Sunday, December 11, 2011

Good Morning Good News !!!! December 11, 2011


I’m Vincent D. Cat and here to make you happy! You are HEROES! You work hard every day and you deserve to smile every day! Those of you working to save us animals hear so very many very sad things. And there’s lots of very glad things too and that’s what we talk about here! All pawsitive all the time! I want my friends to be happy and smile and know there’s a lot of good - including YOU - in this world!! Be kind and pass it on! Please send me your Good New and Fun Stuff to share, personal or global. Let’s keep it fun and interactive!! After all, if we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane! Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org


Hello my AWESOME friends!!!!
MY, how much I love you!!!  YOU are what make Team Vincent number one!!!  And you’ve done it again!!!  By working together to help the animals you’ve worked miracles!!!

YOU won the Fancy Feast contest by TWO POINTS!!!  Yes, count ‘em TWO points.  This means each and every one of you was absolutely necessary.  Without YOU Team Vincent would not have won!!!

This is going give us an interesting project to work on now.  We win the designer wedding dresses Fancy Feast used in their StoryBook Wedding, complete with cats!!!!  These are the hooman gowns!!!   Are you planning a 2012 wedding?  Well this is just for you!!!  We’ll auction or raffle the dresses and I’m told, if we can do a good job, we can bring in $20,000 to feed the critters!!!!

I need a Wedding Gown committee!  Raise you hands!!  Who wants to work on this exclusive publicity filled committee?   Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org



Sandy Claws is coming to Rikki's Refuge
Twas the month before Christmas,
            when all through the Refuge,
The creatures were unhappy,
            cuz their debt -- it was huge!
Their stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that Sandy Claws would answer their prayers.
All creatures were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of tasty food danced in their heads.
Vincent hugged his mom, told her, "Just wait and see."
"I know Sandy Claws will answer our plea."
"I hope so," said Kerry, "this year's been so tough."
"It just makes me cry, cuz there's never enough."
As they held each other, a wonder appeared:
Sandy Claws with a sleigh, he was singing with cheer.
"Don't worry Vincent, I'm here to help out!"
"I'm filling your stocking, did you have any doubt?"
"I've got ten thousand dollars for matching donations.
Ask for contributions by December 20, and have a celebration!"
Vincent and his mom were beside themselves with glee!
Now they could feed all the creatures and be debt free.
They thanked Sandy Claws with all their might,
And said, "Merry Christmas to all,
                     and to all a good night."

(ok ok, don’t yell at me, I been busy keeping everybody fed and warm here and I’m a bit late getting this announced, I real sorry, it’s hard to keep up with everything with only three legs!!)

Thanks to a wonderful and beloved donor and friend of Rikki's Refuge, YOUR donations, up to $10,000 will be DOUBLED if received by December 20th !!!!   Please help us meet this goal!!!

With 1,300 animals of 22 species, it take everyone helping out to keep them happy, healthy and warm this winter!!!!



Thank you for your support.  All donations are 100% tax deductible under IRS 501-c-3 ruling.  Can you believe it’s end of the year already and time to think about those tax returns - make yours better - keep more of your hard earned $s, a charitable deduction this time of the year can have a serious impact on the taxes you owe!!!!  

Remember ITEMS are tax deductible at their fair market rate - 4 wheel drive pickup, tractor, trailer, cargo trailer for storage, these are all items you can turn into a tax deduction.  Got a wooden shed in your back yard you’re not using?  Capital Sheds can move it to Rikki’s - giving YOU a tax deduction and the animals something wonderful.  Stock, bonds, annuities .... these can make incredibly wonderful tax deductions when you gift them!!  Talk to your accountant (or ours) to find out how in this economy, especially with investments that have lost money, you may be able to save HUGE on your taxes.  Hurry - only 20 days left till the end of the year and the end of SAVINGS!!


