Let’s Get the ASPCA $100K Party Started: Flying High in Boulder Valley
Shelters’ Edge wouldn’t miss THE event of the season—Humane Society of Boulder Valley’s celebration of their first-place finish in the ASPCA $100K Challenge.
We started partying the minute we walked into the Colorado agency (we’re talking breakfast!), and we could tell it was going to be an amazing day when we saw this:
And why are all these people smiling?
When ASPCA Vice President Bert Troughton presented HSBV’s CEO Lisa Pedersen with the award for winning the Challenge at the morning ceremony, Bert asked the entire HSBV staff to stand up too!
As for the ASPCA folks in attendance, well, we were blown away when we entered the room where the celebration was held. “My personal experience was goose bumps and emotion,” says Susan Furukawa, ASPCA Senior Manager, Online Community. Here’s what she means:
“That room is literally plastered with photos of each pet who was adopted during the Challenge,” explains Susan. “Even the pillars are covered in photos. The room evokes the reality—it’s a tribute to all the lives saved. Another impressive thing is that every animal is looking into the camera with a relaxed, happy expression. Staff told me that their volunteers worked really hard and will take as many photos as necessary to capture the pets in a relaxed moment.”
Ah, did someone say volunteers? It’s all about volunteers at HSBV! “The volunteers here are simply glowing about this organization,” says Bert. “They’re certainly proud of their performance in the Challenge, and they can’t thank the staff enough for the work that they do and the chance to be part of it. It’s a kick to get to talk to them. There are some 650 volunteers here, and they do everything from the pet retail store, to animal care to adoption support, to behavior work, and more…they have been integrated into every aspect of the organization.”
We got to meet volunteers Michelle Koross and her daughter, Aliza Liebowitz. They began socializing pets in 2009 and now do adoption meet-and-greets as part of the Pets And Pals program for young volunteers and their parents.
Coolest thing ever: They’re going to hold Aliza’s bat mitzvah at the shelter next year!
And what party is complete without a cat in attendance? Here’s Onyx at the evening reception for the community with his human & HSBV volunteer Maria, who earned a $1,000 grant for HSBV by winning the “What’s Your ASPCA $100K Challenge Story?” photo contest. 
At the end of the celebration, Pedersen showed the now-famous video HSBV created of Challenge highlights. “There was barely a dry eye in the house,” reports Bert. “And then she knocked our socks off with one simple, final line: “We’ve crossed the finish line, but we have only just begun!”
And to end the party with some just desserts… 
Let them eat cake—because they totally deserve it! Congratulations once more to Humane Society of Boulder Valley for saving a total of 2,640 cats and dogs during the ASPCA $100K Challenge, an increase of 968 lives saved over the same period in 2009!
Tags: $100K Challenge, Humane Society of Boulder Valley, videos, volunteers
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Mary Anne DAgata Says:
CONGRATULATIONS!
Well deserved celebration for staff, volunteers, adoptees too! A lot of hard work went into the planning for this challenge it’s nice to see the result. I vote every day for you still on the Animal Rescue Site Challenge that ends this month as well and will hope your #’s get better, you haven’t made top 10 there yet, but I hold out hope…