Cat By Cat Inc., a community cat-focused charity, is working to secure grants through the Open Arms Challenge, with support from Lockport High School business teacher Michael Lepatine and his students. I am.
Holly Edwards, owner of Lock City Books, is working with LHS Business Programs on another Cat By Cat initiative and reached out to Lepertine for additional help. Some space in Edwards' store in the Bewley Building is set aside for Cat by Cat's foster cats to read and play.
This time, Lepatine's class worked on creating a marketing campaign for the grant. This campaign requires the implementation of a fundraising event and the submission of a report on its success.
Sally Merritt Vlasiak, founder of Cat By Cat, said the organization is committed to “inclusivity, which means supporting people in owning pets and removing barriers so they don't exclude people from owning pets.” He said it was all about “doing things.”
The Cat By Cat fundraiser consists of a month's worth of cat food drives at five locations across the region. 28 Hogue Ave., Akron; 22 Nicholas Center, Tonawanda; 1304 West Ave., Medina; and 2600 Dodge Road, East Amherst.
LHS Business students will be holding a cat food drive and bake sale on Thursday. “All proceeds will be donated to Cat By Cat Inc. to purchase supplies and food for unfortunate cats,” the company’s flyer reads. Donations from the community will be accepted at the high school headquarters.
Bake sale coordinator Tessa Fraser, a second-year student who owns two cats at home, led the sale's planning.
“We're letting everyone make something and bring it in,” she said.
Fourth-grader Haley Shellman designed a flyer for the school's fundraiser.
“We used Canva to create a poster with information about the food drop-off locations and the (Lockport) farmers market where the food will be distributed,” Shellman said.
Edwards said volunteers will fill bags with food and cat care supplies to distribute on April 20 at the Lockport Community Farmers Market, 210 Walnut St.
“We will also be making bags for social workers to take to families with pets,” she said.
“We want to make it possible for people to own a pet, so we also include information about low-cost veterinarians in the area,” Edwards added, adding that Better Together Pet Resources is a place where you can offset the cost of owning a pet.・I raised the center. pet.
According to the Open Arms Challenge website, successful grant applicants will be awarded a total of $510,000. Finalists will be decided in September.
