EVENT LISTING FOR 2021- FINALLY!!!
NOVEMBER 1ST - DECEMBER 31ST: PETS FOR VETERANS WILL BE HELD AT BOTH CASCADES HUMANE SOCIETY AND JACKSON COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, (WHILE FUNDING LASTS AT EACH FACILITY.) Thanks to a grant from The Samuel Higby & Margaret H. Camp Fund, Friends Of The Animals will be able to sponsor another Pets For Veterans Campaign. An equal amount of funding will be given to each shelter and the event will run for two full months, or until the funding is used up for one or both shelters. Friends will pay the adoption fee for one dog or up to two cats for any qualified veteran who resides in Jackson County. Veteran must show proof of their status with a copy of their DD2-14 discharge papers or with their Jackson County Veterans ID Card. They must also show a valid driver's license with proof of residency in Jackson County.
With two full months of availability, this should give our local veterans plenty of time to visit the shelter of their choice and adopt a new best friend with Friends Of The Animals paying the adoption fee. We are very happy to be able to extend this offer again to our local heroes as a way to show our gratitude for their service... while they can provide a loving home for a very deserving dog or cat at the same time.
If you or someone you know is a Jackson County Veteran looking for a new, furry companion we'd love to help you/them find a new family member at one of our local shelters during this campaign!
EVENT LISTINGS FOR 2020
NOTE OF CANCELLATION: Due to the Coronavirus, our annual bowling event had to be cancelled. The Governor of MI set out guidelines that any event that attracted 250 people or more, should be cancelled to assure the health and safety of the attendees. Donations, lane sponsorships, ticket money and door prizes will be returned to those who supported our event. Thanks to everyone who participated in any way and we hope that by cancelling, we may join others in the fight against this virus which will be contained and disappear for good. Thank you for your understanding and support.
The 30th annual Moonlight Scotch Doubles bowling event will be held at the Jax 60 lanes in Jackson on Saturday, April 18th at 8 PM. Experienced and beginner bowlers, 16 years and older are welcome. This is not a tournament, but a fun event with door prizes, raffles and 50/50 drawings (our first 50/50 prize is usually $500!) as well as strike pot and mystery game prizes. For added fun, the three games played with each pair of bowlers are rolled with a darkened alley with the pins lit up at the end like candles. You can still see just fine to safely bowl, but it does add a little more excitement and challenge when the lights are dimmed. Tickets are sold in advance and if requested, we will do our best to place you on lanes with others that you would like to bowl with. Sometimes there is room for walk-ins, but it isn't guaranteed.
Please call Nancy at (517)782-0613 for information on bowling, volunteering and/or helping to acquire lane sponsors and/or door prizes. If you would like to earn a free ticket, sell 11 and the 12th one is free. We hope you'll consider joining us for this fun event- with all of the money raised supporting needy animals in the Jackson area. Tickets are available now, with the price remaining at $18.00 per pair of bowlers. Please join us for a great evening with all of the money being raised going to help needy and homeless animals in the Jackson area. Please click on the link above to download the event flyer.
EVENT LISTINGS FOR 2019
NOVEMBER 23-27, 2019: THANKSFURGIVING SPONSOR AT JCAS: Starting on Saturday, Nov. 23rd and running until the day before Thanksgiving, Friends will be offering $30 towards the adoption of up to a dozen cats at the Jackson County Animal Shelter. If you would like to welcome a new furry one to your home for Thanksgiving, please stop by the shelter to visit with all of the animals waiting for a new furever home.
UPDATE: Friends sponsored 9 cats and 4 dogs during this event. We're pleased these deserving animals found good homes.
NOVEMBER 1st- 30th, 2019: PETS FOR VETERANS AT CASCADES HUMANE SOCIETY: Our newest Pets for Veterans campaign will be celebrating our local heroes during the month of November. If you or someone you know is a U.S. Veteran with an honorable discharge, and lives in Jackson County, "Friends" would like to say thank you for your service to our country. Thanks to a grant from The Samuel Higby & Margaret H. Camp Fund, our non-profit organization will pay the adoption fee for one dog or up to two cats from the Cascades Humane Society in Jackson. To qualify, a veteran must be from Jackson County and show a valid photo ID as well as a copy of their DD214 Discharge Papers or Jackson County Veteran's ID card. All animals going to new homes are up to date on their shots and/or vaccinations and they will be spayed or neutered. They are ready and waiting to go home with their new family so they can become their new best friend! "Friends" will pay for qualified adoptions while funding lasts. Shelter address is
1515 Carmen Dr. in Jackson. (The veteran is responsible for the county required license fee for dogs.) Please visit the shelter during our November event and make a place in your heart and home for a new furry family member!
UPDATE: More than 10 animals found homes with our event. Still waiting for paperwork and an invoice but we will post that information when it is received.
For information on our May 20 - June 15, 2019 Pets For Veterans program, please click on to our "Recent News" tab.
UPDATE: Our 2019 bowling event was lots of fun and a great success. Nearly 300 bowlers participated and we thank them and everyone who contributed to our event. Our next annual bowling event is scheduled for Saturday, April 18th, 2020. Please mark your calendars.
SATURDAY, APRIL 27TH-- ANNUAL BOWL FOR THE ANIMALS FUNDRAISER: This is year 29 (!) for the annual "Moonlight Scotch Doubles" bowling event that will benefit needy animals in the Jackson area. We will be in the same bowling center, but their new name is "JAX 60." The new owners are looking forward to showing off their improvements to their alleys and helping us to make it another spectacular, fun event. Tickets are just $18.00 for two people to bowl together and can be purchased by calling Nancy at (517)782-0613. If you would like to earn a FREE TICKET, all you need to do is sell 11 tickets and we will give you ticket #12 FREE! We'll have lots and lots of door prizes for the bowlers to win and of course we will have our very popular 50/50 drawings and some wonderful raffle prizes available for the winners. Your $18 covers bowling three games (Scotch Doubles is where two people share the game by one person throwing the first ball and the other person throwing the second ball.) as well as the opportunity to win a door prize, Mystery Game and/or Strike Pot. Our 50/50 jackpots always grow to large amounts (last year we gave our winners a total of $860.00) and tickets are only $1 each or 9 for $5. Each year we are also very fortunate to have super prizes donated to our nonprofit that we use for raffle prize packages. Five lucky winners go home with valuable gifts from those drawings.
If you would like to donate a tax deductible gift to be used for a raffle prize or door prize, purchase a lane sponsorship for $100 or more, bowl, or volunteer to help at our event, please call Nancy at the number above.
Our bowling event is not a tournament and is for beginner and experienced bowlers 16 years and older who may participate. Sign up early as it usually is a sold-out event and help us to assist the animals with the proceeds from this event!
(NOTE SPONSOR DONATIONS: Starting with our event in 2020, the cost for NEW sponsors will be $120 to help off-set the higher cost of acquiring a large sign with their name on it. Since we can use the signs from year to year, the sponsor fee remains the same for returning sponsors. Thank you in advance for your understanding.)
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EVENT LISTINGS FOR 2018
Our Craft-A-Rama event (more information below) took place on a beautiful, warm and sunny day on Oct. 14th. While 75 degree weather isn't usually good for an indoor Fall show (many people take advantage of one of the last warm days to accomplish other things) we still had a good turnout of shoppers for our event. While the attendance was a bit lower than expected, our shoppers enjoyed the great variety of items offered by our vendors and many left the show with bags of goodies that they purchased. A lot of vendors have already paid ahead for the show next year, with more applications on the way. Our next Craft-A-Rama juried arts and crafts show at the fairgrounds will be held on Sunday, Oct. 13th. We look forward to hosting another terrific event in 2019. Thanks to all who participated.
47TH ANNUAL CRAFT-A-RAMA, JURIED ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14TH, FROM 10 AM - 4PM.: This annual event will be held at the American 1 Fair Events Center in Jackson and is open to the public. Eighty vendors will have their arts and crafts on display for sale. Please plan to stop out for a great show as well as door prizes, food, and FUN! For more information please call Nancy at (517)782-0613. (Also further information can be found in the show listing for 2017, below.) If you would like to volunteer or help with some areas for some outdoor yard signs, please let Nancy know as well. Thank you.
The 28th Annual Bowl For the Animals event, sponsored by Friends Of The Animals was held on Saturday, April 28th. We filled the center with bowlers and it was a terrific event that raised a lot of money for our nonprofit. Many, many animals will be helped from this fundraiser. Thank you to all who participated or helped in some way!
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EVENT LISTINGS FOR 2017:
UPDATE: Our annual Craft-A-Rama event was great fun and lots of shoppers showed up to buy wonderful items from our 80 exhibitors. Mark your calendar for October 14, 2018 as that is our date for the 47th annual show! Thank you to all who participated and made this a great event!
46TH ANNUAL CRAFT-A-RAMA, JURIED ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15TH, FROM 10 AM - 4 PM, AMERICAN 1 FAIR EVENTS CENTER, JACKSON: This show has been coordinated by one of our directors from 2003- 2015. In 2016 it was passed on to another nonprofit but they decided that they didn't want to run the 2017 show (too much work to plan and prepare!) so it is back being sponsored by Friends, and run by the previous coordinator. The center will be filled with vendors (80-81 booths) selling their quality handcrafted art and craft items which had been juried into the show. (That means they have to submit photos of their work and be approved to be accepted.) A wide variety of quality arts and crafts will be on display by the exhibitor's and for sale to the public. (See our ads in The Jackson Citizen Patriot, The Exponent, MLive, The Salesman newspapers and The Bart Hawley Show.) General admission is only $2 with children 5 and under, free. Door prizes will be drawn every half hour. Food will be for sale and available during show hours by Key Largo Catering for the shoppers and exhibitors who would like a light breakfast, hearty lunch, or a snack. For more information, please call Nancy at (517) 782-0613. After 4 PM is best. Please plan to spend the day with us as you browse and shop for yourself or others. We hope to see you there! NOTE: Just because this event is being sponsored by Friends Of The Animals, it does not mean that the exhibitors will only have items for dogs and cats! We'll have a wonderful array of items for sale from stained glass, decorative painting, quilted items, handmade soap, fresh local honey, woodworking, hats, scarves, and mittens, jewelry, purses and totes, yard art, Fall and Holiday items, wreaths, Halloween and Christmas decorations and much, much more. Come check it out and see for yourself!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP US ADVERTISE FOR THIS EVENT AND BE WILLING TO PICK UP SOME YARD SIGNS, WE'D APPRECIATE IT. WE WILL BE PUTTING OUT CLOSE TO 400 SIGNS AND NEED HELPERS WHO CAN PUT THEM IN THEIR YARDS OR BUSINESS, OR OTHER AREAS WHERE PERMISSION IS GRANTED. WE ALSO ASK THAT THEY BE RETURNED TO US SO THAT WE CAN USE THEM AGAIN, ANOTHER YEAR. THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP NOW AND IDEALLY GO OUT THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER. PLEASE CALL NANCY IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP US ADVERTISE FOR CRAFT-A-RAMA BY POSTING SIGNS OR PASSING OUT FLYERS. THANK YOU.
