After a one-year hiatus, the Chester County SPCA is bringing back it’s annual Forget-Me-Not gala fundraiser, June 14.
WILLISTOWN — An estate in Newtown Square will provide a historic backdrop for the 27th Annual Forget-Me-Not celebration, an elegant and sophisticated fundraiser for the Chester County SPCA. Delchester Farm is situated on twenty-four acres in Willistown Township, and the estate’s grand drive will offer guests a panoramic view of rolling pastures and horses.
The property owned by Sanford and Lisa Davne, which includes a stone farmhouse and multiple farm buildings dating back to the mid-1700s, will welcome guests on June 14, from 5 to 8pm, for a memorable evening of entertainment, food, and libations to support the work of the Chester County SPCA. This will be the second time that the Davne’s have graciously offered to host the Forget-Me-Not on their historic estate, as Delchester Farm was the location for the event in 2009 as well.
After a hiatus in 2014 – the first since the Forget-Me-Not’s inaugural year in 1988 – the Chester County SPCA is planning to bring the popular fundraising gala back in a big way. This year’s garden party will include the traditional carriage parade, live music, as well as live auctions, and silent auctions.
The Dave Magrogan Group, the top sponsor of the event, is generously providing food and beverage to all in attendance at the Forget-Me-Not. Guests will enjoy menu items from their well-known restaurants: Doc Magrogan’s Oyster House, Barra Rossa Ristorante, Harvest Seasonal Grille & Wine Bar, and Red Star Craft House.
Dave Magrogan, local restauranteur, has a personal connection to the organization.
“We are very proud to support the Chester County SPCA. We are especially proud to support their transition to a no-kill shelter,” said Magrogan. “We adopted our two senior dogs from the Chester County SPCA and we are very grateful for the work they do in our community and for the thousands of animals they help every year.”
The Chester County SPCA is the only open admission shelter for both Chester and Delaware Counties, which means the facility has an open-door policy and turns no animals away. Serving as the open admission shelter for two counties has forced the organization to evaluate and improve shelter programs and services, allowing them to meet the needs of their sizeable community.
The industry-wide standard to be considered a no-kill organization in the animal welfare community is to achieve a live release rate of at least 90%. The Chester County SPCA has met and surpassed the 90% live release goal to achieve no-kill status in each of the last six months. Only a small number of open admission shelters across the country have met and maintained the no-kill criteria, and the Chester County SPCA is one of the first to do so in Pennsylvania.
The upcoming fundraising gala will give the Chester County SPCA an opportunity to celebrate the significant progress made by the organization in the past year, which has led to the shelter becoming a no-kill facility. The organization plans to assist other shelters and animal welfare groups statewide that are facing similar challenges as those faced by the Chester County SPCA in recent years, with an aim toward increasing the lifesaving capacities across the state.
According to Adam Lamb, Executive Director, the shelter’s progress is a reflection of a compassionate and humane community. “The Chester County SPCA has remained committed to serving as a safety net for all animals with our open door policy,” said Lamb. “We are indebted to the members of our community for their continued support and involvement in helping us to provide second chances and save so many lives.”
For more information about the 27th Annual Forget-Me-Not, please visit www.ccspca.org/forget-not/. Tickets to the event are limited, but can be reserved online or by calling 610-692-6113. All event proceeds will benefit the Chester County SPCA, a non-profit organization that relies solely on the generosity of the community to support the shelter’s programs and services.
