Build a Better Lollypop Farm!

LOLLYPOP FARM ANNOUNCES $4.5 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGNStart: May 17, 2012 08:00 AM

Fairport, NY — Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, publicly announced its $4.5 million Unleash the Dream Capital Campaign today.

The $4.5 million Unleash the Dream Capital Campaign will provide the resources needed for a renovation and expansion effort that reflects the vision for the future of Lollypop Farm. Animal adoptions, admissions, staff, and volunteers continue to increase dramatically, and Lollypop Farm is impeded by its current facilities and the lack of space needed to meet the current demand for outreach programs. Donations to the Capital Campaign will help to Build a Better Lollypop and will enable a future for animals and people where Lollypop Farm can Educate, Help, Enhance, Create, and Empower—and foster a more humane community.

"We need the help of the community to make these critical improvements to our facilities that will directly and immediately improve our ability to care for animals in Greater Rochester and educate the public," explains Alice Calabrese, CAWA, president and CEO at Lollypop Farm. “As an independent non-profit that receives no government funding, Lollypop Farm, relies entirely on support from the community to help pets in need.”

Lollypop Farm is requesting donations or pledges of support for the Capital Campaign. All gifts, great and small, will make a significant difference in our ability to complete our renovations. Funds raised enable the shelter to continue to give a second chance to thousands of animals in Rochester and surrounding areas. For more information, or to donate today, please visit www.buildabetterlollypop.org or call (585) 223-1330 x245.

Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, is committed to building lifelong bonds between people and animals through education, community outreach, and the prevention of cruelty. Learn more at (585) 223-1330 orwww.lollypop.org.

A this means fun construction equipment outside my office!!!


Everyone gathering for the groundbreaking ceremony


Speeches


Olivia Newton Puppy and Lizzie Borden enjoying the festivities


A goat!


Somewhere behind all the cameras is Cathie Wright, Director of Development






Handing out the golden shovels and hardhats




IT HAS BEGUN!!!


Now, Alice Calabrese, President & CEO of Lollypop Farm starts to tear down the "Achy Breaky Barn."








Alice seemed to have a lot of fun!

THANK YOU to the Greater Rochester community and beyond for making it possible to improve the lives of thousands of animals!  We could not do this without your support.  For more information, please visit: www.BuildABetterLollypop.org!  And, I promise there will be a lot of updates over the next year!!!

The Death of Playoff Beard

Oh playoff beard.  You were a shooting star that had to leave us too soon...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playoff_beard


April showers bring May flowers.  April snow is just miserable...


A beautiful January morning at Lollypop Farm...


Luna watching me make copies


Luna watching Emmy Lou from a distance.  


Emmy Lou and Luna decided they were not friends.  So, Luna will find a new office to call home.  And yes, Luna is what made my desk so messy...


On a happier note: PUPPY!!!!

My 2nd Dog and Pony Show

Telethon 2012 for Lollypop Farm was a great success thanks to the Rochester community and beyond.  Our goal of $210,000 was exceeded as we reached 237,230!!!  Here's a WHAM 13/Rochester CW interview.



Info in case you didn't see it earlier



Setting up for the big show



The phone bank volunteers I trained.  They did an awesome job this year.  They had very nice handwriting, which was complimented on by a lot of people



Not-so-behind the scenes at Eastview Mall



The kissing booth



Our first customer!



Mercy the Mini Horse!  She's already a star at Lollypop, but the pink shoes really capture the diva in her.



Joanna doing an awesome job training more phone bank volunteers.  TEAMWORK!



Busy answering the phones



Behind the scenes with all the "overflow" phone bank volunteers.  That's a lot of phone calls!



The show's over...



The set was taken down in a matter of minutes.  As Karen said, "It's like Christmas.  You spend months shopping and weeks to get everything ready and then all the gifts are opened and forgotten about within five minutes."



Another great Telethon!  Lots of "good jobs" and "congrats" to go around.  The Rochester community for their support of our animals.  To all the volunteers who poured their time and energy into this effort.  To all the staff that dedicated countless hours during the Telethon and year-round.  It's moments like this that show why Lollypop Farm is such a wonderful and unique place for animals!

CONGRATS TO ME!!! (A shameless self-congratulations)

CONGRATULATIONS MIKE!!!

I am the new Annual Giving Manager of Lollypop Farm, Humane Society of Greater Rochester (www.Lollypop.org).  It's a great organization that's been helping all kinds of creatures since 1873.  At their wonderful facility, they provide tons of programs and services for dogs, cats, horses, sheep, goats, rabbits, fish, turtles and their owners.  It's a great opportunity for me personally and I'm super excited to be a part of the team.  I have lots of people to thank.  Especially Megan, Jerry, Jennie, Mary, and so many more!


To make a donation to Lollypop Farm, please go to:
How you can help


Enough patting myself on the back.  But, I figure if Hollywood can do it several times a year, I can do it once every five years or so.  ONWARD TO THE REST OF THE BLOG!!!



While I went to volunteer training at Lollypop, Megan went to Bristol Mountain to teach Tachel how to ski.  Here she is with her dad.



She can even pose for pictures on skis.  



Dad towing Tachel down the mountain.  



Megan had a gala for work for Wilson Commencement Park (http://www.wilsoncommencementpark.org/), an inspiring organization helping Rochester families become self-sufficient, held at ArtisanWorks (http://www.artisanworks.net/).  This place is a 40,000 square foot warehouse packed with all kinds of great things.  It's like a much, much, larger version of my childhood bedroom.  



There was so much to look at that I felt like I saw nothing.  I kept finding paintings, sculptures, photos, etc. in areas I frequently walked in.



The Frank Lloyd Wright room.  Not sure if this is a replica an artist made or if this is a salvage from a house that was torn down.  I'll have to check with Katherine, an FLW preservation expert, for more information.



up the narrow staircase



A view of the dining room



Our only purchase is this GIANT eagle.  Really look at the scale of this thing.  The painting in the bottom right corner is huge.  The pedestal it is sitting on is a full bar.  It will look beautiful in our apartment livingroom...



Lots of taxidermy.  This is an alligator eating a zebra, of course!



Lots of people with lots of art!  Plus, good food.  We met a great couple at dinner.  They were pretty fun and interesting.  Hopefully we'll bump into them again at another event.



a painting of Megan with a monkey on her head



Atlas, (http://www.atlasband.com/) rocked the house!



Highlight of the night was our conversation with R. Carlos Carballada, acting mayor for the City of Rochester and neighborhood and business development commissioner (for those not in Rochester, our mayor left for state government and there's been lots of issues in replacing him and multiple mayors and all).  Really nice guy.  Congratulated Megan on her work, gave me some career advice, thanked us for moving to Rochester.  


Well, that's it for now.  But, lots of stuff on my plate these days.  I've got a play tonight, volunteering and school committee meeting tomorrow, Amerks hockey game on Friday, car shopping this weekend, Valentine's Day and probably a lot more I've left out.