Racing for Rescues FURtual 2020 Event

Check out our 2020 Racing for Rescues recap video HERE!

A few post-event updates:

Because of YOU, our $50,000 fundraising goal was not only met, but surpassed! By the end of the day on May 9, $50,051 had been raised through Racing for Rescues 2020 (a record!)–but on the morning of May 10, one final donation of $100 came in, for a grand total of $50,151! We are SO GRATEFUL for all the contributions to saving lives!
In case you missed it, the challenge photo albums can be found on our Facebook page. Click HERE to see the Evergreen challenge album, click HERE to see the scavenger hunt album, click HERE to see the costume contest album, and click HERE to see the shape-your-route challenge album.
Also, if you missed the Closing Ceremonies, you can find it all on our Facebook page, too! Click HERE to watch our Day 10 video (including stories of Holly and Brent), click HERE to see who won the scavenger hunt, click HERE to see who won the costume contest, click HERE to see who won the shape-your-route challenge, click HERE to see who won the Evergreen challenge, click HERE to see who won the fundraising competition, click HERE to see who won the raffle prize, and click HERE to read our letter of thanks to all of you!
If you registered on or after April 16, your t-shirt has arrived at Second Chance. If you opted to have it mailed, please keep an eye out for it to arrive around May 22. If you opted to pick it up at Second Chance, please look for an email with instructions around May 19. 🙂

Welcome to Racing for Rescues! The event kicks off with Wes Hohenstein!

Registration open through May 9. To win challenge prizes, though, you must register by May 8!

Get FURtual: Register Now!

Win Big: Purr-chase Raffle Tickets!

Unleash the Giving: Donate Now!

To help “flatten the curve,” Racing for Rescues is going FURtual April 30-May 9!

This virtual (or FURtual) event features:

• A one-of-a-kind Racing for Rescues t-shirt for all registered participants!
• Three challenges to complete #AloneTogether to bust through your quarantine boredom!
• The chance to win challenge, fundraising, and raffle prizes ranging in value from $25 to $550!
• The ability to participate--and win prizes--from anywhere in the world!
• An oppawtunity to help stray and abandoned cats and dogs get the second chances they deserve!

SEE CHALLENGE DETAILS

The spread of COVID-19 has interfered with our ability to safely conduct our annual 5K/fun walk, so we’re doing our part to keep everyone healthy by going virtual for Racing for Rescues 2020! While we’re disappointed that we won’t be able to see each of you (and your doggos!) in person as planned on May 3, we’re delighted to present a 10-day boredom buster at this ruff time with the same mission: to raise $50,000 or more so stray and abandoned cats and dogs can get their second chances to find LOVE!

We welcome you to join us in running your own personal 5K or taking a fun walk, as well as engaging in one, two, or all three virtual challenges! For the first time ever, each participant will get an event t-shirt (regardless of registration date), and of course, we’ve got prizes to keep you motivated along the way!

Read on to learn all about our FURtual event and register today–you won’t want to miss this unique experience!

Participants who registered on or before April 15, 2020: if you opted to receive your shirt via mail, you should have it now or any day now. (All were mailed between April 25 and 27.) If you opted to pick up your shirt, please look to your email inbox for instructions about how to pick up your shirt from us. Just for fun: post your selfie in your shirt on this Facebook thread!

Participants who registered April 16, 2020 or later: your t-shirt will be ordered on May 11. We do not yet have an estimated arrival date, but, it shouldn’t be long. 🙂

No matter when you register(ed) or receive(d) your shirt, you’ll wear it for years to come, knowing each time you do that YOU made a difference in an animal’s life!

THE (EXTREMELY OPTIONAL) CHALLENGES:

Any time April 30 – May 8: Run a 5K or take a fun walk, send us a screen shot from your tracking app, and get a chance to win one of two Fleet Feet gift cards, valued at $100 each (one for a 5K runner, one for a casual walker)! Whether you’re practicing social distance outside or using the treadmill in your home gym, keep the Racing for Rescues spirit alive in between your streaming binges!

