PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap to Host “Diamonds Are FURever” Gala Fundraiser June 3rd

Margaret Millmore | Posted on May 15, 2023 |

PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap (PAWSBINK) is donning its finest attire for “Diamonds Are FURever,” our 2023 gala fundraiser that will bring together animal lovers from around the region for entertainment, games, and an auction—all to benefit a very worthy cause. The money raised at this annual event helps fund the vital programs that PAWSBINK provides our community, including adoption services, veterinary financial aid, and spay/neuter assistance.

Date: June 3, 2023, 5:30-9:00 p.m.
Where: Suquamish Clearwater Casino, Suquamish, Washington
Tickets: $150 per person; http://pawsbink.org/paws-gala/

This year’s event will be emceed by former KING 5 anchorman and journalist Mark Wright. Attendees will enjoy appetizers and drinks, a silent auction, entertainment, and a three-course dinner.

What to expect:

Diamond Drawing: One lucky winner will receive a custom jewelry-making experience (valued at over $5,000) with Robin Callahan Designs.
Fun & games: Spin the Wheel for Wine, cornhole.
Silent auction: Bid on an array of exciting prizes, including “Wine Around the Rock,” a Maui package, PAWSBINK “Buddy of the Month,” Pickleball! and many more local goods and services.
Live event: This year’s live portion will focus on the programs that PAWSBINK provides to our community. Attendees also will have the opportunity to support construction of a free-roam room for cats at the Kingston adoption center, bid on trips to Jackson Hole, Mexico and the Virgin Islands, and compete in the famous Dessert Dash.
Great stories: See the impact of your donation dollars with heartwarming “tails” from some of the people and pets PAWSBINK has supported over the past year.

Because of the strong support of our Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap community, PAWSBINK has been able to make a dramatic difference in the health and well-being of local pets for 48 years. Volunteers and sponsors are the lifeblood of PAWS both here on Bainbridge and in the broader community. Mindy Anderson, longtime PAWS volunteer and former owner of Aunty Min’s Specialized Pet Care (which she sold this past January to another islander), shared the importance of PAWSBINK programs and how those programs influenced her commitment as a volunteer and sponsor.

“Although PAWSBINK is often thought of for our cat adoption centers, we do SO much more,” Mindy explained. “There is the PALS program (Pets and Loving Seniors), where we match senior people with senior pets. They essentially become permanent foster parents, and PAWSBINK takes care of the vet visits, food and litter. Animals provide so much love and companionship to people, as we all know.”

In addition to the PALS program, they also offer Safe Harbor, which Mindy noted was her “personal favorite program” and one she helped to create several years ago when she was a PAWSBINK board member. The program is designed to assist people in crisis (situations where they need to leave their home or cannot care for their pets for other reasons, such as domestic violence, a house fire, illness or injury, etc.) and are facing the difficult decision of how to care for their beloved pets while healing or keeping their family safe. The Safe Harbor program currently offers 30 days of free boarding for cats, with options for extension.

It was a similar situation that introduced Mindy to PAWSBINK twenty years ago. “I met a woman who needed her dog fostered until she could find a place to live that accepted pets. So, I brought him home with me! He desperately needed vaccines, an annual exam and to be neutered,” Mindy recalled. “She didn’t have very much money but didn’t want me to pay for anything. I was at Winslow Animal Clinic, and they told me about PAWSBINK’s low-income veterinary assistance as well as its spay/neuter program. I had no idea anything like that even existed. So, she gratefully accepted help from PAWSBINK, and I instantly became involved with this amazing organization. And… it’s been a love story ever since.”

Today, Mindy primarily works on promotion, fundraising and events, and she is co-chairing the upcoming auction with another longtime volunteer, Julie Richards. “Over the years, I’ve recruited many friends to help with this event, and we have a great gala committee dedicated to helping PAWSBINK raise funds for our important programs that serve the pets—and their people—in our community.”

Mindy also noted that her former business, Aunty Min’s Specialized Pet Care, has been a sponsor of various PAWSBINK events for years, and the new owner, Janet Davis, is continuing to be a sponsor.

“There are SO many people who need assistance to keep their pets with them and worried about possibly having to surrender them to a shelter,” Mindy said. “We believe in keeping families together, and pets are part of the family. Whatever I can do to raise awareness and funds to keep PAWSBINK going, I am happy to do.”

The PAWSBINK Gala would not be possible without the support of their sponsors:

Brown Bear Car Wash (Presenting Sponsor), Winslow Animal Clinic, Run Dog Run Daycare & Boarding, Z Bones Pet Mercantile, Liberty Bank, Susan Wiggs—Laugh-Cry-Dream-Read, Port Gamble General Store, Liberty Bank, Jenny Coates Law, PLLC, First Federal Bank, Windermere Real Estate, Aunty Min’s Specialized Pet Care, Fairway Independent Mortgage—Team Dee, Day Road Animal Hospital, Bay Hay & Feed, Edward Jones—John Baggett, Stanley Steemer, Tender Touch Animal Hospital, Blue Sky Printing, Four Foot Photography, and Petco.

Additional PAWSBINK services include adoption, veterinary financial aid, and low cost spay/neuter assistance. For more information, contact PAWSBINK at 206.842.2451, paws@pawsbink.org, or www.pawsbink.org.