Adam Prudhomme
Editor
A new fundraising initiative from the Ontario SPCA Lennox and Addington Animal Centre is challenging animal lovers to get active while raising money for critters in need.
Known as Sweat for Pets, the province-wide fundraiser that began late last month will see a new fitness related challenge issued over social media each week. People and their pets can then make a donation or seek pledges for each challenge they complete, which they can then donate to the local animal shelter.
The challenges will be geared towards all ages and designed for the whole family, plus pets, to take on.
“This is meant to replace the Friends for Life Walk which we normally do every year,” said Esther McCutcheon, manager for the SPCA Lennox and Addington Animal Centre. “We’re doing this virtual event, it’s very open ended, good for everyone whether you have a pet or not. There’s 10 weeks in the entire Sweat for Pets program and every week we give some challenges for people to do on their own, with their kids, with their pets, whatever works. People can also come up with their own challenges if they like.”
The challenges will be posted to SweatForPets.ca. It’s $10 to register and participants have the choice of selecting which shelter their funds will go to support.
The challenges will remain a surprise until the start of each week. Prizes will also be awarded each week, based on how much money is raised and how many challenges are completed.
“Even though everyone’s feeling sort of cooped up right now, we want everyone to feel like they can get out in the community with their social distancing in place,” said McCutcheon. “It’s really good to get out in nature, especially this time of the year or even in your back yard or swimming in your pool.”
The funds will come at a time when the local shelter could really use them. Though they remain closed to the public, they are still caring for several animals within the shelter. In a typical year they help place between 450-550 animals into a new home. McCutcheon says they hope to open soon for appointments.
Though their volunteer program has been suspended for 2020, they are still in need of foster homes for animals. Anyone interesting in signing up can do so at lennoxaddington.ontariospca.ca.