the gala issue
fall 2014
couchPOTATO
A quarterly publication of Greyhound Pets of America-Wisconsin
PRESS
20th Annual Greyhound Gala!
October 18, 2014 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. • Waukesha County Expo Center, 1000 Northview Rd., Waukesha
GPA-WI’s 20th Annual Greyhound Gala
is fast approaching! Be sure to clear your
calendars for the big day on Saturday,
October 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Enclosed are raffle tickets. Please
consider purchasing one, two or twenty
and getting your friends to do the same.
The hounds thank you!
Money and tickets can be turned in to
any board member at GPA-WI events
leading up to Gala, as well as the day of
the event. You may also return them to
our Tresurer, Cheryl Millard, at 218 21st
Place South, La Crosse, WI, 54601, using
the envelope provided. Tickets will also
be for sale onsite at Gala — don’t forget
to bring your address labels to save time
and hand cramps!
We are accepting donations of resale, live
and silent auction items and bag raffle
items at this time, as well as signing up
volunteers! Items may be dropped off at
upcoming GPA-WI gatherings or given
directly to any GPA-WI board member.
This year, GPA-WI is using VolunteerSpot
to enlist volunteers. Go to the GPA-WI
website (www.gpawisconsin.org) and
click on the VolunteerSpot link on the
main page. Sign in with your e-mail
address, view open volunteer slots,
and voilà! Contact Stephanie Vierling
at [email protected] with
questions or for more information.
Gala Contest Winners
This year, GPA-WI’s annual Gala logo
contest has three winners! Two logos
will be featured on the commemorative
Gala t-shirt, and the third will be on
a shirt of its own. All shirts will be
available for purchase at the Gala.
To celebrate the group’s 25th anniversary,
Giles LaRock added a commemorative
ribbon to the new “Running Strong”
GPA-WI logo. The classic oval-withgreyhound silhouette, designed by Amber
Hill, will be on the back of the t-shirt.
Eva Sosnowska’s whimsical pencil outline
greyhound will be available in both
children’s and adults’ sizes.
Thanks to everyone who submitted design ideas!
2014 Gala
Vendors
ala
New G or! Greyt Leggings
d
Ven
ala
New G or!
Vend
John Sappington’s Handmade
Greyhound Woodwork
ala
New G or! Long Neck Deco
d
n
Ve
Candy’s Collars
Crazy Collars and More
Gini’s Greyhound Fashions
Grey Oaks Photography
Greyt Glass
Hope Springs Pet Beds
Midwest Greyhound Adoption
Petlicious Dog Bakery
Voyager K9 Appearal
www.gpawisconsin.org
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Gala 2014
GALAschedule
Everything happening at the GPA-WI event of the year!
All-Day Activities
Event Schedule
GPA-WI Adoption Booth: Located in the upstairs
mezzanine, featuring some of our adoptable dogs.
11:00 a.m. .............................................Blessing of the Hounds
Blue Fund Bandanas: Raising funds to assist
medical or special needs dogs.
11:30 a.m. ............................................................Fashion Show
Canine Massage: Pamper your pooch with choices of
Reiki or canine massage with or without essential oils.
Radar Run: Clock your dog’s running speed.
Food Vendor: Refresh yourself with food and drink
after a long day of shopping and mingling.
Grey Oaks Photography: Professional photos of your
pet. Reservations required.
Nail Trims and Teeth Brushing: Located at the back
loading dock. Nail trims $10/dog. Enzyme-based
toothpaste gel and foam teeth brushing $5/dog.
11:10 a.m. .................................Group Roo! – A Gala Highlight
12:00 p.m. ....................................First set of Bag Raffles Ends
12:30 p.m. ...................................................Greyhound Contest
1:05 p.m. ............................Live Auction – Most Valuable Items
2:00 p.m. .................................Second set of Bag Raffles Ends
2:30 p.m. ...........................Costume Contest – Prizes Awarded
3:00 p.m. .....................................................Silent Auction Ends
3:30 p.m. ...........................Big Cash Raffle Winner Announced
3:45 p.m. .................................Third and Final Bag Raffle Ends
Gala Reminders
Gala Donation Dropoff
Every year, we are fortunate to receive a
wide range of fabulous items from generous
donors. These donations make it possible
for our bag raffle and auctions to be so
thrilling and successful.
We accept donations of all kinds (they
do not have to be dog-related) such as
merchandise, gift baskets, gift certificates
and/or cash, which may be used to help
fund Gala or any of the other fundraising
events GPA-WI has throughout the year.
Please join us for one of our donation
dropoff/social events, or contact the
Donations Coordinator, Heather Hunt,
at [email protected] or
at (414) 817-2301 to coordinate your
donation. The greyhounds would be
extremely grateful, and so would we.