April 30 – May 2: Paws Fur a Picture! Complete our scavenger hunt (we’ll have two lists for you to choose from so it’s up to you whether to get some fresh air around your neighborhood or have some fun around the house), send us photos along the way, and earn one chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card for every item on the list that you find!
May 3 – May 5: Im-purr-sonate a historical figure, celebrity, fictional character, inanimate object, etc. in a costume contest! (Feel free to lean into a Star Wars costume on May the 4th!) Send us pics of you and/or your pets in costume, ask your friends to vote, and the winner will get a $25 Amazon gift card! (Note: if your pup or kitty is declared the winner, you don’t have to spend it on treats and toys, but surely they’ve earned them!) 😉
May 6 – May 8: Use a tracking app like WoofTrax or Runkeeper to design your Paw Prints for Pets! Go for a run or walk using a route shaped like a pet-related concept. Can you figure out how to walk the path of a dog bone? Can you plot your run in the shape of a paw print? No matter the length of your journey, send us a screen shot for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

May 9: On Day 10, we wrap it all up in a social media extravaganza by sharing your pawsome pics, announcing all the winners, introducing you to the animals who have benefited from your participation, and more! Tune in to learn how much we raised to save and change the lives of precious cats and dogs thanks to YOUR support!

(Registrants: see details in your email inbox or click HERE!)

THE NOT-SO-FINE PRINT:

COVID Changes: While we want everyone to have the best pawsible experience through this virtual event, we cannot predict how the COVID-19 pandemic might change our plans in unforeseeable ways. Please be patient and flexible if we need to make adjustments along the way; our priority is to keep you safe!

Personal Safety: As you pawticipate in our challenges, please remember that social distancing is the order of the day (walking/running solo or only with people you live with, and at least 6 feet away from those you pass along the way) and please exercise your best judgment about whether, when, and where to run or walk! Second Chance cannot be held responsible for any illness or injury you incur, but it will still break our hearts to learn that anything has happened to you, your loved ones, or your pets! Stay safe out there!

Win a Fundraising Prize!

Make a difference for the animals in our program AND win a $50 Amazon gift card! Every dollar raised helps to support the animals in our program. While some of the animals require medical care and surgery, all will incur routine costs such as food ($15-$40 depending on size), vaccinations ($15-20), and dewormer ($12 to over $50 for very large dogs). Additionally, all of our animals are spayed or neutered when adopted, with costs for cats and dogs ranging up to $159. Any funds you raise will allow us to help even more homeless dogs and cats in our community to find their forever home!

One $50 Amazon gift card each will be given to:
• the fundraiser who raises the most money*
• the fundraiser who raises the most gifts of at least $10 (number of donations from unique donors)*
• one individual fundraiser who raises at least $50, who will be chosen at random among all fundraisers*

Each fundraiser easily builds their own fundraising webpage (similar to GoFundMe) and can share the link with friends and family, asking them to support you as you become a hero for the animals–we even provide you with all the tools you need to make the ask, so don’t be shy, sign up today by clicking HERE!

NEW THIS YEAR: Facebook fundraisers are eligible** for this competition as well! To create a Facebook fundraiser for our animals, click HERE. It takes just a minute!

*All donations must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday, May 8, to count towards this competition.

**Fundraisers that begin February 10, 2020 or later are eligible.

Win the Raffle Prize (a $550 Value)!

We’re raffling off $550 worth of gift cards on May 9!* Get your tickets by May 8 HERE (or purchase them when you register for the ease of one simple and convenient transaction) to enjoy a $250 Target gift card, a $200 Amazon gift card, and a $100 Chuy’s gift card. That’s $550 for shopping and dining!

*Prize can be held for pick-up at Second Chance or mailed to the winner, according to the winner’s preference. If mailed, Second Chance accepts no responsibility if the postal services loses the envelope and we will be unable to replace the gift cards.