Mike Carroll laughs as Marilyn Miller meets Piper, the dog, held by Piper Scherkenbach, the person, at the Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)
Empathy abounds when a new outcry goes up at glitzy nonprofit events: “Help. I lost my bars.”
Bidding at gala silent auctions is evolving from paper bid sheets to higher tech. No more sprinting to the auction room time after time or at the “5 minutes left in the silent auction” call to outbid a competitor. At first, bidding was by hand-held devices and now it’s done via smartphones.
Jay Gatsby would be proud of all the Jays and Daisys in 1920s glamour attire maneuvering their phones at the 17th annual Fur Ball (themed The Great Catsby) on April 26 at Cheyenne Mountain Resort.
On hand to help those needing a little bidding help were young volunteers with iPads. By evening’s end, the 500 guests had raised $225,000 for the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, where nearly 24,000 animals came through the doors in 2013. In her annual report, Jan McHugh-Smith, president and CEO, said HSPPR grew its campus off South Eighth Street by 3.2 acres, part by purchase and part a donation from Harry Hoth of the adjoining Pikes Peak Nursery.
June through August the local shelter will be part of the national Rachel Ray Challenge to increase adoptions, thereby saving the lives of more animals, McHugh-Smith reported.
Laura Johnson, who with her husband Jim has two adopted dogs, was chair of the Fur Ball. Her committee included Jan Gregg, Cherie Kemmerer, Karen King, Allison Nicklin, Ellen Rome, Kim Sannes, Juta Scarry, Patrick Scarry, Mary Seman, Cathy Victorson, Allison Bird, Katie Borremans, Carrie Clavelli, Randy Harrelson, Kerri Manis, Gretchen Pressley and Marsha Wayman.
The evening’s presenting sponsors were Hill’s Food Shelter & Love Science Diet and Petco Foundation and other sponsors included Boehringer Ingelheim, GE Johnson, Heuberger, Academy Bank, Kirkpatrick Bank, Kaiser Permanente and Revolution Rehabilitation.
A favorite feature of the Fur Ball is always the Pet Parade of animals from the shelter who are available for adoption. Just two of the Pet Parade stars were not adopted: Paco, an abused pit bull mix who spent his time backstage cuddling with volunteers, and Buttercup, the kitten.
Mike Carroll laughs as Marilyn Miller meets Piper, the dog, held by Piper Scherkenbach, the person, at the Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Linda Navarro March 7, 2013. Photo by Mark Reis, The Gazette (MARK REIS)Tiffany Clark and J.P. Lyle check their silent auction bids on their phone at The Fur Ball. 042814 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Carolyn Ramagos holds a puppy who was up for adoption following the Pet Parade at the Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)XXXXX Patterson, whose dad Kevin was the Fur Ball’s celebrity auctioneer, responds to audience reaction to the puppy she carried in the Pet Parade. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)In costume for The Great Catsby Fur Ball: Meghan Yohann, Allison Nicklin and Matthew Weiss. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Linda and Robert Dyer at The Great Catsby Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Jake, who was adopted after the Fur Ball Pet Parade, greets Andie Armbrust, foster care coordinator at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Ivars Spons and Gunars Spons provided wine from The Fur Ball from Sovereignty Wines. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Jude and Luis Perez at The Great Catsby Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Lynn Whitaker and John Martin at The Great Catsby Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Emcees for The Great Catsby Fur Ball were Joe Cole and Lauren Ferrera. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Judith and Luis Perez at The Great Catsby Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Toni Autry meets Daisy, who was featured in the Pet Parade at the Humane Society’s Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)At The Great Catsby Fur Ball: from left, Brandy Dietz, Mike Koscove, Cortney Potisk, Dee Hitchcock, Dave Koscove and Kristi Koscove. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Kaylin Patterson, whose dad Kevin was the Fur Ball’s celebrity auctioneer, responds to audience reaction to the puppy she carried in the Pet Parade. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Heidi O’Neill cuddles a kitten, Misty, that was up for adoption at the Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Cheyenne, the St. Bernard mascot at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, was adopted at the previous year’s Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (llinda navarro)Rita Burns and Julie Armstrong at The Great Catsby Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Lorrie and Lance Bolton at The Great Catsby Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Bill and Debbie Colgrove bid on the silent auction by smartphone at The Great Catsby Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Carol and Mike Pennica at The Great Catsby Fur Ball. Carol is vice-chair of the board of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)Kerri Manis hugs Paco, an abused pit bull mix who was in the Pet Parade but wasn’t adopted at The Great Catsby Fur Ball. 042614 Photo by Linda Navarro (linda navarro)