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In addition to these scheduled times,
donations may be given to any GPA-WI
board member.
•
Sept. 14: GPA-WI cookout, DeForest
•
Sept. 18: Kopp’s gathering, Greenfield
•
Sept. 22: Yo Mamma gathering,
Wauwatosa
•
Oct. 2: Kopp’s gathering, Brookfield
Credit Cards Accepted
GPA-WI is able to accept most major credit
cards for our retail items, raffle tickets and
silent and live auction items! What better
way to rack up those rewards points than
on stylish new GPA-WI gear and super
auction prizes? We accept Visa, Mastercard,
Discover and American Express.
Address Label Reminder
Don’t forget to bring your address labels!
This is a great way to save time when filling
out your Bag Raffle tickets the day of the
event! It also prevents
those pesky hand cramps
from writing and gives
you more time to shop all
of our fabulous vendors!!
Dorgne’tt!
Fo
Featured Hounds
FEATUREDhounds
Several adoptable hounds are waiting for forever homes, including Schoene and Lenny. A few will be on
hand for in-person snuggles!
Meet Schoene
Guten Tag! I’m Schoene Rea. My name is derived from the
German word for beautiful, which people say fits me! Playful,
affectionate and energetic, I love to zoom like a pup, though
I turned seven in August.
I’m a social butterfly, and I think people are tops! I love to
greet them, but I calm quickly for pets and snuggles. I do
love human food, so my new humans will need to remind
me to keep all paws (and my tongue) on the ground and off the counters. Because
of my energy, I would do best in a home without small children. I’m cat safe, though,
and I’d really like another canine companion!
Meet Lenny
Hey there! Lenny’s my name, and relaxing’s my game. I’m a laid-back, smiley six-year
old guy who would like nothing more than to sleep on a soft bed in a quiet house. I’ve
gone blind from a genetic condition, but there will be no further complications and no
pain or discomfort.
I really have no trouble getting around my foster home — I look around and follow
people with ease. Just like any other grey, I investigate the edges of a new room – it’s
only when I walk right into someone that people realize I can’t see!
My foster mom says I’ve adapted wonderfully to my condition, and that life with a blind dog is really pretty easy. I’ve
learned many new voice commands in just a few short weeks in foster, proving that I’m smart as well as willing
to please, as long as I understand what’s expected of me. I’ll just need some additional time
to learn my way around your home. I “see” with my nose and ears, so using scent cues and
voice commands helps me to acclimate quickly. I love to be talked
to! She also says I’m the most loving, cuddly, soft, sweet and
playful grey she’s yet had the pleasure to meet!
I thrive in routine and structure, and would do great in an
organized home with a regular schedule.
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What’s Happening
More GPA-WI News
GPA-WI Has a New Logo!
will feature merchandise with our new logo!
Stop by, grab a new shirt, hat or trinket, and
be part of this exciting time for GPA-WI.
GPA-WI Open Volunteer Positions
While proudly donning your GPA-WI
apparel, has anyone ever asked you, “What
does GPA stand for?”
Most of the time, a longwinded explanation
follows of how it doesn’t stand for grade
point average, but something so much
cooler! Has this happened to you? Take
heart! In honor of GPA’s 25th anniversary,
we’re launching a new logo, which now
includes our full name and an outline of the
state of Wisconsin.
Better still: The GPA-WI Gala retail booth
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Do you love greyhounds? Have you toyed
with the idea of becoming more involved
with GPA-WI? The board is in need of
people to fill two coordination positions.
We will have two vacancies this fall, for the
positions of Foster Home Coordinator and
Adoption Coordinator for eastern Wisconsin. For more information, including
specific duties for each position, visit our
website at www.gpawisconsin.org/aboutgpa-wisconsin.
Thank-you Picnic
Come one, come all to Token Creek Park
(shelter 5), DeForest, on September 14!
Please join us in a “Thank You” to all of our
adopters, volunteers and supporters! The
fun kicks off at noon. GPA-WI will provide
the grilled food and condiments. If you
need a vegetarian option, please contact us
and let us know. Please bring a dish to pass
if you’d like! Alcohol is permitted (BYO!),
but please drink responsibly.
Leashed dogs are welcome with current
rabies and county pet licenses. There is a
fenced dog park within walking distance.
We will have day permits for $5.00 if you
don’t have a dog park license.
The event will happen rain or shine! We
have a great shelter area with fireplaces and
lots of picnic tables. Please also bring any
Gala donations you might have!
Questions/Vegetarian requests? Contact
Shawn Winkler at swinkler0187@charter.
net.