By LOIS KINDLE
You won’t want to miss this year’s C.A.R.E. Gift & Wine Fair at Southshore Falls on Dec. 3. The third annual event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the ballroom at 122 Falls Drive, Apollo Beach. The $10 admission includes a free raffle ticket.
Hosted by the Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort no-kill animal shelter in Ruskin, this event will feature lots of chance ticket drawings, a 50/50 raffle, large silent auction, wine pull and vendors, selling everything from jewelry, jams, jellies and pickles to holiday décor, wood crafts, glass art and more.
LOIS KINDLE FILE PHOTO
This year’s C.A.R.E. Gift & Wine Fair will feature lots of chance ticket drawings, a 50/50 raffle, large silent auction, wine pull and vendors selling everything from jewelry, jams, jellies and pickles to holiday décor, wood crafts, glass art and more.
“We have a fabulous selection of raffle and auction items, donated by local businesses and organizations from across the Tampa Bay region,” said Cheri Schumacher, the shelter’s outreach coordinator and event organizer. “Between these items and those offered by our vendors, shoppers will find some truly special gifts for their family and friends, get to try some free PRP wines and help C.A.R.E. raise much-needed operational funds. All proceeds support the shelter and its animals.”
“The funding will help cover unexpected and extraordinary medical expenses, like the ones we had this year,” added C.A.R.E. board president Joann With. “An older dog named Betty required emergency surgery; our longtime resident, Winnie, had to be euthanized at the shelter by Lap of Love; and another dog named Archie needed surgery to have an injured eye removed. Additionally, food and shipping costs have risen dramatically, and the proceeds will help defray some of those costs.”
LOIS KINDLE FILE PHOTO
What better way to shop for the holidays than the C.A.R.E. Gift & Wine Fair. You’ll have the chance to support a great charity and buy or win some great gifts for your family and friends, maybe even one for yourself!
Tickets for the chance drawings are $1 each, $5 for seven or $20 for an entire arm’s length. Wine-pull tickets are $10 each.
Visitors who have their names drawn will win things like a $100 Ulele gift card, Anna Maria Oyster Bar basket and swag, $50 Top Golf gift card, two passes to Lowry Park Zoo, four passes to the Florida Aquarium, two tickets to a mystery and dinner show from Dinner Detectives and two movie passes and food vouchers for CMX CinéBistro at Hyde Park Village.
The silent auction will feature an array of gift card packages, supported by numerous area restaurants, including A Year of Date Nights, A Taste of Apollo Beach, A Taste of Ruskin, A Taste of Ybor and A Taste of Riverview & Brandon; a two-night stay at the dog-friendly Beachy Bungalow Air BnB in Ruskin; certified, Tampa Bay Bucs NFL football autographed by Ron Gronkowski; three-course dinner prepared in your home by Rustic Blue personal chef Freddy Blue; Big Red Balloons hot-air balloon ride; passes for four to Metro Lagoons in Wimauma; and golf for two and a cart at the Caloosa Golf & Country Club.
And then there’s a River Ventures Snorkeling with the Manatees Adventure for two; four passes to the Imagine Museum & Teak Restaurant, two tickets to the Dali Museum and lunch at the Birch & Vine Restaurant; two tickets to the Sarasota Opera; four tickets to The Florida Orchestra; four tickets to the Bishop Museum; Baseball Lovers package with four Tampa Bay Rays and Bradenton Marauders tickets, plus batting cage time and swag from D-BAT Southshore; Luxury Cat Boarding from A Country Cathouse in Riverview; half-day fishing charter for two with True Lives Fishing in Ruskin; four private dog training lessons from Train to Sustain in Ruskin!
STOCK PHOTO
Come out for some great holiday shopping at the 3rd annual C.A.R.E. Gift & Wine Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Southshore Falls ballroom. All proceeds support the rescued and rehabilitated dogs and cats at the Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort no-kill animal shelter in Ruskin.
This year’s event sponsors are East Bay Insurance, Canine Cabana, Camp Bow Wow, U-Call We Haul, Mosaic, Jill Johnson and Roger Stewart.
Founded in 2000, C.A.R.E. is the only no-kill animal shelter in southern Hillsborough County. The 501(c)(3) organization’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and place for adoption stray and owner-relinquished animals in need of permanent homes.
The shelter is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, call 813-645-2273 or visit www.careshelter.org/.
