Our First Fundraiser

Volunteers for the new organization first met in the fall of 2019. Excitement crackled in the air as ideas were shared and a plan was developed. We met almost weekly for a couple of months as we ironed out the details for the nonprofit, soon named Stop the Cycle, and planned our first event, an auction.

You start a nonprofit with just an idea – no money. As you start to develop the idea, you need money for the odds and ends such as opening a bank account, renting a mailbox, paying for cell phone service, and printing flyers. Week after week, we gathered, discussed the most pressing needs as we moved toward the big fundraiser date, and discovered what new financial needs must be met immediately. Week after week, we would hit that point in the conversation, before we can do this, we need to do that, and it’s going to cost this much. Volunteers would open their wallets and threw their bit into the pot. As the weeks went on, faces began to look a bit pinched as the wallets were opened, and we were saying, “We’ve got to stop doing this.” Finally, the bank account was in order. Checks donated by local businesses supporting our cause could be deposited. We could put our wallets away for now.

For weeks, volunteers drove from one end of Fulton County to the other end of Sharp stopping at businesses, explaining Stop the Cycle’s purpose, and asking for donations for the auction. Some donated cash, many donated goods for us to sell at the auction. Flyers, social media, and local newspapers helped us spread the word to Fulton and Sharp County families. And the people stepped up. Donations for the auction poured in. The scramble was on to find a place to store them until the sale. Volunteers gave up space in their sheds and guest bedrooms. The intensity increased as the auction date approached. Treats for pets were wrapped in tulle and tied with ribbon, cards with details for each of the donations were carefully handwritten so the auctioneer could read them, desserts were baked and arranged for the bake sale. The day had arrived.

(Insert a photo of Gary auctioneering?)

The auction was held at the Salem VFW, a place that has become very dear to us and is where we often meet. Gary Perryman and his wife Linda showed their support by providing the auctioneer service with the assistance of Salem HS FBLA students. The students would bring Gary an item, he would hold up it up and extol its amazing qualities, and the bidding would begin. The competition was often fierce, the pace made your head spin. The price would go up and up until the dash came to an end, and then, sometimes, Gary would look at the final bidder, the winner of the amazing item, and say, “Would you like to raise that bid?” He was asking people to bid against themselves, to pay even more for an item they had already won, to go even further in supporting Stop the Cycle and the need we could see in our community to fight against the abandonment of dogs and cats. And time after time, they did. The support from the community was heart-warming.

We raised $4000 that day. With it we have provided 40 spay/neuter services with more still being processed. The community came together and made this happen. That’s something you see often in this amazing neck of the woods.