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Cat 'n Around - Catskill
Animalkind in Catskill Daily Mail
Monday, Sept 22, 2008
Catskill’s Cats take a final bow
By Melanie Lekocevic
CATSKILL — It is said that a society can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members. If that is true, then Catskill has the heart of a lion. Or on second thought, maybe a feline of a slightly different stripe.
The second annual Cat'n Around Catskill Gala was held on Sunday, putting stunning feline sculptures on the auction block, and raising thousands for local charities. And if the streets of downtown Catskill seem a bit empty, you're right — the cat sculptures that have lined local streets for months now have been removed, and attracted hundreds of bidders at The Historic Catskill Point.
“The money we raise from this auction goes to not-for-profit organizations in Catskill,” said Linda Overbaugh, executive director of the Heart of Catskill Association, which held the event.
“Who gets the money will be determined by how much the auction brings in, but two have already been decided. One will be AnimalKind, which is an animal shelter, and the second will establish a scholarship in Barry Hopkins' name.”
Hopkins was an art teacher at Catskill Middle School, and a great artist and naturalist in his own right, who created the Greater Sense of Place Program. The program takes students outside the classroom and teaches them about nature and their place in it, including activities such as canoeing and hiking.
Cats on the auction block were painted and decorated by area artists, with local businesses sponsoring each one. And it was a testament to human creativity and imagination — there were cats with flags, cats dressed as police officers, and one cat decorated like a disco ball. Santa Claus, angels, blue jeans, flowers, top hats and even stamps were also themes. And who could forget Cat'n Hook - the buccaneer cat?
“This is exciting — that's the best way I can describe this,” said Assemblyman Peter Lopez, whose daughter created one of the cats. “The community and local businesses are showcased, and it brings people from different walks of life, and different ideologies, together. This auction highlights what Catskill has to offer.”
Bidders came with their hearts, and pocketbooks, open. At last year's auction, the least expensive cat went for $700, and the most expensive was $4,600. The average winning bid was $1,800. And this year's bidding was just as vigorous.
“There is no minimum bid or reserves,” said professional auctioneer Russ Carlsen. “The crowd decides the bid.”AnimalKind, a shelter that takes in felines, and other animals, is one of the beneficiaries of the auction. The money will help them expand their spay/neuter program, which is for both stray animals, as well as pets owned by low income families, enabling them to keep their pets despite hard economic times.
“I would like to thank Linda Overbaugh and the Heart of Catskill for their incredible support and awareness of the needs of the real cats in Catskill,” said Katrin Hecker, executive director of AnimalKind. “All the proceeds we receive will go directly to help the homeless and stray cats in Catskill, and it will help some families keep their pets by providing food, supplies and spay or neuter services.”
With the economy in a downturn this year, the need is greater than ever, Hecker said. As of the day of the auction, 500 cats had come into her shelter in 2008. That's how many she handled all of last year. Between ten to fifteen cats come into the shelter every week from Catskill alone.
The decorative cats have been on display in the village for months, and have attracted an enormous amount of attention for the community. “This is terrific for Catskill and for Greene County,” said Greene County Legislator Keith Valentine. “It's a cultural event that not only helps us with our cultural history in the Catskill area and emphasizes the role the arts play in that history, but it is so good for our local economy. This event has become a destination issue — people are coming here to see the cats, and tourism like this is a great boon to our economy.”
“This is a great event for the community,” said Catskill Village President Vincent Seeley. “What amazes me is the collaboration between the different groups to make this yet another successful event in the Village of Catskill.”
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Animalkind Inc.is a not-for-profit welfare, protection, rescue, rights organization dedicated to the compassionate care and humane population control of abandoned, feral and stray cats in Hudson, New York (Columbia County) and the surrounding area. We promote non-lethal prevention of an unwanted litter or litters of kittens through trap, spay, neuter, release (return), (tnr, TNR). An altered cat or kitten is released into a managed colony. Felines living in such colonies are assured kind daily care. Adoption to homes providing love and care for cats and kittens is encouraged. We also provide low or no cost spaying and neutering assistance to low income pet owners and help increase public awareness and education through the media, special events, and publications to promote compassion, respect, and kindness towards all animals. (d-26)
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