Kids, Cats and Candidates 2006
Results: 
Humane USA's first ever Kids, Cats and Candidates Day was a tremendous success. 178 guests, including 15 candidates enjoyed a beautiful day of getting to know each other in the relaxed setting of the sanctuary. $1527.00 was raised for the cause and 81 families agreed to join Humane USA's mailing list to stay informed about animal issues and how they can help. The kids (and adults) enjoyed their Valentine's Day cards and lots of people posed with "Bill Clinton". Tim Schoonover won the 3 days and 2 nights donated by Holiday Inn. We got some good press coverage and that helped spread the message too.
The volunteers experimented with a new way of doing tours by taking their small groups to one candidate and handing them off to the next volunteer who would escort them to the next candidate. As always, the volunteers did a marvelous job of parking everyone, getting everyone set up and secure and then making sure that the day was fun and safe for all involved. Heather Veleanu, the Chair of the Humane USA FL Steering Committee drove up from South Florida to greet guests while they waited for the next tour and did a fantastic job of raising more than $500.00 for donated art.
We competed with the Florida State Fair's Kid's Day so that brought our expected numbers down a bit, but thanks to the protesters we had several people say that they were just driving by and decided to come because they saw the signs and wanted to see what was going on. That helped increase the amount of exposure to our cause and the funds generated so the day turned out quite well. If you were a Candidate, a Volunteer, a Staff member, or a Guest we thank you for making this a special day for all involved.
Summary:
Meet the Big Cats of the Animal Kingdom and the Big Cats of the Political Arena at this Kid's Day Valentine Celebration at Big Cat Rescue. On Saturday February 11, 2006 from 10 till 1 Big Cat Rescue will host an open house to introduce families to local politicians who are running for office. Instead of our regular tour times, we will have tours departing every few minutes throughout the day, so you can come when it is convenient for you.
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| Buy Big Cat Stuffed Plush Toys |
Kids will get to collect free Valentine's Day cards (like the ones pictured here) from each of the political candidates on their tour through the sanctuary that is home to more than 150 big cats. The cost per person is only $10.00 for this special event and the proceeds will be used to promote better laws to protect the animals by backing animal friendly candidates.
Because Big Cat Rescue cannot endorse any particular candidate for office we can't tell you who we are voting for, so you will have to decide who the most animal friendly candidates are for yourself. This event is being sponsored by a private donor for Humane USA the nation's largest political action committee for animals. Police officers will be onsite and at the entrance to insure everyone's safety.
Cats and Candidates is a new format designed to be a Win-Win situation for all involved.
| Family Fun | Candidate Info | Vendors | Map & Weather |
Participating in this unique venue lets a major segment of the voting public know that you care about animals. New figures just released from APPMA's 2005-2006 National Pet Owners Survey show pet ownership is currently at its highest level, with 63 percent of all U.S. households owning a pet which equates to more than 69 million households.That's up from 64 million in 2002 and 51 million in 1988 when APPMA's tracking began. According to the 375 page survey that tracks hundreds of pet ownership trends, Americans own approximately 73 million dogs and 90 million cats. (Cats Rule!)
The following poll results also indicate how important a candidate's position on animal welfare is to 85% of the population when they vote:
| How much does a politician's animal friendly behavior influence your vote? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cats and Candidates invites politicians at all levels of government to come out on this special day and set up an outdoor booth next to our lions, tigers, leopards and more. At the candidate's table, they will have beautiful Valentine's Day cards to hand out to the families as they drop by on their tour of the facility. The cards will feature breathtaking photos of the cats on the tour and on the back will be a segment about the candidate and how to contact them. The candidates may also hand out their own campaign literature and Valentine's Day candy or other give-aways. More specifics for candidates here.
