Shelter hopes to triple participants with virtual Walk4Animals

After Anderson Animal Shelter merged with the Fox Valley Wildlife Center in March, the coronavirus pandemic hit, causing their gala to be reimagined virtually and the cancellation of one of its largest annual events, Pets-a-Palooza, in 2020.

With hundreds more animals to feed and care for each month, the shelter is counting on its second annual Anderson's Walk4Animals to help ease the burden. That is why public participation and fundraising partners such as Gerald Subaru of North Aurora are coming to the rescue.

Last year, more than 300 walkers and their pets participated in a single-day event in October. The 2020 Walk4Animals has now begun, with participants able to walk at their leisure through Oct. 10 to meet fundraising goals.

"This year, we didn't want to make people come together in a large group, so we made it kind of a virtual experience," said Cheryl Greenspan, Anderson's Director of Marketing. With volunteers walking separately with their pets this year, the animal shelter is hoping for 1,000 participants or more.

People can walk their pets, asks friends to donate and post photos and updates online as they earn prizes for meeting monthly goals. Anderson is also suggesting monthly walking routes around the Fox Valley to help you get started.

For example, the first month's suggested walking route was the Delnor Woods Park walking trail near St. Charles. One of the hashtags being used is #AnimalsRock, so Anderson staff, volunteers and supporters have painted and placed rocks along the path.

Participants are encouraged to take photos of themselves and their pets while on their walks, and post them on their Facebook, Instagram and other social media accounts using the hashtags #AndersonsWalk4Animals and #Walk4Animals. Anderson will also share some of the photos on its social media accounts, as well as giving shout outs to top teams and business supporters, like Gerald Subaru.

Gerald Subaru is a longtime contributor to the animal shelter and is providing some of the prizes and incentives for this year's Walk4Animals. "They've been fantastic," Greenspan said. "We are in need of extra support for Anderson's Walk4Animals this year to make up for so much lost revenue normally generated through fundraising at our events."

The shelter's Pets-a-Palooza Festival in June, which Gerald Subaru sponsors, normally draws more than 3,000 people but had to be canceled this year.

Anderson is based in South Elgin, and has adoption centers in Bloomingdale and North Aurora. For more information on participating or getting a team together for the walk, visit www.walk4animals.org. For more information on Gerald Subaru of North Aurora, visit www.geraldsubarunorthaurora.com.