4th ANNUAL GOLF OUTING: SUNDAY, SEPT. 10, 2017: Mother nature cooperated and the golfers in our annual event had a great time on the course as well as after their games. Good food and lots of silent auction items awaited them when they returned to the Arbor Hills Clubhouse. We'd like to thank all of the wonderful businesses and individuals who donated food, prizes, sponsorships and/or their time to make the event this year a great success. We'd also like to thank the golfers for participating and our volunteers for all their hard work. A special thank you goes out to volunteer Brenda L. who coordinated this event for Friends again this year. Thank you everyone for helping us to help the needy animals in Jackson County!
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE GIVE BACK NIGHT: WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2017. Thanks to the Jackson Outback Steakhouse we received a check based on 15% of the total purchase that diners made at their restaurant during the Friends Give Back night. We would like to thank Outback Steakhouse for giving us the opportunity to participate in this fundraiser for Friends and also thank each and every diner that participated. Many needy animals in the Jackson area will benefit from your generosity. Thank you!
27TH ANNUAL BOWL FOR THE ANIMALS EVENT: FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2017. Our annual bowling event at Airport Lanes in Jackson was a striking success as close to 300 bowlers came out to bowl for the animals. We would like to thank all of the businesses and individuals who sponsored a lane, donated a raffle prize, and/or donated door prizes as well as thank the bowlers for coming out and the volunteers for helping. We hope to see you all again next year!
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EVENT LISTINGS FOR 2016:
3RD ANNUAL FRIENDS GOLF EVENT: Would you like to enjoy a day of fun, food, prizes and competition on the golf course while helping animals at the same time? We'd love to have you form a team (or teams) of friends and family so you can join us for our 3rd annual golf outing on Saturday, Sept. 10th at the Ella Sharp Park Golf Course. Shotgun start is at 9:30 AM with check-in at 8:30 AM. Advance reservations are required. Please call one of our dedicated volunteers - Brenda at (517)206-7285 or Denise at (517)795-9114 to reserve your space and guarantee your entry. If you'd like to sponsor a hole or donate a prize for this fundraiser, they'd also love to hear from you. Please call for more information and reservations. UPDATE: The 3rd annual golf event was a HUGE success with a lot of money raised to help animals in the Jackson Area. Some of the money has already been distributed (see listings under the "Our Donations" section) with more to be distributed in the near future. Thank you to all of those who tirelessly worked on preparing this event, the volunteers who worked at the event, the donors who graciously paid for hole sponsors and/or made donations of gifts for the silent auction or food for the golfers, as well as a big thank you to the golfers who participated. We at Friends thank you for all you've done to make this such a wonderful fundraiser!
26TH ANNUAL BOWL FOR THE ANIMALS, MOONLIGHT SCOTCH DOUBLES EVENT: Airport Lanes in Jackson on Saturday, April 30th, 8 PM. Join us for a night of bowling and fun while helping to raise money for needy animals in the Jackson Area. This is not a competition so anyone aged 16 and over, experienced with bowling or not, are welcome to join us for a night of fun while helping needy animals at the same time. Tickets are $18 for two people to bowl three games of Scotch Doubles. Lane assignments are done in advance so if you would like to bowl with your friends/family all you need to do is request that they bowl on your lanes when you purchase your ticket. We will do our best to accommodate your request. We will also have prizes for "mystery games", prizes for "strike pot" winners, and a prize for high game and high series. We'll have LOTS of door prizes available to win and we'll also have 50/50 drawings and raffle drawings for those who wish to participate. If you would like to bowl, help us acquire lane sponsors or door prizes or volunteer at the event, please call Nancy at 517-782-0613. (After 4 PM is best.)
UPDATE: Bowl for the animals is still going strong after 26 years supporting needy animals in the Jackson area. Friends, who sponsored the event this year would like to thank all those that helped with door prizes, raffle prizes and lane sponsorships, as well as our loyal volunteers and all of the 350 bowlers who participated. We made over $11,000 which will be filtered into our local community to assist homeless animals and those in need. Once donations have been made, they will be listed in the "Our Donations" section. Thanks again to all those who helped to make this yearly event another smashing success!
