The Marks family, owners of Van Auken’s Inne in Thendara, will host a wine, beer and cheese tasting event in support of the Herkimer County Humane Society on Saturday, September 28th.
The fundraiser, Pairing for Caring in the Adirondacks, will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. and will feature wine, beer and cheese tastings, door prizes, raffles, and give-aways. Donation is $20 per person.
Michael & Mary Marks, hosts of The Pairing and Caring in the Adirondacks benefit, with their pets Cole and Kayden Photo by Marianne Christy
Eight tables will be decorated with gift baskets and pictures and bios of adoptable pets. Supporters can come and go throughout the four-hour event.
All products sampled will be donated by regional distributors including McCraith Beverages, Empire Merchants, Southern Wine & Spirits, Zimowski Foods, Carlo Musi and various liquor companies.
One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit the HCHS, which is in dire need of support, particularly after taking a hit from the June floods that devasted the lower part of Herkimer county.
According to HCHS volunteer Robin Juliano, because of the floods the shelter is over capacity with cats and dogs and its resources are stretched to the limit.
“Many animals we took in were lost or abandoned—or owners were forced to surrender their pets when they lost their homes,” Juliano said.
And with the overabundance of animals comes increased costs of essentials such as food, medical care and medications.
Juliano said that pre-adoption costs of pets outweigh the cost of adoption itself. For example, the adoption fee for cats is $60 and $80 for dogs, but neutering costs alone are an average of $120.
Jodie Crews, HCHS assistant manager, said the shelter is also in need of blankets, linens, pet food, cleaning supplies and toys. They are particularly short on cat litter and bleach, she said.
During the event, an HCHS van will be on-site to collect such items.
Anyone interested in helping with the cause by donating items for raffle can contact Mary Marks at (315) 369-3033. More information about the Herkimer County Humane Society is available at (315) 866-3255 or herkhumane.org.
For planning purposes, advance sale ticket purchase is encouraged. Tickets are available at Van Auken’s Inne.