YOU Won Again !!!
Thanks to your diligent voting for Rikki’s Refuge in the Animal Shelter Challenge, you once again brought Rikki’s in as a winner with the most votes of any shelter in the whole world last week!!!!!   Now that we’ve won our prize for this go round of the contest, we’re asking that you bond together to help someone else win!!!  We put our furry little heads together and decided to support Kitten Action Team in SC in the USA - they very much need to win and if we move them to 3rd in their state (and YES we can do it!) they’ll win much needed money to continue to help kittens.

Please vote daily http://tinyurl.com/VoteRikkis  
Enter USA, SC, Kitten Action Team

We believe in sharing and helping all the animals of the world -- Join Team Vincent and help us help them !!!!





Exciting Adventures
Here’s what’s going on at Rikki’s Refuge and we sure hope to see YOU.

Today December 11th - TOUR the Refuge at NOON, gates open at 11:30 am, tour lasts about 2 hours and it’s all outside so put on that fuzzy long underwear if you weren’t as lucky as me and born with a layer of insulating warm fat and fur!!!!   And please be sure to bring Fancy Feast for me and lots of canned cat food for our friends to help keep them fat and fluffy and warm!!!!   

December 17th Saturday - Noon - 2 pm, donation drop off, round up all the canned cat and dog food you can and stop by to drop it off.  Our docent had a job transfer, so I’m so sorry, but she can’t be available on Saturdays to meet and greet and show you around!  The staff can’t neglect their duties - which means feeding ME - so they can just help you with a quick unload.  But come back Sunday for a tour!

Would you like to help the animals, donate a few hours one or more Saturday’s a month, and be a Docent?  I’ll train you!!!  Be my Docent - Vincent@Rikkisrefuge.org

December 18th Sunday - TOUR the Refuge at NOON, gates open at 11:30 am, tour lasts about 2 hours and it’s all outside, so be warm.  Admission cat and dog food - as much as you can carry.  Canned please, Purina is keeping us well stocked in dry right now!!!   Big huge thanks to MIKE WOOD who drive over the river and thru the woods and up and down mountains to bring us food from Purina’s Pennsylvania Packaging Plant.  Without Mike, we’d be hungry.

December 24th Saturday - Noon - 2 pm, donation drop off, please be generous, we eat 30% more food in the winter time!!!   And we count on YOU!!

December 25h Sunday - Enchanted Christmas Tour at NOON, gates open at 11:30 am, tour lasts about 2 hours and it’s all outside, so be warm.  During the tour you’ll get to help decorate our trees with nums and watch us pick our favorite off the trees.  Admission cat and dog food - as much as you can possibly haul in.  Canned please, we’re well stocked on dry.  We need bird seed, oranges, and fresh produce too.

I think I need a new ‘puter, mine seems broken, it says nums not real word !!!!


January 1st Sunday - Opening the New Year at your favorite place will bring you good luck all year!!!   11 am Tour of the Refuge - note 11 am - not our usual noon - 11 am so we can squeeze in Nature Hike before it gets dark and cold.  Gates open at 10:30 am.  Tour at 11 am, yup, it’s all outside so dress warm warm warm.  Then at 1 pm you’ll head for the hills!!!!  Pristine Nature Hike thru the 367 acres of Rikki’s Refuge.  Good boots, waterproof and all dressed up for the weather.  Wear orange and red and bright colors so any evil poaching trespassing you know what’s don’t think you’re a deer!!!

I sure hope to see you this holiday season!  If you can’t make it, know that I’d be at your door step to wish you a wonderful Christmas if only mom would let me have a corporate jet -- but she says all the money has to go to taking care of animals, always!!!



Pictures with Santa
Rikki’s is helping you to get pictures with Santa with your Critters - any kind - you bring ‘em - we photo ‘em!!

Petsmart in Central Park, Fredericksburg, VA, USA
TODAY 12/11 from 11 am - 4 pm
Next Saturday and Sunday 12/17 and 12/18 11 am - 4 pm

.....   and yikes - I really am behind, we were in two stores on the 10th, yesterday.  Bad Vincent go sit in corner for being so behind.   (((Can I have a can of Fancy Feast while I’m in time out?)))