If you are a family looking for a great way to have fun and teach your children:
What better morning could you spend with your kids than seeing them stand in awe of a 700 pound tiger? Kids love big cats and at Big Cat Rescue there are 150 lions, tigers, bobcats and our most recent rescues; the three baby mountain lions. Unlike our regularly scheduled tours, on Cats and Candidates Day you can come any time from 10 till 1 (event closes and everyone must leave at 2 pm) and tours will be heading out on safari every few minutes. In addition to learning about the animals and conservation issues, you will also have a unique opportunity to show your kids their government in action.
Your kids will be able to collect beautiful Valentine's Day cards from each of the candidates; a feel-good experience that may influence the way they feel about their ability to shape the future of their country through politics. (Just remember when YOUR kid is President where it started...) And speaking of President, you may even get lucky enough to shake former President, Bill Clinton's hand (or someone who looks and sounds an awful lot like him!)
What better venue could you offer your services to than a day of fun for families that benefits the animals and is your political launch pad into the 2006 election campaign trail? We are a non profit and rely on the generosity of donors who can see the potential to advance their name recognition at a memorable event.
Because we have a lot of favorite vendors already who donate their services and do not wish to book competing vendors, please contact us at your earliest convenience if you would like to be a part of this landmark event. Contact Carole 813.493.4564
Print out a flyer, click HERE
Please help us put a stop to the insanity. Exotic cats don't make good pets. Do your part and speak out for them here:
Big Cat Rescue is not just another sanctuary taking on the responsibility for those have been irresponsible. We know that the most effective way to stop the abuse and exploitation of exotic cats is through more protective laws. You may not feel comfortable talking to your state representatives, but the animals can't do it without you. Please do your part by taking a few minutes to learn about the important bills that are before the lawmakers now and then go the extra step to contact them and tell them that you support laws the protect animals from abuse and neglect. The pages you will be able to reach through the banner below make it fast and easy for you and a better world for the big cats.
Stop the breeding, selling and exploiting of Big Cats by signing the petition on this page: Stop Breeding Big Cats.
Set up for candidates will be at 9:00 am the day of the event so that you can be in place as the first tours pass by. Since all of our tours are guided, all of our visitors will drop by each candidate's booth. The Valentine's Day cards are something the kids take home and then a few days later, on Valentine's Day, they can give them to others as gifts. This gets your message into the hands of our visitors and into the hands of their circle of influence. Because your message is on the back of these cards, which will be keep sake quality, you will have an advertising success rate that few other options could offer. You will have a 3.5 inch square on the back of the card for your photo, contact info and a brief message. If you get this to us in digital format by Feb. 3 (this Friday) we can print it for you, otherwise, you will have to bring your own stickers to affix to the back of the cards.
Any of our open house styled events like this will generate 300 guests. By offering the intrigue of meeting the candidates and the press that something this unique is sure to generate, the candidates may well be able to meet with twice as many potential voters. All visitors to Big Cat Rescue must fill out a contact information form and while Big Cat Rescue does not ordinarily share that information, for this event there will be a special check box asking to share the information with the candidates for their campaign purposes. The visitors will be offered a reasonable incentive to do so. This information will only be available to candidates who come in person and stay for the duration of the event.
You may bring a 6 foot table, chairs, any hand outs you wish to disperse, candy and cookies for the kids and decorations but keep in mind that cats are easily spooked, so no balloons, umbrellas, loud speakers or confetti like substances that could blow into the cages. Most locations will not have access to power. You may solicit for donations and volunteers to your campaign. Big Cat Rescue holds a high level of integrity in the public eye and will not allow negative campaigning on the property. (No cat fights allowed) You may bring your own family or help, but they must stay at your booth, or tag along on any of the passing tours, as guests are not allowed to wander unescorted.
Since this is our first year and we often get an amazing amount of media coverage you need to RSVP quickly so that if there is any opportunity to mention you by name we will make that effort.
These candidates attended the event:
| County Commissioner, Dist 5 | Jim Norman |
| Governor | Austin Brooks |
| Governor | Glenn Aldine Burkett |
| Oldsmar City Council | Eric Seidel |
| School Board Member, Dist. 6 | