“Black Tie & Tails” Gala Benefits HART for Animals

HART for Animals, along with Honorary Chairs, Dr. William “Brit” Kirwan and Mrs. Patricia Kirwan, will be hosting “Black Tie & Tails” gala, to benefit the HART Adoption Wing. The inaugural event will take place on Saturday, November 5, 2016, at the Lodge at Wisp Resort. The gala will feature a sit-down dinner, dancing and a silent auction. Proceeds from the gala will provide funds to keep once-homeless pets in a safe place while waiting for their forever homes.  

“Thanks to the hard work, dedication, and the generosity of hundreds of volunteers, government agencies, and our supporters, we opened the HART Adoption Wing to the public in April of this year,” says Mercedes Pellet, Development Director. “This fundraising gala will be instrumental in raising much-need money for the work we do at the Adoption Wing, which has already found homes for 120 animals. We are very excited to have Brit and Patty as our honorary chairs!”  

Brit and Patty Kirwan have been helping HART for Animals for many years. Their support of Garrett County and their love for animals is recognized on the HART building: the “Patricia H. Kirwan Center.” The special bond with animals led Patty to become an active supporter of the HART Animal Center. Brit Kirwan, who recently retired as the Chancellor of the University System of Maryland, and Patty have owned a home in Garrett County since 1994, which has become a family retreat for their two children and five grandchildren.

The “Black Tie & Tails” planning committee is going all-out for this first-time gala. “Thanks to the generosity and creativity of Leigh Clarke’s team at Farmhouse Fete, and HART volunteer, Meg Collins, the décor of the evening is going to be amazing,” says Paula Yudelevit, Executive Director. “We are so fortunate to have these two planning the evening’s atmosphere!”    

Bill Grant, past president of My Bank! First United heads the fundraising and sponsorship committee, and Debbie Beitzel, Realtor for Taylor Made Real Estate is heading the silent auction committee.

“I would like to extend a very special thank you to our sponsors to-date, the Squires Group, John and Susan Pucciano, Wisp Resort, Taylor Made, Nicole Christian, Steve, and Amy Bortz, John and Shelia McCracken, and Railey Real Estate and Rentals,” says Kelli Palamar, President of the HART Executive Committee.  

HART’s charitable programs are animal rescue, adoption and sheltering, low-cost, and no-cost spay/neutering, veterinary care, and behavior modification. The monthly cost to HART for 40 plus cats and dogs awaiting adoption is $20,000. The adoption fees cover only a portion of veterinary care. It is through donations, sponsorships, grants, and fundraising opportunities that HART can keep the Adoption Wing operating.  

Tickets to the “Black Tie & Tails” gala are available online at www.hartforanimals.org, at the HART Animal Center, or by phone at 301.387.7729.

For more information on a sponsorship opportunity to help support the gala and HART, please call or email Paula Yudelevit, at 301.387.7729 or paula@hartforanimals.org.