DUE TO AN UNEXPECTED NOTICE ON APRIL 7, 2016 THAT IN GOOD COMPANY RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED, OUR EVENT ON MAY 4TH WILL NO LONGER BE TAKING PLACE. WE'D LIKE TO THANK THE MANVILLE FAMILY FOR THE MANY DINE AND DONATE EVENTS THAT THEY HELD FOR US AND OTHER NON PROFITS IN THE AREA. THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS WERE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
IN GOOD COMPANY RESTAURANT'S COMMUNITY NIGHT, SUPPORTING FRIENDS OF THE ANIMALS:
On May 4th, In Good Company Restaurant has offered to sponsor our non-profit with the "In Good Community Night." During the hours of 4 PM - 9PM on that evening, Friends Of The Animals will receive 15% of the proceeds from their sales in the restaurant. Reservations are not necessary but they are encouraged. (This will also let the owners know that you came in to support Friends while you enjoy your delicious meal or snack.) As an extra incentive to make reservations, once you arrive as scheduled, anyone 16 or older with your party can be registered to win one of several door prizes. The restaurant is located at 9039 US-127, Clarklake, MI and you can check out their varied menu in advance by going on to their website. Reservations may be made any time by calling Friends board member Nancy at 517-782-0613 up to a week ahead. We hope to see you there!
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EVENT LISTINGS FOR 2015:
OCTOBER 11, SUNDAY: 44TH ANNUAL CRAFT-A-RAMA juried arts and crafts show and sale. American 1 Fair Events Center in downtown Jackson, 10 AM- 4 PM, General admission $2, children 5 and under free. Quality handmade arts and crafts for sale to the public with up to 80 vendors present. Huge variety of items for sale such as decorative painting, quilts, woodworking, jewelry, homegrown honey, fall and Christmas decorations, etc. Key Largo will be offering food for sale during show hours so please plan on coming out and spending the day with us. You might find you get your Christmas shopping finished early this year! Admissions will benefit Friends Of The Animals. UPDATE: The unseasonably%
OCTOBER 23-26TH: BOB
EVANS RESTAURANT IN JACKSON (1725 N. WEST) COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER. From
6 AM- 9 PM, Dine In or Carry Out meals purchased during the designated days
will benefit needy animals with a 15% donation of your purchase price being
donated by Bob Evans to Friends Of The Animals. All you need to do is enjoy a
meal or snack from their restaurant and turn in a FRIENDS flier at check out
and they will take it from there. If possible, we will have a link on our
website (either here or under "recent news" ) where you can download
a flyer or you can get one at Craft-A-Rama (see below.) They would prefer that
you turn in a flier after your purchase but if you don't have one, you can
mention "Friends" at check out and they will still give us credit.
Please plan on supporting one of our local restaurants as well as Friends
during October 23- 26th! Thank you to everyone who participated in this event to benefit the animals!
SATURDAY, APRIL 26th: MOONLIGHT SCOTCH DOUBLES bowling event at Airport Lanes in Jackson. Tickets will be available late February for our annual "bowl for the animals" fundraiser.This event was started by one of our board members and is in its 24th year. More information will be posted on this event soon (or read similar information listed below on April 27, 2013.) UPDATE: This event was a whopping success with over 320 bowlers participating! Friends made nearly $9,700.00 from this fundraiser! Pictures taken at our event can be seen in our "Photos" section.
FRIDAY, MAY 2nd: 4th ANNUAL WINE TASTING/FOOD PAIRING party at Sandhill Crane Vineyards, 4724 Walz Road, Jackson, MI. Experience delicious food and wine pairings. 6:15 PM Social time- 7:00 PM "The Perfect Pairings" begin. In addition to the food and wine we will also be holding a silent auction, cork drawing and raffle. Proceeds will benefit Ell Dwe Koda Animal Sanctuary in Jackson and Friends Of The Animals. Advance reservations- limited seating available, $35 per person. (Please go to our donations section and look under November, 2013 to read more about Ell Dwe Koda Animal Sanctuary as well as our donation to their organization.) Our 4th annual wine tasting event had a sell-out crowd of 90 guests who came out to enjoy the party! Thanks to everyone who helped make our fundraiser a great success. Pictures of some of our guests can be seen in our "photos" section.
