Breaking News! (4-13-09)

First details announced for

2009 Walk for the Animals & Walktoberfest!

The Walk and Walktoberfest return to FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the R-Phils, in Reading, PA on Saturday, September 26, 2009!  There will be more fun, food, activities and awesomeness than ever before!  The Walk and Walktoberfest are different from other events- and by different, we mean better!

Click here to register online and click here to visit our event page at Firstgiving so you can start raising funds now!  Can we beat last year's amazing 37 States and three countries donating to the Walk?  Help us!  You might also consider having your company sponsor the Walk andput your corporate sponsorship and ad dollars where they will do your business good and do good for the animals!  HSBC events are big, fun, exciting, and growing!  Click here for the Walk brochure and click here for the corporate sponsorship brochure. 

In addition to all the Walk fun, Walktoberfest returns with Washington D.C. kings of ska & soul, The Pietasters, (shown here looking finely disreputable)will be featured!  These guys rock and have played and toured with such legends as James Brown and (bestill my heart) Joe Strummer!  Plus, local faves, The Youngers, return to Walktoberfest, and Philadelphia's own Full Blown Cherry bring their quality rockabilly to the show! 

More to come so check back regularly!  But don't wait, register now and start your fundraising page today!

Miss last year's Walk?  See what you missed below!

2008 Walk for the Animals & Walktoberfest

Saturday, September 27, 2008 at the FirstEnergy Stadium- Home of the Reading Phillies!

Thank You!

They may be fighting in Washington and Golden Parachuting in Wall Street, but in Berks County we are coming together one at a time and a dollar at a time to raise the money needed to save thousands of animals.  We cannot thank you enough.

Now think of what we can do next year with sunny weather and an improved economy!

Our mega-thanks to the top fundraising packs and top individual walker:

1st Place (again!)- Quaker Maid Meats The Fast and the Furriest: $10,735

2nd Place - Perfect Pets: $6911

3rd Place - Lucky Dogs: $6380.77

Top Individual Walker - Liz Hutcheson - $1710

Missed the Walk? 

Well, here's some of the cool stuff from 2008:

Check out our 50 State Donor Challenge (right). We did it!  We have exceeded last year's record of Walk donations from 32 States.  So far this year we have received donations in support of Walkers from 37 States, Brazil, and two Canadian Provinces!  With two days to go, can we do even better and pick up the remaining States plus Washington, D.C. (shouldn't some of that "stimulus" come the animals' way?).  How about the other five continents?   Here are the States we still need, so work those email accounts!:  AK, DC, ID, IN, KY, ME, MI, MT, NE, NV, ND, OK, RI, SD & WY.

Important PDF Downloads!  Get Walk Route and Event Maps and the 2008 Walk program book below (printer drafts, will be subject to correction and change):

2008 Walk Program Book

2008 Walk Route Map

2008 Walk Site Map

Some important details:

• The Walk for the Animals is a rain or shine event!
• The Walk path is stroller friendly.
• Stadium rules prohibit bringing outside food or drink into the stadium.  However, full food and beverage services will be available all day.
• Bring a blanket so you can spread out on the field for the music and activities!  Or you can catch the action from the stadium seats.
• The Walk Route is .8 or 1.3 miles (you have the choice of an extended route).
• There is LOADS of free parking.
• You do not need to register for the Walk to join us.  Walktoberfest is free and open to the public so bring lots of friends and family!
• All dogs MUST be leashed and please don't bring unfriendly dogs or dogs in heat.
• If you are planning to take advantage of adult beverages, BRING A PHOTO ID.
• Prepare to have fun.  Or else.
• And please accept our sincere thanks for helping us have a successful Walk for the Animals!

The Walk for the Animals & Walktoberfest are back, bigger and better than ever and with a brand new location at FirstEnergy Stadium!  Join us and several thousand of our close friends for the biggest and faster growing (and most fun!) event to help animals in the region.

Join us with your friends, family, co-workers, and well behaved, leashed dogs, on Saturday, September 27, 2008, rain or shine, for a short, pleasant walk.  Then stay all day for the Walktoberfest!

Walktoberfest is free, open to the public, and features great music all day (see line up below), great food and drink, exhibits and demonstrations from over 50 vendors and non-profits, and fun canine contests.  There is something for everyone and of every age!  The Walk for the Animals didn't grown from 200 walkers five years ago to 3,000 walkers last year for nothing.  It's a total blast!

Of course, the Walk may be a fun time, but it also helps raise funds for some very serious needs.  The funds raised through registration donations and walk pledges go to help thousands of homeless, abused and injured animals right here in Berks and surrounding counties.  Walk registration is only $20 for adults and $10 for kids 17 and under and includes a cool custom Walk shirt!

If you can do more, consider being one of our VIP Walkers this year.  For a $100 registration donations, you get registration and shirts for two Walkers, VIP parking, entry to a special VIP section of FirstEnergy Stadium with complimentary drinks, beer and wine bar, and buffet (hey, this is Berks County so you know the buffet will rock!) and you'll be listed as a VIP in the 08 Walk program book!  Shirts plus food and drinks?  That's worth the extra right there!  Plus, your registration applies to your fundraising goal.

And you totally need to have a fundraising goal: everyone who raises $200 or more also gets their very own Walk sweatshirt! Be part of our 200/200 Challenge and help us get 200 new fundraisers committed to raising at least $200 in pledges. 

Walkers can also join together to have an even bigger impact by joining a Pack (team).  Last year just the top ten packs raised over one third of the $100,000 total raised by the Walk.  With the tough economy this year, your individual fundraising efforts are even more important as many businesses have cut back on corporate sponsorship. Sorry, the deadline for forming a new Pack has passed.  You'll need to join an existing Pack (double sorry, you've also missed the custom Pack shirt deadline so although your registration and pledges will count towrad your Pack, you'll just get the regular super-cool Walk shirt).

Remember, we are not subsidized by the government or national animal groups.  We raise our donations one dollar and one person at a time.  Just check out our vital programs and services like emergency medical care, Ani-Meals On Wheels, cruelty law enforcement, PetNet, adoption services, humane education and more to see just how much we do and how much we need your help.

But enough about the money, let's talk about the fun!  After the Walk you can join us at the small stage for this year's canine contests: Biggest, Littlest, Best Trick, Best Tailwagger, Best Bark/Howl, Best Dressed, Owner/Dog Look alike and more.  There's sure to be a category for you and your pet!

Then mosey on over to the Animal Expo to talk to some of the best animal welfare groups and non-profits around, plus shop with some great vendors.

All the while the big stage will be rocking with the return of Frog Holler, The Youngers, Society Beat and more.  Grab the cold drink of your choice, pull up a chair or blanket and enjoy the fun and grandeur of the Walktoberfest! Music and your dog?  C'mon, this must be the best thing you can do with your time.

So, to recap:

• Please, register yourself and your family for the Walk today.
• Pretty please, if you have the extra bit of scratch, register yourself as a VIP Walker today.
• Pretty please with sugar on top, help us reach our 200/200 Challenge goal by committing to raise $200 or more in sponsorships for the animals.
• And don’t forget to sign up for our e-newsletter so you keep up to date with the 2008 Walk-O-Rama E-Newsletter!  Just click here.

But seriously folks, the thousands of animals we help every year-- animals who need broken legs mended, who need rescue from abuse and torture, who just need a safe haven while their owner gets out of the hospital, or need permanant new homes-- need you to help us.  Please join us for the Walk, please raise funds, please share posters and flyers with friends and please help us to make a difference in even more lives!