While COVID has put a pause on most physical gatherings, it hasn’t muted the passion people share for saving animals — nor has it stifled the creativity of some rescues in their fundraising events.
You may recall an event we wrote about last fall with the “It’s All About the Paws” (IAATP) organization — an outdoors, socially distanced animal adoption event that was lots of fun.
This spring, IAATP was able to resume its events outside, and they put a creative twist on this one: they made their first 5k virtual, avoiding the problem of a large group of people running and breathing hard in the same close space.
This creative choice was a hopeful effort in raising much-needed money for the rescue’s medical fund, and their hard work paid off! They raised more money than they expected, and they expanded their supportive community with loyal donors who had a fun, memorable time.
Leia and I had the pleasure of participating in the “Paws On Pavement” 5k, as well as catching up with It’s All About The Paws founder and president, Erika Seibert. Here’s what she had to say!
This 5k Was A Virtual Success!
Leia and I had so much fun on IAATP’s Paws on Pavement 5K! Note the awesome shirt provided to all the participants. (Picture Credit: Amanda)AMANDA: Erika, thanks so much for taking the time for another interview with DogTime! What was your vision for the first IAATP 5k? Was it challenging to make it a blend of virtual and in-person? Was the event more or less successful than you’d hoped?
ERIKA: To be honest, we didn’t have a vision for our first 5K. We wanted to do something fun and engaging for our Paws First Medical Campaign, while also finding a way to get into the community again.
It’s been since October, and we’ve been itching to get back out there, safely!
It was rather easy to put together, but it definitely kept us on our toes towards the end. We were planning/thinking on a smaller scale, but it blew up at the end, which we are so excited about! This was so much more successful than we could have imagined or even planned for.
AMANDA: That is great!
AMANDA: How much money did you raise? How many people participated?
ERIKA: We raised a little over $1,500 and had 49 sign-ups!
AMANDA: Wow, that’s fantastic for your first 5k! Congratulations! Who were your sponsors?
ERIKA: We had some amazing sponsors! Fat Sam’s CBD for Pets (division of CryBaby CBD), Athletic Adult Fitness, Wet Nose, and Peskind Law Firm.
AMANDA: I love that so many companies wanted to sponsor such a great cause. I also recognize some of those names from that excellent goodie bag. That was nice of them to donate in multiple ways!
ERIKA: I’m glad you and Leia enjoyed them!
AMANDA: We sure did! You guys always give great goodie bags. How do you hope this event will grow in the future?
ERIKA: After this amazing first year, we plan to do this annually! Hopefully, by next year we will be able to do in-person, but I think the virtual part of it will still stay! It was great for people to walk where and when they wanted to, but we will see what the future holds.
AMANDA: Sounds like a great plan!
It’s All For A Good Cause
AMANDA: Tell us about the medical fund you were raising money for.
ERIKA: This is also our first annual Paws First Medical Campaign. It’s something we will also have every year in March. This gives a good foundation for medical care and an ability to take in more animals into our Rehome Assistance Program.
As with many other businesses, becoming a not-for-profit (NFP) four months before the pandemic hit has shown its difficulties, but we have received amazing support!
This campaign helps us to not only get out into the community, but also impacts our ability to help our community.
Without funding, we cannot take animals into our program. As a smaller organization, we had already turned away over a dozen applications to our Rehome Assistance Program, solely based on funding. We knew we needed to do something in order to get funds specifically for medical care.
AMANDA: Wow, those sound like two very important programs. Could you please tell us more about the Rehome Assistance Program?
ERIKA: Our mission is to help owner surrenders stay out of the shelter system, and so our Rehome Assistance Program was created. It’s All About The Paws, NFP is dedicated to helping your pet find a safe and loving home.
We believe that all animals deserve to be in a home that will help them be the best they can be.
There are many avenues to make your pet happy and healthy in your home. If you feel that re-homing your pet to a better-suited family is your last option, our Rehome Assistance Program is designed to help you and make the process as safe as possible for both you and your pet!
We are a foster-based rescue, and we could always use more fosters. For more information on either rehoming your pet or applying to be a foster, please visit our Rehome Assistance Program page.
AMANDA: Your philosophy and program sound just wonderful. Is your foster program new?
ERIKA: It is! We just announced one month ago that we are officially taking foster applications. To say we are excited is an understatement. This brings on so much more opportunity for our organization, and hopefully we are able to help many more animals that cross our path.
If someone is interested in filling out an application, they can do so through our foster application page or by emailing me at erika@itsallaboutthepaws.org.
AMANDA: Wonderful!
What’s Next For IAATP & How You Can Get Involved
AMANDA: What’s on the horizon? Are there other events supporters could attend?
ERIKA: Yes! You can keep track of our events on our event page or on our Facebook page. Our next one is our Blooms & Blossoms Mother’s Day Event! On Saturday, May 1st, we will be at Kimmer’s Ice Cream in St. Charles, Illinois for some outside fun! We will be selling our NEW limited-edition Mother’s Day shirts, NEW water bottles, and a raffle basket.
The Local Petaler will also be taking orders for their traditional flower door hanger. You must pre-order. We will receive 25 percent of all proceeds. You can choose delivery or pick up at Kimmer’s on May 1st. You can click the link within the Facebook event to order yours.
Come on by to shop for your mom, wife, partner, et cetera — don’t forget about fur mamas — and support local businesses.
We can’t wait to see you!
AMANDA: That sounds like so much fun! Leia and I will have to stop by! Thank you so much for your time and for all you do for animals in need. It’s always an honor to speak with you!
ERIKA: I was excited to do another interview with you! Thank you for your support. We really appreciate it!
Stay Connected For All The Updates!
For more information on It’s All About the Paws, including their Rehome Assistance Program, adoptions, donations, and upcoming events, please visit their website.
To follow It’s All About the Paws on social media, please visit their Facebook or Instagram pages.
To follow more of Leia’s adventures, please follow her on Instagram or Facebook.
Have you attended any creative shelter and rescue events since the pandemic started? Are you looking forward to any “It’s All About The Paws” events in the future? Then let us know in the comments below!
