There are only a few days left to support Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary through their spring auction, and every dollar raised will go toward the rescue and rehabilitation of animals as the sanctuary moves into its busiest season.
As the weather warms up, the sanctuary starts to receive more and more phone calls and emails looking for help with abandoned babies and other animals, said Linda Glimps, executive director at Aspen Valley. It’s busy in a good way, she said, because sanctuary volunteers and members of the public alike get to learn about and become invested in wildlife rescue, but caring for so many animals isn’t cheap and the sanctuary doesn’t receive any government funding. To support their second spring season during the pandemic, they’re looking to raise $10,000 through the auction, which runs until 7 p.m. on March 21.
“Animals are coming in every day that need help, so when we say it’s busy, that’s really primarily what it is,” Glimps said. “There’s lots of feeding, which includes mostly bottle feeding with the animals in the spring, and there’s lots of cleaning, so every day is a different day.”
Staff at the sanctuary have been pleasantly surprised that general donations have only dipped slightly during the pandemic, but COVID has restricted many of the sanctuary’s fundraising efforts, including their ability to offer guided tours and photography tours. They hope to bring tours back in April, but until then, the auction will play an important role in allowing the sanctuary to take in more animals.
The auction includes 185 items donated by local businesses and artisans, including sports memorabilia, gift certificates, handmade homegoods and more. Along with a signed Steven Stamkos jersey, Glimps said one of the most exciting offerings is the chance to shadow an Aspen Valley staff member for half a day.
“It’s just truly a once in a lifetime experience because typically if you want to volunteer, not only with us but other facilities, we’re looking for an ongoing commitment,” she said. “If you’re full time, it’s a four-week consecutive [term], or if you’re part time, it’s a minimum four hours a week at least one day a week, so here’s an opportunity to come in for four hours and just get a one time experience to see what it’s like to be a day in the life of an active staff member.”
While there are many opportunities to support Aspen Valley throughout the year, the spring auction offers a great way to help wildlife while also getting something back, Glimps said. It also gives people the chance to support local businesses that share their values.
“The most important thing for us is we really want people to see what kind of businesses are in our community and what kind of local artisans are in our community that have been willing to support us and support wildlife,” Glimps said. “I hope that this is a nice way for our community to see who they are and for them to also give back to them by shopping at their place.”
To view and bid on auction items, click here. For information about donating/delivering items from Aspen Valley’s wishlist, call their office at 705-732-6368 or email info@aspenvalley.org. Visit Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary’s website to learn more about volunteering and other ways you can provide support, and see the photos and video below to see some of their spring intakes.