MONDAY, JULY 7TH THROUGH SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2014: "PETS FOR VETERANS" CAMPAIGN. During the dates of our campaign, "Friends" will pay for the adoption of one dog or up to two cats for any qualified veteran who adopts from the Jackson County Animal Shelter, while funding is still available. (We have set aside up to $2,000 for this event.) To qualify, a veteran must show a photo ID as well as a copy of their DD214 Discharge papers or a Jackson County Veteran's ID card. The shelter address is 3370 Spring Arbor Rd. (across from Lumen Christi High School) and their hours are 10 AM - 4:30 PM on M-F and 10 AM - 1 PM on Sat. Pictures from some of our previous events can be seen in our "photos" section. We are happy to offer this "gift of love" to those who have served our country in the armed forces. Thank you veterans! Our best ever Pets For Veterans campaign is now over but many veterans have adopted new best friends from our local shelter. Please take a moment to look at photos of some of our veterans and their new pets in our PHOTOS section.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16th: COMMUNITY NIGHT AT IN GOOD COMPANY RESTAURANT. We are fortunate to have been selected by the owners of In Good Company Restaurant (near Clark Lake) to benefit from their Community night again this year. During the hours of 4 - 9 PM on July 16th, they will donate 15% of their total proceeds to "Friends" to support the animals. Reservations can be made in advance by calling our board member at (517) 782-0613. More detailed information will be posted closer to the date but similar information is listed below under July 10, 2013. Thank you to the Manville family for allowing us to showcase Friends Of The Animals at their fine restaurant again this year.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH: 1ST ANNUAL GOLF OUTING TO BENEFIT THE JACKSON COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER. Three very dedicated volunteers for our local animal shelter (Denise Baughman, Brenda LaChapelle, and Lori Suomala) decided that they wanted to organize a golfing fundraiser for the animals. After conversations with Friends members it was decided that since we had a lot of experience running fundraisers (one of our board members has organized 16 golf fundraisers locally in the past) and since we had non profit status, it made sense for us to partner with them. We're now pleased to announce our 1st annual "Friends" golf outing which will be held at Ella Sharp Golf Course on Saturday, Sept. 13th. More information will be posted here in the near future but if you would like to sign up a foursome, purchase a hole sponsor, or donate to this event now, please contact Brenda at (517) 206-7285. Sponsorships and donations are made payable to Friends Of The Animals and are tax deductible. Please refer back to this listing for more complete details as it becomes available. In the meantime, save the date and plan a foursome so you can enjoy a wonderful day of golf, food, and prizes while you help the animals at the Jackson County Animal Shelter at the same time!
Thank you to everyone who assisted and/or participated in the 1st Annual Golf outing. The event was a HUGE success, raising over $7,250.00 to be used to enhance the cat habitat at the Jackson County Animal Shelter. Improvements will be starting soon and we'll add updates as they become available.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19th: 43RD ANNUAL CRAFT-A-RAMA ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW, American 1 Fair Events Center, 200 W. Ganson St., Jackson, 10 AM - 4 PM. Since 2003 this juried arts and crafts show/sale has been organized by one of our board members and has benefited the animals in Jackson County. More information will follow at a later date, but to read more about the event, please look below under October 13, 2013. We had 81 vendors and a great turn-out of shoppers for our annual event. Many thousands of dollars were raised for our organization so we can assist needy animals in the Jackson area. Thank you to all who contributed in some way!
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As we get closer to each event, more information will be posted in our "Recent News" tab.
Below is a listing of events we have planned for 2013.
April 27, 2013 (Our annual bowling event was a fun night for the hundreds of bowlers who participated. Postings will appear in in the near future in "our donations" listings on how we used the money raised from this event. Thank you to all who helped us to raise money for the animals!) Saturday "Bowl For The Animals" Moonlight Scotch Doubles bowling event at Airport Lanes, Jackson, MI. This is an annual event that is in its 23rd year as it was started and coordinated by one of our board members in 1990. It is a non-competitive fun-bowl with a large amount of door prizes as well as raffles and 50/50 drawings. For the past 15 or more years the 50/50 drawing has reached over $500 for the winner of the first drawing with many bonus drawings of $25- $100 each. Pledge sheets are available for anyone wishing to collect donations for Friends Of The Animals, but it is NOT required to participate. (Prizes for different collection levels are available for those who do collect pledges for us.) It's a great night of fun for adults and young people 16 years or older. You do not need to be an accomplished bowler to participate- our event is not a competition. Cost is $18 per couple or pair of bowlers.
May 3, 2013 (Many people came out to Lonestar Steakhouse to support our Dine and Donate event on May 3rd. Thank you to Lonestar Restaurant, and manager Sarah, for sponsoring Friends Of The Animals! We greatly appreciate their generosity and gift of 15% donation from diners who came in to support us!) Friday "Dine and Donate" charity night at LoneStar Steakhouse, 3510 O'Neil Dr., Jackson (phone: (517) 768-0884). The restaurant will donate 15% of your total bill to our non-profit organization if you dine between the hours of 4 PM and 9 PM on May 3rd.
May 17, 2013 Friday was our "3rd Annual Wine Tasting/ Food Pairing" party at Sandhill Crane Vineyards. In 2011 we raised money for our AWARE Shelter program. (See more information on AWARE under our "Programs" tab.) In 2012 we sponsored the Faerie Tales Cat Rescue Group. This year our sponsored non-profit organization is PAWS Pet Rescue. During the evening everyone enjoyed delicious wine and tasty food combinations and the opportunity to bid on items in our a silent auction. Many valuable and terrific items were up for bid which will helped Friends as well as PAWS in our quest to assost needy animals in the Jackson area. (Please click into "our donations" to read about our contributions to PAWS.)
