The second annual Lollapalooza fundraiser brought in nearly $5,000 for free spay and neuter services for low-income cat owners in the community.
Families enjoyed lawn games, a bouncy castle, food trucks and booths selling jewelry, local honey, and more during the Saturday afternoon Street Cats Club fundraiser.
“Lolapalooza supports the Lola Love Fund, our grant program that provides free spay/neuter services for low-income cat owners. The Lola Love Fund was created after the Street Cats Club helped with a hoarding case containing 86 cats,” Ashley Burris, special events manager, said. “The owner had started with five cats just three years earlier. She was unaware that two were already pregnant, and she could not afford to get any of them fixed. Her situation quickly spiraled out of control. Her situation made us realize there was a gap in services, which is why we created the Lola Love Fund.”
The fund is named after Lola Walker, the founder of Purralot Kitty Rescue. The 2023 inaugural event was hosted on Lola’s 86th birthday.
Burris said the Street Cats Club was able to fund spay and neuter services for 44 cats last year and has already provided 37 free spay and neuters this year.
“It’s awesome to see this much [support],” Burris said Saturday. “It turned out really well.”
Before the event even started, the Street Cats Club had already reached 50% of their $5,000 goal through sponsors, an increase from the 2023 goal of $3,000.
The sponsors of the 2024 Lolapalooza were Ashley and Allie Mitchell, Purralot Kitty Rescue, Gravel City Roasters, Lyon County State Bank, Chester Press and Stanley R. Ausemus Chartered.
The Street Cats Club will host its Black Cat Ball fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 12 at The Emporia Granada Theatre. For more information on the Street Cats Club, visit their website at https://www.streetcatsclub.org or find them on social media.