http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckWX8nT1rkY&feature=youtu.be

If you are up this Sunday morning from 6-7 be sure to tune in to Q100 (or any of their  5 affiliates) to listen to Matt Jones interview Judy Price, Laura Pate and Heather Malone about Paws in the Park!

Or listen to the interview at www.q100atlanta.com!

Also see our new extended segment talking about Paws in the Park online at www.cbsatlanta.com and tune in to Better Mornings Atlanta on Mondays to check out Jen Valdez talk with Nick Malone about some of our great sponsors, vendors and other cool things that will be at Paws in the Park.

For those of you on the fence, we want to clear up some myths:

Myth: You can’t volunteer at the event AND walk with your pet
Fact: You CAN walk AND volunteer. For certain volunteer posts, you will need to have a friend or family member take your pooch for your shift but for some volunteer positions, you can have your dog with you! Please email Paige Williams at volunteers@pawsintheparkatlanta.com if you would like to volunteer on the day of the event. We need LOTS of help!

Myth: You have to walk if you register
Fact: You can volunteer, shop, watch the demos, but you DO NOT have to walk

Myth: You have to have a dog to walk
Fact: You don’t even have to own a pet, you just need to support the cause and want to support homeless animals! We need people who believe in the work Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption does and want to do their part to help make a difference!

Myth: I have to ask friends for money if I register
Fact: You DON’T have to ask your friends for money if you register. Of course, the whole point of Paws is to get the word out about what an awesome organization APRA is and to ask for support, but we know it can be uncomfortable asking friends and family for money even if it’s for a super cause like our adorable dogs and cats. We could still use your help getting the word out about the event to everyone you know! Here is an email you can edit as you like that you can send out to friends and family.

Subject: Save the Date!!

Dear Friends,

Please mark your calendars on September 23rd from 12-5 for Paws in the Park, a dog walk and pet expo to be held at Centennial Olympic Park with live music and a fabulous kids corner all to benefit the amazing work of Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption (APRA). I volunteer for this fantastic organization and I love the work they do. APRA has saved over 15,000 dogs and cats since it began over ten years ago. Please support me by just showing up! There will be tons to do!

Agility Demo
Disc Dog Demo
K-9 Demo
Live music from Always Saturday and the Non-Essentials
Inflatables
Arts and Crafts
Face Painting
Shopping with our fantastic vendors
And of course lots and lots of doggies to play with
Plus Food Trucks!!

If you would like to register to walk with your dog, please go to www.pawsintheparkatlanta.com

If you cannot make the event but you would like to support the work of APRA, please go to the page for the APRA employees and donate by clicking here: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/craigstrain/paws-in-the-park-2012

I’m a terrible salesperson….

I don’t want to be indebted to someone for giving me money….

Do I need to go on? Yes fundraising can be a daunting task, it can be intimidating and push you out of your comfort zone. There are ways to make it more fun, less threatening and even…… dare I say…. EASY!

First, set your goal, think of something manageable and attainable that you think you can achieve. Second, think about a poor animal shivering in a cage that you could be helping right now if you would just grit those teeth and start!

Easy ways to fundraise:

1. Talk to everyone about the walk, even if they don’t donate to you, maybe they’ll come walk with you and that’s pretty great too. Tell your friends, coworkers, boss and that crazy cat lady down the street that you’ll be walking in a charity dog walk called Paws in the Park!

2. Register to walk and create your own fundraising page. Include stories about why you are walking, talk about your pets and make it personal.

3. Change your email signature to include a link to your fundraising page. You can do this at work and on your personal email, it’s a subtle way to help you spread the word that you are helping animals.

4. Be a social media guru! Do you have a twitter account? Facebook? Myspace? FourSquare? Use them to your advantage. Update your status with your fundraising page. Don’t forget to thank those who donated to you in another Facebook status update. This often prompts more donations if people feel appreciated.

5. Be creative, if you have a skill, say baking for example, offer to bake cakes for a $25 contribution to your fundraiser. Not handy in the kitchen? What about a car wash? Lemonade stand? Don’t be afraid to try something different out to see if it works!

Above all make sure your donors know how appreciated they are and how lucky all of the four legged buddies you will be making a difference for! Thank you for your help!

Pebbles and Clover were glad to escape the shelter for the day. The kids at Centennial loved the tattoos and we really got the word out about Paws in the Park.

Planning Atlanta Pet Rescue’s largest fundraiser of the year takes a whole team of dedicated volunteers. There’s much to plan and a variety of needs that must be taken care of in order to ensure a successful day at Centennial Olympic Park.

From Top left: Craig Strain, Gigi Gould, Deb Ferbrache, Jessica Grippo and Corey Hylbak

Bottom Row from left: Ilene Bauer, Hilary Leland and Heather Malone

Not pictured: Tina Di’Angelo, Bari Schlam and Paige Williams

A big thank you to the Committee for their dedication and hard work to this year’s event!

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7506347

We are beyond thrilled to have CBS Atlanta as our Presenting Sponsor for Paws in the Park. We are honored to have Jennifer Valdez attend as the Grand Marshall of the charity walk. She will host the demo area, along with her dog Sadie in tow!

Thank you to all those who submitted entries and we are proud to show you this years Paws in the Park logo!