July 1st through 17th, 2013 "Pets For Veteran's" Campaign During the designated dates of July 1-17, Friends will honor our local heroes and pay the adoption fees of one dog or up to two cats per veteran if adopted from the Jackson County Animal Shelter. We have allowed a total of $3,000 for this campaign and will provide the free adoptions during this time period as long as funds are available. The shelter is located at 3370 Spring Arbor Rd., across the street from Lumen Christi High School. Hours are 10 AM- 5 PM on M-F (kennel closes at 4:30 PM) and 10 AM - 1 PM on Saturdays. They will be closed on July 4th and on Sundays. The county requires that all dogs leave the shelter with dog licenses so there is a fee to the veteran of $10 for a license or only $5 if they are a senior citizen. To qualify for our program a veteran must bring in a valid photo ID as well as a copy of their DD214 Discharge Papers or a Jackson County Veteran's ID card. We are excited and proud that we can offer this event to the veteran's again this year and hope that we can match many vets with a new best friend! (Please refer to our "Photos" section to see some veteran's and their new family members from our campaign in Dec., 2012.)
July 10, 2013 Wednesday "Community Night at In Good Company Restaurant". During the hours of 4-9 PM on July 10th they will donate 15% of the total bill from all diners to "Friends." Please plan to come out where you can enjoy a delicious snack or meal and support our non-profit organization at the same time. It's as easy as that! The restaurant is located at 9039 US-127, between Reed Rd. and Jefferson Rd. near Clark Lake, MI. Advance reservations are not necessary but if you would like to call for reservations, everyone in your party who is 16 years or older will qualify to be entered into our door prize drawing.
October 13, 2013 Sunday "42nd Annual Craft-A-Rama" juried arts and crafts show. Since 2003 one of our board members has been the coordinator of this event. All the proceeds from admission and booth rentals after expenses now goes to Friends Of The Animals For The Jackson Area, Inc. Each year we have 75-80 exhibitors with quality handmade arts and crafts available for sale to the public. The event is held at the American 1 Fair Events Center on the Jackson Fairgrounds from 10 AM- 4 PM. Admission is $2 per person with children 5 and under free. Over 75 exhibitors with a large variety of arts and crafts are scheduled to be in our event. Please come out and support our event with a fun shopping trip. "Friends" would like to thank Jackson Parks and Recreation as well as Little Caesars Pizza Restaurants for their support by advertising our event on their outdoor signs.
October 17th (Thursday) AND October 18th (Friday) "Dine And Donate" at LoneStar Restaurant. The Jackson LoneStar Steakhouse Restaurant located at 3510 O'Neill Dr. (517-768-0884) will be hosting a fundraising event for Friends on Oct. 17th and 18th. During the hours of 4 PM - 10 PM they will donate 15% of the total bill from diners to our organization. To participate, diners MUST bring in a flyer promoting the event. A flyer is available for download on our "Recent News" section. If you are unable to print a copy, please contact Nancy at ogreatdanes@sbcglobal.net to request one.(Friends representatives will be at the restaurant and "may" be able to give you a flyer if you request it, but the restaurant has asked us to provide them for you prior to the event.) We plan to pass out flyers at our Craft-A-Rama event on October 13th so they will also be available there. Please plan to come to LoneStar during these designated dates and times and enjoy a snack or a meal while helping Friends Of The Animals at the same time.
November 12 through 26, 2013 "Pets For Veterans." These are the dates listed for our third Pets For Veterans program to be held at the Jackson County Animal Shelter in Jackson. During this time "Friends" will pay the adoption fee of one dog or up to two cats for any veteran who comes in with a photo ID and a copy of their discharge papers (DD214). We have set aside up to $2,000 to pay for these adoptions as a way to honor our local veterans and heroes. Our program has been so successful in the past, we felt that we would like to run it again, starting with Nov. 12th which is the day after Veterans Day and run it for two weeks to give veterans plenty of time to find just the right pet to adopt into their family. The kennel hours for the shelter are M-F, 10 am - 4:30 pm, Sat., 10 am - 1 pm. Closed on Sunday. Their address is 3370 Spring Arbor Rd., Jackson. If you are a veteran or if you know a veteran who would like to take home a new best friend, please stop in the shelter or pass on the word to visit the animals just waiting for a new home.
Please plan to participate in any of our events that interest you so you can take pleasure in knowing that you too have helped many needy animals in the Jackson area! We also have many volunteer opportunities. Please contact us if you would like to volunteer or help with an event in some way. (See "Contact Us" tab above.) We thank you and the animals thank you too!
FRIDAY, MAY 2nd: 4th ANNUAL WINE TASTING/FOOD PAIRING party at Sandhill Crane Vineyards, 4724 Walz Road, Jackson, MI. Experience delicious food and wine pairings. 6:15 PM Social time- 7:00 PM "The Perfect Pairings" begin. In addition to the food and wine we will also be holding a silent auction, cork drawing and raffle. Proceeds will benefit Ell Dwe Koda Animal Sanctuary in Jackson and Friends Of The Animals. Advance reservations- limited seating available, $35 per person. (Please go to our donations section and look under November, 2013 to read more about Ell Dwe Koda Animal Sanctuary as well as our donation to their organization.) Our 4th annual wine tasting event had a sell-out crowd of 90 guests who came out to enjoy the party! Thanks to everyone who helped make our fundraiser a great success. Pictures of some of our guests can be seen in our "photos" section.
