On Friday, February 12, 2021, the Cape Coral Animal Shelter will be hosting the first PJ’s and Paws—A Night at the Shelter to benefit the animals.
This SUPER FUN PAJAMA PARTY will feature 15 local “celebrities” or “representatives” of local businesses who will dress in their finest pajamas and spend the night with the animals of the Cape Coral Animal Shelter. Participants will be matched with one of our resident canines or assigned to one of our cat manors and are encouraged to decorate their “suite” to impress their “date.” The human can read, sing, take them for a walk, play, or just spend time together. At the end of the night, when all is quiet, humans can cuddle up and spend the night or tuck them in to dream of their forever home.
Each will be working toward a goal of raising a minimum of $2,000 through their networks and social media with a goal of raising $30,000 to support the lifesaving work we are doing at the shelter. There will be prizes for the most money raised by a celebrity/company, best pajamas, and most creative room decoration. Throughout the event, there will be Facebook live check ins and each business/celebrity participating will get a chance to shine in their Pj’s and show off their “date” for the evening.
“This year has been difficult for so many non-profits and Cape Coral Animal Shelter has had its share of challenges” said Liz McCauley, Executive Director.
“Since most of our fundraisers have been cancelled or postponed, we have had to find creative ways to raise much needed funds while still being able to social distance. We believe PJ’s & Paws is a fun way to raise money and awareness for our adoptable animals. And, if you have been to our shelter, you know—our dog suites and cat manors are so comfy and relaxing. Who wouldn’t want to cuddle up with our residents and take a nap?”
“Celebrities” participating include:
Amy J. Hanna-Eckenrode, Breeze Newspapers/Hampton Manor of Cape Coral
Barbara “Sadie” German, 96.9 Wink FM
Chelsea Castoria, CONRIC pr + marketing
Cindi Infiesto, Exit Select Realty
Donna Germain, Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral
Dr. Cecilia Fisher, Cape Coral Pet Vet
Gloria Tate, Raso Realty
Heather Mazurkiewicz and Mia, North Collier Fire Department
Jessica Walker, Markham Norton Mosteller Wright and Company, P.A.
JoAnn Elardo, Wicked Dolphin
Megan Davis DVM, Viscaya Prado Veterinary Hospital
Meghan Schuman Richardson, DVM, Paws on Point
Paige Sheatzley, Florida Veterinary Referral Center & Specialists in Companion Animal Neurology
Stephanie Ramos, Specialists in Companion Animal Neurology
Shelly Walton, Back Streets Sports Bar
Sergeant Rich Castellon, Deputy Dogs, Lee County Sheriff’s Office
The Pilot Club of Fort Myers and the Cape Coral Police Department are holding a shredding event on Saturday, January 23, 2021. The event will be held in the front parking lot of the Cape Coral Police Department, 1100 Cultural Park Blvd, between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Due to COVID-19, we ask that all participants socially distance themselves and wear a mask.
Oasis JROTC cadets will be on hand to help drivers unload their boxes to be shredded; the boxes can be returned if desired. Shredding will occur on site.
All proceeds of the event will be donated to the Cape Coral Project Lifesaver Programs and the Pilot Club. A donation of $5.00 per box to be shredded is suggested. Please remove binder clips or paper clips attached to paper being shredded. Commercial boxes will not be accepted.
Project Lifesaver is a program of Cape Coral Police Department which uses wristbands that emit a signal to help find individuals who tend to wander. The proceeds of this event will be used to help update and replace damaged or worn equipment. This technology can minimize the length of time it takes to locate a missing person / wanderer.
As increases in the number of people diagnosed with Autism, ASD, Alzheimer’s disease, and Dementia occur, the need for additional equipment is necessary. Equipment costs for families can be too costly. The financial help provided by the Pilot Club by holding the Shred-A-Ton event goes a long way.
The Pilot Club of Fort Myers focuses their efforts on helping organizations seeking to improve the quality of life for individuals with brain-related disorders through volunteer activities, education, and financial support. The club name came from a riverboat pilot who could steer safely through troubled waters. The club’s motto is “do more, care more, and be more.” For information about the Pilot Club, contact the president, Fran D’Alessandro, 239-332-1140, or email at jodyvanc@gmail.com.
My Shower Door / D3 Glass is looking to the SWFL community this holiday season to open their hearts and support the families of first responders in Lee County. From now until Monday, Dec. 14, people can bring new, unwrapped toys to any of the three My Shower Door locations in Naples, Fort Myers and Cape Coral; Coconut Point Ford in Estero or Advantage Retirement Group in Fort Myers.
