Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Good Morning Good New -- End of Year Special



GOOD MORNING  GOOD NEWS

Only FOUR days left in 2017 !!!
In just a minute, I'll tell you about a very special end of year DEAL !!!!
GOOD for YOU and GOOD for the ANIMALS !!!!

But FIRST .... I wanted to share our Christmas Day Tour with YOU !!!!

So MANY MANY of you got to come !!!

I wish every one of you did .....   We still LOVE you and wish you a wonderful full and exciting rest of 2017 even if we couldn't give you a hug and good wishes in person on Christmas !!!!

Here's our 2017 Christmas Tour Album.  I love that some of you come every year at Christmas to see where your donations have been used.  What's getting better.  Who's life was saved.  Who got adopted.  Who's new to meet !!!!  

I have told you that our tour are UP CLOSE and PERSONAL, haven't I?



No matter how much you hear it .....  folks are always surprised at how closely the animals want to interact with them !!!  A kiss here and a lick there and checking out your pockets for treats !!!


Everybody brought wonderful gifts for the animals !!  Just look at how full that truck is !!  It was a beautiful sunny day to stroll the couple miles around the refuge to see the animals.  With 1300 animals of 22 species, the animal area is spread over a little more than 100 acres.  That area is in the middle of 450 acres and all the rest is wooded, with creeks and wetlands, for native wildlife friends.

Thank goodness you've helped us save this land.  More and more around the Refuge is being logged and these poor animals are loosing their homes.  Our wildlife population is definitely on the rise !


As we strolled along on Christmas Day, there were frequent stops so everyone could feed the animals.  The animals love it .... and so do the people. 

After a few hours out in the sun ... and a bit of chill ... we wrapped up with a reception and refreshments in the Life Center, where Goldie and others helped themselves to our guests nums!


One thing visitors always talk about on tours are the bonds of friendship our animals form.  Some with their own species, some with other species.  In either case, they certainly pair up and form bonded groups.  It's always interesting to see where a new resident is going to settle in !!



Feline Fields is a favorite spot on the Tour !   So many cat lovers !  And we have enough cats to go round !! 



Christmas was such a beautiful day for laying about sunning, taking a stroll ..... or rolling in some luscious mud !!! 



NOW to tell you about RIKKI'S END OF YEAR SPECIAL

We got a BIG job ahead of us, friends. Every year Opie's GGP would challenge us to a DOUBLE YOUR DONATION end of year TAX SAVINGS challenge by putting up a big donation

BUT with a CATCH ....

We had to raise an equal amount .... or we wouldn't get it !!!!!

But you all know we have a SAD this year .... cus GGP went to Rainbow Bridge so he can't help Rikki's Refuge this year.

MOST IMPORTANTLY of all ....
did you know around the end of the year is when most people make their donations for the WHOLE YEAR ???

So it's really important to fill the pantries NOW, cus some months out of the year it gets real bare and slim .... like in January and February when people are paying off their crazy holiday buying sprees and their wonderful holiday vacations .... they don't have anything to spare for the animals.

So WITHOUT that big end of year DOUBLE YOUR DONATION time .... we'd all starve to death in the lean months.

And so our wonderful Board of Directors put their heads together and said

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ?

And THIS is what they came up with !!!!

$52,775 to DOUBLE .... yes !!!!

And when that is all done ... us animals will be safe for all the lean times of 2018 !!!!

So won't you PLEASE help me out and help Rikki's to reach this goal?

Be sure to tell all your friends too !!!   Tell everybody at work !!!

It only take a few dollars from everyone to make miracles happen !!!

Everybody needs a TAX BREAK .... donate to OPIE's RIKKI'S REFUGE  not to the IRS !!!!




Don't miss it !!!

End of the Year $52,775 Donation Match Challenge!

NOW through MIDNIGHT 12/31/17

Double your impact for the animals!

These generous donors have offered to match all donations through 12/31/17 up to $52,775 !

Will you help us make it through the cold winter months, ensuring that everyone gets fed??

$20 becomes $40, $50 becomes $100, $250 becomes $500

Will you share with everyone you know!

We need your help!!



Mail a check or money order: PO Box 1357, Orange VA. 22960



I just LOVE to hear from Rikki's Refuge's Alumni !!! 

Most of our animals will live with us the rest of their natural lives.  They come to us cus nobody wanted them, and no one was willing to adopt them.  Many are simply older.  Some have serious physical or health issues.  Some need expensive on-going medical care for life.  Some have behavioral issues.   Some have awful injuries.  ALL were unloved and unwanted. 

At Rikki's Refuge, EVERYONE is loved and wanted !!!!    And they're always welcome here for the rest of their lives. 

BUT sometimes someone heals, or looses their fear of people, or captures a heart .... and they get adopted !!!

I always wonder how every one is ....  year after year ... I think about them and I hope they are happy and healthy ....  it's hard to see someone you love move on ....  but sometimes it's the right thing to do ...  but I always worry about them, always pray for them.

And sometimes I'm made SO VERY HAPPY when their new parents send photos and keep us up to date on their lives !!!


This is Winslow !  He was adopted 11 years ago.  His wonderful mom send a photo of him every year !!!   We're all so excited when we hear about him.  It sparks a conversation about his antics when he was a Rikkite !!!   May you live long and prosper, Winslow !!!



This handsome young man is Max, an alumni of Rikki's Refuge. He spent some time at the Refuge and then was in the adoption room at our Re-Tail store in Fredericksburg and many folks fell in love with him, but none more than a wonderful man named Nate.  Nate adopted Max about a year ago and just sent us this wonderful photo of sweet Max ready for the holidays!  This makes our hearts happy that Max and Nate found each other!!  Even if we do miss Max here !!


THANK  YOU  FOR  LOVING  ALL  OF  US  AND
    TAKING  THE  TIME  TO  SAVE  A  LIFE  TODAY
          CUZ  EVERY  ONE  OF  US  MATTER S
                       DON'T  YOU  THINK ?

                www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate?purpose=Double

Love,
  Opie



Don’t forget to SAVE A LIFE TODAY !
Rikki’s Refuge
PO Box 1357
Orange VA 22960

And please come see me soon !!

In the mean time, Keep up with us on Facebook and you'll get the minute to minute details about what's going on at Rikki's Refuge .... you'll be the first to see the new residents .... and the first to know about up coming events !!!

Rikki's Refuge

Opie and Vincent's Page


Duke's Page

Re-Tail Thrift Store in Fredericksburg

The Duke Thomas Peabody Antique and Collectables Shoppe in Culpeper

Opie's and Mom's Purrsonal Profile

Opie's Edibles for Fun Animal Friendly Recipes and Cooking Tips: https://www.facebook.com/OpiesEdibles

Vincent D. Cat's Gathering Place, a place to hang out, chat, and have fun

Kitty Litter-Ature

Rikki's Crazy Cat Person Club

For the Love of Black Cats

Our Website
which needs help getting up to date .... if you "do" WordPress and would like to help, let us know Volunteers@RikkisRefuge.org

Rikki's Refuge is owned and operated by Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc., an IRS 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Virginia Corporation. Federal Tax-ID 54-1911042. Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is available upon written request from the Virginia State Office of Consumer Affairs.

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