REALTORS® to the Rescue and a night of magic!

Wow, is it seriously August 16? I find myself amazed that summer, well at least for school kids, is almost over! Where did the summer go? So many fun events in the Real Estate world have helped make this one of the best summers in a LONG time in Chicago!

As I look at the calendar, I find it hard to believe that it has been nearly 3 weeks since REALTORS® to the Rescue (RTTR) joined forces with the Animal Emergency and Treatment Center (AETC) and Barriers Against Repeated Cruelty (BARC) to raise funds for the Emergency Vet Fund (EVF). I began volunteering with REALTORS® to the Rescue after a magical meeting with founder Suzy Thomas after C.A.R.'s inaugural gala last year. We planned this fundraiser with AETC and BARC over 6 months ago. It was a labor of love, as we LOVE the four-legged angels!

To give you a little background on EVF, it's a fund created to help save the lives of abandoned, abused, neglected and injured animals that would have otherwise been euthanized due to their injuries instead of patched up by the amazing doctors at AETC.  Now these animals can be saved and adopted by loving families. 

Some of these services cost thousands, so to have a fundraiser of this magnitude was something that we felt vital.

The event was held at AETC on July 28 and I still get goosebumps thinking about it! Almost 100 people attended that evening, ranging from REALTORS® and C.A.R. staff (thanks Jessica Kern and Jim August for your support and contributions!) to architects, developers and staff from various vet clinics, rescues and shelters, and even media.

We raised almost $6,000, with more money still coming in! We raised more than $800 in our 50/50 raffle and the angelic owner of Kritter Kare, Rosie Folks, donated 50 percent back after winning the raffle! We can't thank you enough, Rosie!

A couple of weeks before the event, two absolutely adorable dogs were brought to AETC due to abuse. One had had his tail set on fire. Can you imagine? Sam and Chucky were saved and on the mend at AETC. Everybody who attended the event was able to meet them. I have a HUGE crush on both of them and it was hard not to bring them home. My husband told me that if I even THOUGHT of adding more dogs to the 2 we have already there wouldn't be enough room at home for me! Yeah right, the big softie would have taken one look at Chucky and completely melted! Well, guess what?! Chucky got adopted shortly after the event!!! Talk about a softie, I cried as soon as I heard that. Who am I fooling? I am crying as I write this!!!

Now we need to get Sam adopted! Come on people! Check out the RTTR Web site to see Sam and all of the wonderful cats and dogs that need homes: http://realtorstotherescue.com/.

Don't forget to check out AETC. Seriously, it's an amazing place: a 24-hour emergency facility located at 3927 W Belmont. It has THE BEST staff EVER!!!! You can even follow them on Twitter, http://www.aetcenter.com/. You can go there and gush over Sam. I know I do!!!

Finally, don't forget to watch for more updates on RTTR and pictures from the event. Chicago Agent was a huge supporter and not only donated an item for the silent auction but sent a photographer to capture the evening. I am DYING to see the pictures! The one and only Zipporah, editor galore at Chicago Agent, was also on hand to smooze and love up on the animals that evening. You need to follow her New Beginnings Shi Tzu Rescue. She is simply amazing! She was even kind enough to blog about the event. Check it out: http://chicagoagentmagazine.ning.com/profiles/blogs/getting-involved-realtors-to.

I could go on and on about what an amazing event it was. By the time I left at 11:15, there was still a room full of people! I was told that the party went on until WELL after 1 am. Seriously. What event have you been to where people stayed after the free stuff was given away? That's how magical the night  was. The positive vibe and energy carried through for days, weeks after. 

I am so honored to have been involved and look forward to the next event with RTTR!