Proceeds of these days with your photo with Santa benefit Rikki’s Refuge.  If we’re too far away - all PetSmarts are doing this - and it benefits an animal organization in your area - so get that photo of your doggie, kitty, parrot or boa!!!!



Angel Trees
Going great again this year, thank you Katarina Galvin!!!  We have trees up in many stores where you can pick an animal ornament and buy a present for one of us!!  Leave it under the tree and our volunteers are running around filling their sacks and bringing the goodies out to us at Rikki’s Refuge.
Dang --- I know Katarina sent me the addresses of all the stores who have our Angel Trees and I can’t find it!!!  How can one three legged little cat get thousands of emails every day !!!! 

Ok here from memory ---- and I’ll get the official list up here later, I promise.  Katarina, can you please send it again - any other volunteers, tell me which locations you’re picking up from, please!  Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org

Culpeper, Virginia, USA
Culpeper Animal Hospital
Wal-Mart

Orange, Virginia, USA
La Rue de Beauty Hair Salon
Orange Madison Co-Op
Village Farm and Feed

Zions Crossroads, Virginia, USA
Wal-Mart

Spotsylvania / Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA
Petco
Tractor Supply
360 Feed
Giant (near Jan but I don’t have the address on the tip of my claws)


Grab some goodies and put it under our Tree!!!!

AND after Christmas watch the sales - we need more trees for next year’s program - the best are the 6 and 7 foot pre lit fold up into a small box kind !!!!!    Please grab them for us!!!  Mariza has kindly saved room in a shed at her house for storage!!!


New Members
I’d like to congratulate some new members who were voted in to serve on the Board of Rikki’s Refuge for 2012.

Can I hear a big around of apawlause for :  Gussie Lamoree, Kristina Anderson, Melissa Felts, Nora Eldridge and Robyn Schnellenberger !!!!  Yeahhh, all chosen for their hard work and dedication to Rikki’s in 2011 !!!!!


Christmas Quilt

This beautiful quilt was made by Miss Marika to raise funds to keep the 1,289 animals of Rikki’s Refuge warm all winter long!  Lovingly made, with a beautiful Christmasy / Holiday theme on the front and cozy comfy flannel on the back.  Approximately 40” by 60” a purrfect throw for winter time. 

Raffle tickets are $3 each, 2 for $5 or 5 for $10 (best bargain).

be sure to leave contact information in the comment field so we can reach you if you’re the lucky winner!!

Winner will also be posted right here - in this blog after the drawing!!!

Drawing Christmas Day at 2 pm.
We hope you’ll join us for our Enchanted Christmas Day Tour at noon on Christmas Day, December 25th.  But you DO NOT need to be present to win!!








I Love YOU,
Vincent
PS You tell me what you want! Email me at Vincent@RikkisRefuge.org with instructions to change your subscription: additions, deletions or modifications! Subscriptions:  Vincent’s VIPs - up to the second alerts about issues at Rikki’s Refuge for those who care and want to be intimately involved. Scheduled as needed. Good Morning Good News - a little something to get you going in the mornings, for those of you who want to keep smiling with us! Scheduled daily. Hairballs - so you know what’s coming up at Rikki’s! Scheduled weekly.

Rikki's Refuge, supported solely by private donations, houses over 1200 animals of 22 species. On line at http://bit.ly/Give-a-gift-to-Rikkis Checks, money orders, cash, items at Rikki's Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960

Rikki's Refuge is owned and operated by Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc., an IRS 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Virginia Corporation, tax-id 54-1911042. Combined Federal Campaigns #77674, Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign #3163, PetsMart Charities #1377. A financial statement is available upon written request from the State Office of Consumer Affairs.

Learn more www.RikkisRefuge.org and help spread the good word, tell everyone you know about Rikki’s Refuge





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