek at a couple of them this morning,  now here's the whole brood of little FUNdraisers!

Sue, of Pitter Pats fame was kind enough to loan us this darling set for our set.   Now, please watch the video, and then I'll tell you who's who. And then watch it again, because they're so stinkin' cute.



The furry guy with the blue collar is Paulie,  the short-haired girl with the winky eye is Lola. The little one hiding behind the couch  is Teresa, and the handsome black fellow is Guido.

They'll be taking calls the next couple of days, so we'll have a little time to get to know them all better.


A huge thanks to dear Sue for letting us borrow her babies!  They are fabulous!

Wylla's Walking Too!

Since her early days, we've been harness training Wylla. She's a pro when it comes to traveling, and has accompanied us on shopping excursions and neighborhood walks, to farmers markets, flea markets, bicycle races and even a vintage camper rally.  She loves riding on our shoulders and taking the world in.

This Saturday, Wylla will be suiting up and joining us for her biggest walk yet - Dog-A-Thon, and we wanted to invite you to join us!

Our plans are to arrive at Ft Steilacoom park in Lakewood, WA at the start of the event,  between 9 and 9:30 AM  We'll mingle a bit and visit the vendors, then begin walking around 10:30.  If you're able to join us, please gather by the Humane Society Dog-A-Thon registration area shortly before 10:30, and  we'll walk from there. We'll be easy to spot - just look for the folks waving pro-kitty signs, and look for Wylla, who will be perched upon someone's shoulders.

AND if you want to join in and gather some donations for Dog-A-Thon, it's not too late to start!  Just pop on over to the HS website to get started.   It's easy and there are fabulous prizes for the participants!



















We look forward to seeing you there!

Even Sweeter!

Oh friends, it's all chirping crickets 'round here. We've got this awesome $2000 match on the table, and four and a half hours in, we've met just $220 of it. We've got five and half hours left until it's over, and we're getting nervous! You know we hate leaving even a single penny of it on the table.

To sweeten the pot, our Awesome Anonymous Donor had offered us another $1000 if, and only if, we complete the $2000 match.

 If we fall short of the $2000 she'll still be doubling our dollars, but if meet the $2000 match, we get that big bonus!   How awesome and generous!!!!

I want to reach out to those folks out there who are in a position to give, have been thinking about making a donation, but just haven't done so yet. We've got three days of fundraising left, so we're hoping you'll step forward now and put a little in the kitty for the kitties.  

Wylla said she's not going to blink until we meet the match, so please pay a visit to our FUNdraising page to make that tax-deductible donation soon!  Thank you, friends!   And thank you, Anonymous.

 

You Can Have Your Very Own Wylla!

Craig was kind enough to donate an awesome original watercolor painting for this year's fundraiser!    It's an adorable portrait of Wylla, and as you can see, he's done a great job of capturing our girl.




He really nailed her wide-eyed expression and wild and wavy kitten coat, didn't he?


It just went live on Ebay, and the auction runs for just one day.   It will end at 10:45 AM Pacific Time tomorrow.  To place your bid, or just follow along, click HERE.

Thank you so much for creating this beautiful painting for us, Craig.  It will be sad to see it go, but I'll take comfort in knowing the money we raise from the sale of this piece will help many homeless cats and kittens!

Good Help is Hard to Find

The temp agency told me to report to the set at 8:00 AM this morning.  



I was told I wouldn't be the only kitten answering the phones.



Where IS everyone? 



It's 8:05.



Are YOU my coworkers?



8:10



I'm really not comfortable doing this on my own.  



It's 8:15.  That does it, I am out of here. 



Wait. Wait. Don't go. 




Oh dear,  we've got some kittens to wrangle.

In the mean time, let's try making our donations online!    We're winding down now and have just THREE days of FUNdraising left!    To help keep us on track, our Awesome Anonymous Donor is back once again with a $2000 matching donation challenge!     She'll be matching our donations dollar-for-dollar until we reach the $2000 cap!

The challenge ends at 7:00 PM tonight!

To get your dollars doubled, please visit our Firstgiving page!

We'll be posting LOTS today so please check in frequently.   We'll be finding out who these two temp workers belong to and see more of their antics, we've got one awesome piece of art going up on the auction block, we've got another alumni update,  and you'll find out about the event that Wylla is attending and you're all invited to!    It's a BIG day, friends.


Thank you again for all the love and support.  And thank you Awesome Anonymous Donor for another huge and fabulous match!