Last year’s toy drive with Golisano Children’s Hospital was such a success that MY Shower Door / D3 Glass co-owner Bill Daubmann decided to continue this holiday program and this year support another group of people that could use some holiday cheer. “With the spread of COVID-19 deeply effecting Southwest Florida in 2020 our first responders and their families could use some joy this holiday season,” said Daubmann. “We want to bring smiles to their faces to close out the year on a bright note for them.”
With the assistance of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the unwrapped toys will be picked up at the drop-off locations then distributed to the families of first responders throughout the county to ensure they enjoy a festive holiday.
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Toys can be dropped off at:
My Shower Door – 13500 Tamiami Trail N, Naples,
My Shower Door – 14261 S Tamiami Trail, No. 2, Fort Myers,
My Shower Door – 2708 Santa Barbara Blvd., Cape Coral,
Coconut Point Ford – 22400 S Tamiami Trail, Estero and
Advantage Retirement Group – 8870 Daniels Parkway, Fort Myers.
Thanks go out to the following for all of their support with this year’s toy drive: Advantage Retirement Group, Coconut Point Ford, CONRIC pr + marketing, Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Two39 Work Group.
For more information about this year’s toy drive, please go to: MYShowerDoor.com/Toys.
Better Together, a voluntary, community-driven alternative to foster care, has introduced the Hopeful 100 Club to encourage monthly recurring gifts of $100 that cover the costs of keeping a child out of foster care and families together.
Since March, Better Together has seen a 155% increase in requests for help through its Better Families program, a voluntary alternative to foster care that hosts children short-term while mentoring parents through crisis.
“It costs an average of $30,000 per year in taxpayer dollars to keep a child in foster care,” said Megan Rose, CEO, Better Together.
“The alternative is donating $100 per month to cover the cost of providing a child with a safe and caring temporary home while parents work towards reunification. Despite challenges, Better Together has remained fully operational throughout the pandemic. With your support, children can wake up with their parents on Christmas morning rather than in foster care.”
Better Together Hopeful 100 Club Donor Jason Maughan
With a small crew of seven full-time staff, Better Together has leveraged the support of hundreds of local volunteers to serve every single family that asked for help.
“We have not turned a single child away,” added Rose.
Better Together is 100% privately funded and community driven, and has served over 2,500 children in Southwest Florida and kept 96% of families together. The nonprofit was founded on the belief that loving parents should not lose children because they are having money problems, or had the courage to seek treatment, or got hospitalized without childcare. These challenges can be overcome with the right support system in place.
Until December 14, the Cape Coral Fire Department will be collecting toys and gifts for children in our community who have special needs, suffer from chronic illnesses such as cancer, are in foster care, or have families struggling with financial difficulties.
Donations for boys and girls of all ages (newborn to 17 years) are needed. Gifts for teens are often in short supply. Please consider donating gift cards, makeup, body soaps and lotions, perfume or cologne, arts and crafts supplies, sport equipment, or entertainment items for this age group.
Collection boxes for the toy drive are located at each of the 11 fire stations throughout Cape Coral:
Station 1 – 4610 Coronado Parkway
Station 2 – 701 Nicholas Parkway
Station 3 – 1627 Everest Parkway
Station 4 – 2007 Santa Barbara Boulevard
Station 5 – 1029 Diplomat Parkway
Station 6 – 4540 Chiquita Parkway
Station 7 – 3942 Burnt Store Road N
Station 8 – 707 SW 1st Street
Station 9 – 4107 Pelican Boulevard
Station 10 – 3623 Gator Circle West
Station 11 – 1038 Burnt Store Road
“Last year, over 1500 children received toys,” says Fire Chief Ryan W. Lamb, “This year due to the impact of COVID-19, we expect the need to be even greater. We are grateful that through the continued support and generosity of the Cape Coral community, we are able to help our neighbors enjoy the holiday season, which they may not otherwise be able to do.”
For more information on the toy drive, such as specific gift needs/requests, please visit the Cape Coral Fire Department’s Facebook page (CapeCoralFD) or website www.capecoralfire.com). For further information on how to become a business partner or to make or request a donation, please contact Andrea Schuch, Public Affairs Specialist, at (239) 242-3303 or aschuch@capecoral.net.
The “Holiday Heroes” Food Drive, benefitting the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, will be held on November 19th between the hours of 11:00 am – 4:00 pm at the Walmart Neighborhood Market stores at 3920 Skyline Boulevard and 505 SW Pine Island Road. The Cape Coral Police Department will be accepting food and monetary donations to help local families in need this holiday season.
Last year our community donated 1,526 pounds of food as well as $1,668 to the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Due to COVID-19 there are many families in our community that are in need. We are hoping to surpass last year’s donations to help these families.
If you are interested in donating, please go to one of the Walmart Neighborhood Market locations. This year, food donations and monetary donations will be accepted to include credit card donations.