MONDAY, JULY 7TH THROUGH SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2014: "PETS FOR VETERANS" CAMPAIGN. During the dates of our campaign, "Friends" will pay for the adoption of one dog or up to two cats for any qualified veteran who adopts from the Jackson County Animal Shelter, while funding is still available. (We have set aside up to $2,000 for this event.) To qualify, a veteran must show a photo ID as well as a copy of their DD214 Discharge papers or a Jackson County Veteran's ID card. The shelter address is 3370 Spring Arbor Rd. (across from Lumen Christi High School) and their hours are 10 AM - 4:30 PM on M-F and 10 AM - 1 PM on Sat. Pictures from some of our previous events can be seen in our "photos" section. We are happy to offer this "gift of love" to those who have served our country in the armed forces. Thank you veterans! Our best ever Pets For Veterans campaign is now over but many veterans have adopted new best friends from our local shelter. Please take a moment to look at photos of some of our veterans and their new pets in our PHOTOS section.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16th: COMMUNITY NIGHT AT IN GOOD COMPANY RESTAURANT. We are fortunate to have been selected by the owners of In Good Company Restaurant (near Clark Lake) to benefit from their Community night again this year. During the hours of 4 - 9 PM on July 16th, they will donate 15% of their total proceeds to "Friends" to support the animals. Reservations can be made in advance by calling our board member at (517) 782-0613. More detailed information will be posted closer to the date but similar information is listed below under July 10, 2013. Thank you to the Manville family for allowing us to showcase Friends Of The Animals at their fine restaurant again this year.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH: 1ST ANNUAL GOLF OUTING TO BENEFIT THE JACKSON COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER. Three very dedicated volunteers for our local animal shelter (Denise Baughman, Brenda LaChapelle, and Lori Suomala) decided that they wanted to organize a golfing fundraiser for the animals. After conversations with Friends members it was decided that since we had a lot of experience running fundraisers (one of our board members has organized 16 golf fundraisers locally in the past) and since we had non profit status, it made sense for us to partner with them. We're now pleased to announce our 1st annual "Friends" golf outing which will be held at Ella Sharp Golf Course on Saturday, Sept. 13th. More information will be posted here in the near future but if you would like to sign up a foursome, purchase a hole sponsor, or donate to this event now, please contact Brenda at (517) 206-7285. Sponsorships and donations are made payable to Friends Of The Animals and are tax deductible. Please refer back to this listing for more complete details as it becomes available. In the meantime, save the date and plan a foursome so you can enjoy a wonderful day of golf, food, and prizes while you help the animals at the Jackson County Animal Shelter at the same time!
Thank you to everyone who assisted and/or participated in the 1st Annual Golf outing. The event was a HUGE success, raising over $7,250.00 to be used to enhance the cat habitat at the Jackson County Animal Shelter. Improvements will be starting soon and we'll add updates as they become available.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19th: 43RD ANNUAL CRAFT-A-RAMA ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW, American 1 Fair Events Center, 200 W. Ganson St., Jackson, 10 AM - 4 PM. Since 2003 this juried arts and crafts show/sale has been organized by one of our board members and has benefited the animals in Jackson County. More information will follow at a later date, but to read more about the event, please look below under October 13, 2013. We had 81 vendors and a great turn-out of shoppers for our annual event. Many thousands of dollars were raised for our organization so we can assist needy animals in the Jackson area. Thank you to all who contributed in some way!
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As we get closer to each event, more information will be posted in our "Recent News" tab.
Below is a listing of events we have planned for 2013.
April 27, 2013 (Our annual bowling event was a fun night for the hundreds of bowlers who participated. Postings will appear in in the near future in "our donations" listings on how we used the money raised from this event. Thank you to all who helped us to raise money for the animals!) Saturday "Bowl For The Animals" Moonlight Scotch Doubles bowling event at Airport Lanes, Jackson, MI. This is an annual event that is in its 23rd year as it was started and coordinated by one of our board members in 1990. It is a non-competitive fun-bowl with a large amount of door prizes as well as raffles and 50/50 drawings. For the past 15 or more years the 50/50 drawing has reached over $500 for the winner of the first drawing with many bonus drawings of $25- $100 each. Pledge sheets are available for anyone wishing to collect donations for Friends Of The Animals, but it is NOT required to participate. (Prizes for different collection levels are available for those who do collect pledges for us.) It's a great night of fun for adults and young people 16 years or older. You do not need to be an accomplished bowler to participate- our event is not a competition. Cost is $18 per couple or pair of bowlers.
May 3, 2013 (Many people came out to Lonestar Steakhouse to support our Dine and Donate event on May 3rd. Thank you to Lonestar Restaurant, and manager Sarah, for sponsoring Friends Of The Animals! We greatly appreciate their generosity and gift of 15% donation from diners who came in to support us!) Friday "Dine and Donate" charity night at LoneStar Steakhouse, 3510 O'Neil Dr., Jackson (phone: (517) 768-0884). The restaurant will donate 15% of your total bill to our non-profit organization if you dine between the hours of 4 PM and 9 PM on May 3rd.
