Local Teen Raises over $800 for Cats R Us
Sunday (4/6) Annapolis teen, Josalyn Bonney (14) announced the winners in a month long raffle in support of area feline rescue Cats R Us. The raffle raised $812 to purchase a microchip scanner and 100 chips through Chip FurKeeps, a collaborative effort between PetFinder and HomeAgain to provide microchips to shelters around the country. Exceeding their initial goal of $600, the additional funds will be put toward Cats R Us’s Spay/Neuter Program.
Despite her age, Josalyn is no newcomer to fundraising. Eight years ago, Josalyn began a lemonade stand to raise money for the Rainforest Foundation and turned it into an annual success (See Capital Gazette article 2012 and Patch article 2013).
Josalyn began volunteering at Cats R Us’s Riva shelter in January for a community service project at St. Anne’s School of Annapolis. After she reached her 10 hour community service objective, she realized she wanted to provide a lasting legacy, and made Cats R Us the benefactor of her Girl Scouts Silver Award.
Working with Cats R Us’s Fundraising and Outreach Coordinator, she came up with the idea to raise money for the microchip scanner and microchips for the shelter’s cats. They utilized rafflecreator.com to host the raffle and Josalyn persuaded the website’s owner to waive the usual fees, ensuring all the money raised went to the cats.
Josalyn went to local businesses and gathered 5 prize packages, including a grand prize valued at over $400 which included a stay at Loews Annapolis Hotel and a grooming service at Grand Paws Pet Salon.
Lastly, CRU and Josalyn would like to thank everyone who participated! Congratulations to our 5 lucky winners!! A very big thank you to our other sponsors for their support:
- Inn at Horn Point – host of the raffle drawing and prize donor
- Fieldstone Animal Inn
- Paws Annapolis Boutique
- Sam’s Club of Annapolis
- PetValu
- PetCo
