Oct. 6, 2001 – If you enjoy the companionship of animals and the comfort of good food, the Humane Society of St. Thomas is hosting a series of fund-raisers that may be hard to pass up.
On Tuesday night, if you dine at the East End Café in Red Hook, a portion of your bill will go directly into the society's coffers as part of the organization's new "Dine for a Good Cause — Help Support the Paws" program.
The first such dinner took place last month at Latitude 18, also in Red Hook. Society board member and program director Cara Hinton said it was a "great" start: "We had more than 30 people, wonderful food, and made about $160," she said.
The third outing will be in Frenchtown, on Nov. 5 at the Epernay Grill. On these designated evenings, "You can eat anything you want off the regular menu," Hinton said, "and just tell the restaurant that it's for the Humane Society."
Hinton is eager to enlist other restaurants in the program. She can be reached at 715-1442.
Meantime, the Humane Soceity has kicked off another fund-raising activity — selling poinsettias for the yearend holidays. The potted plants, available in red, white or a combination of colors, will be ready for delivery by the end of November. They're priced from $10 to $25. Orders may be placed by calling Hinton at the above number or by faxing requests to 715-1379.
The St. Thomas animal shelter, like its counterparts on St. Croix and St. John, has not received government funding in more than two years for public pickup and impounding services provided. The St. Thomas agency has been existing on a shoestring budget with donations, the help of community volunteers, and funds raised at its traditional Valentine Ball.
Supplemental Fiscal Year 2001 budget appropriations signed by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull in early August included $75,000 each for the St. Thomas and St. Croix agencies and $10,000 for the one on St. John. Hubert Brumant, manager of the St. Thomas shelter, said Friday that the funding is in "a little roundabout" now until the paperwork, which has to make the rounds of several departments, is completed.