May 17, 2013 Friday was our "3rd Annual Wine Tasting/ Food Pairing" party at Sandhill Crane Vineyards. In 2011 we raised money for our AWARE Shelter program. (See more information on AWARE under our "Programs" tab.) In 2012 we sponsored the Faerie Tales Cat Rescue Group. This year our sponsored non-profit organization is PAWS Pet Rescue. During the evening everyone enjoyed delicious wine and tasty food combinations and the opportunity to bid on items in our a silent auction. Many valuable and terrific items were up for bid which will helped Friends as well as PAWS in our quest to assost needy animals in the Jackson area. (Please click into "our donations" to read about our contributions to PAWS.)
July 1st through 17th, 2013 "Pets For Veteran's" Campaign During the designated dates of July 1-17, Friends will honor our local heroes and pay the adoption fees of one dog or up to two cats per veteran if adopted from the Jackson County Animal Shelter. We have allowed a total of $3,000 for this campaign and will provide the free adoptions during this time period as long as funds are available. The shelter is located at 3370 Spring Arbor Rd., across the street from Lumen Christi High School. Hours are 10 AM- 5 PM on M-F (kennel closes at 4:30 PM) and 10 AM - 1 PM on Saturdays. They will be closed on July 4th and on Sundays. The county requires that all dogs leave the shelter with dog licenses so there is a fee to the veteran of $10 for a license or only $5 if they are a senior citizen. To qualify for our program a veteran must bring in a valid photo ID as well as a copy of their DD214 Discharge Papers or a Jackson County Veteran's ID card. We are excited and proud that we can offer this event to the veteran's again this year and hope that we can match many vets with a new best friend! (Please refer to our "Photos" section to see some veteran's and their new family members from our campaign in Dec., 2012.)
July 10, 2013 Wednesday "Community Night at In Good Company Restaurant". During the hours of 4-9 PM on July 10th they will donate 15% of the total bill from all diners to "Friends." Please plan to come out where you can enjoy a delicious snack or meal and support our non-profit organization at the same time. It's as easy as that! The restaurant is located at 9039 US-127, between Reed Rd. and Jefferson Rd. near Clark Lake, MI. Advance reservations are not necessary but if you would like to call for reservations, everyone in your party who is 16 years or older will qualify to be entered into our door prize drawing.
October 13, 2013 Sunday "42nd Annual Craft-A-Rama" juried arts and crafts show. Since 2003 one of our board members has been the coordinator of this event. All the proceeds from admission and booth rentals after expenses now goes to Friends Of The Animals For The Jackson Area, Inc. Each year we have 75-80 exhibitors with quality handmade arts and crafts available for sale to the public. The event is held at the American 1 Fair Events Center on the Jackson Fairgrounds from 10 AM- 4 PM. Admission is $2 per person with children 5 and under free. Over 75 exhibitors with a large variety of arts and crafts are scheduled to be in our event. Please come out and support our event with a fun shopping trip. "Friends" would like to thank Jackson Parks and Recreation as well as Little Caesars Pizza Restaurants for their support by advertising our event on their outdoor signs.
October 17th (Thursday) AND October 18th (Friday) "Dine And Donate" at LoneStar Restaurant. The Jackson LoneStar Steakhouse Restaurant located at 3510 O'Neill Dr. (517-768-0884) will be hosting a fundraising event for Friends on Oct. 17th and 18th. During the hours of 4 PM - 10 PM they will donate 15% of the total bill from diners to our organization. To participate, diners MUST bring in a flyer promoting the event. A flyer is available for download on our "Recent News" section. If you are unable to print a copy, please contact Nancy at ogreatdanes@sbcglobal.net to request one.(Friends representatives will be at the restaurant and "may" be able to give you a flyer if you request it, but the restaurant has asked us to provide them for you prior to the event.) We plan to pass out flyers at our Craft-A-Rama event on October 13th so they will also be available there. Please plan to come to LoneStar during these designated dates and times and enjoy a snack or a meal while helping Friends Of The Animals at the same time.
November 12 through 26, 2013 "Pets For Veterans." These are the dates listed for our third Pets For Veterans program to be held at the Jackson County Animal Shelter in Jackson. During this time "Friends" will pay the adoption fee of one dog or up to two cats for any veteran who comes in with a photo ID and a copy of their discharge papers (DD214). We have set aside up to $2,000 to pay for these adoptions as a way to honor our local veterans and heroes. Our program has been so successful in the past, we felt that we would like to run it again, starting with Nov. 12th which is the day after Veterans Day and run it for two weeks to give veterans plenty of time to find just the right pet to adopt into their family. The kennel hours for the shelter are M-F, 10 am - 4:30 pm, Sat., 10 am - 1 pm. Closed on Sunday. Their address is 3370 Spring Arbor Rd., Jackson. If you are a veteran or if you know a veteran who would like to take home a new best friend, please stop in the shelter or pass on the word to visit the animals just waiting for a new home.
Please plan to participate in any of our events that interest you so you can take pleasure in knowing that you too have helped many needy animals in the Jackson area! We also have many volunteer opportunities. Please contact us if you would like to volunteer or help with an event in some way. (See "Contact Us" tab above.) We thank you and the animals thank you too!
