Folsom Feline Rescue - CatWalk 2005

The rain came down, but that didn't stop supporters of Folsom Feline Rescue. On Saturday, April 23, 2005, with umbrellas in hand, 75 walkers from all age groups participated in CatWalk 2005 to raise funds for community spay/neuter programs. And raise funds they did! The group collected $4,700 through individual pledges and from local business donations.

This year the 5-K walk in old town Folsom began with ceremonial ribbon cutting. John Bennett, co-founder of FFR, cut the ribbon that was held by several local "Miss" representatives. Miss Sacramento County, Christiana Clark; Young Miss Folsom, Kaycee Sturtis; Miss Teen Greater Sacramento, Ralena Pinkard; Miss Teen Rancho Cordova, Alicia Pierson; and Miss Rancho Cordova Princess, Wittney Pierson, all helped kick off the event.

This was the first year of the annual event that local Girl Scouts and their leaders volunteered. Folsom Girl Scout Leader, Karen Morphy, and her daughter, Girl Scout Leila Morphy, coordinated the Girl Scout participation in CatWalk 2005. Approximately 25 Scouts helped with the event in some capacity. Some distributed pre-event publicity; some helped with registration, and some put on their rain slickers and walked.

The Brownies, the younger Girl Scouts, got into the spirit of the event by painting their faces with kitty whiskers and kitty noses and by carrying their plush toy kitties while they strolled the walk-a-thon route!

In addition to the assistance from the Girl Scouts, Folsom High School students joined in to help. The Green Teen Club of Folsom High helped with post-event chores. Their Club President, Gabrielle Sybeldon, coordinated the efforts of the Green Teens.

This year the major event sponsors of CatWalk 2005 were The Folsom Telegraph, Pet Gazette, Surewest Foundation, Zoe's Cruises & Tours, American River Ace Hardware, Phyllis Fitzgerald, Mitterholzer & Associates, and Xelectrix.

Janet Bennett, co-founder of FFR, stated that approximately 120 spay/neuter procedures can be funded with monies collected at CatWalk 2005. By offering spay/neuter services to the community, Folsom Feline Rescue hopes to hold down the number of animals being born and ultimately the numbers that are euthanized due to lack of homes and lack of shelter space.

FFR is a 100% volunteer, non-profit, tax-exempt corporation dedicated to feline rescue. FFR is committed to improving the quality of life for homeless and unwanted felines by providing and finding homes, assisting and educating the community, and controlling overpopulation. FFR advocates compassion towards felines, community support, and the belief that felines are life-long companions.

For those who could not participate in CatWalk 2005, donations are still being accepted. Checks can be sent to:

Folsom Feline Rescue
"SNYP / FSNP donation"
P.O. Box 6773
Folsom, CA 95763-6773

Controlling pet overpopulation is a major goal of Folsom Feline Rescue. Thousands of unwanted cats and dogs are euthanized each year in Sacramento County alone. Each animal that we can spay or neuter prevents potential offspring (usually 4 to 6 puppies or kittens per season) from growing up and having yet more offspring of their own. Together as a community we can break the cycle of misery caused by pet overpopulation. Visit our SNYP page for more information on our Spay / Neuter Your Pet Program or our trapping page for feral cats.

CatWalk 2005 Photo Album

Links to our previous CatWalk events

Visit our SNYP page for more information on our Spay / Neuter Your Pet Program or our trapping page for feral cats.