The Animal Refuge Center’s inaugural “Taste, Tunes and More” on Saturday was a resounding success, raising $32,000 for the North Fort Myers non-profit organization.
Held at Tarpon Point Marina, the event brought together animal lovers, music lovers, and classic car enthusiasts in one setting.
ARC Communications Director Carlos Navedo said people were very receptive to the event, raising ARC’s profile in the process.
“The crowd really welcomed it, saying they were already looking forward to next year,” he said. “It gave us awareness for a whole new group of people.”
Navedo estimates that 2,000 people attended the event.
He praised Cape Coral, saying both the business community and its citizens stepped up to make the whole thing work.
He thinks part of the draw was the price, which, for $10 gave people six hours of live music and a car show.
“We realized in the day and age, everybody is looking to have fun at a family friendly event, especially at a low cost,” he said.
No animals were available for adoption on site, but ARC did have animals on hand.
Navedo said all the animals were “spoken for” during the event, and that people will be stopping by ARC in the coming days to finalize the adoption process.
Of course, that’s ARC’s mission, as they’re dedicated to stopping the escalating cost to impound, care for, kill and dispose of dogs and cats.
As a no kill shelter. once ARC accepts an animal, it will not be killed to make room for another.
The group recently held an “Antique Road Show” style fundraiser in Fort Myers, where attendees were able to have two antiques appraised for $20.
Navedo said that effort was also a success, and that he was also looking forward to their golf tournament fundraiser in May.
Expect “Taste, Tunes and More” to return next year too, but don’t expect much to change.
Navedo said it was so successful, not much is going to be done differently next time.
“We might tweak it some next year, but we won’t change much,” he said.
For more information about ARC, visit their Web site at animalrefuge.com.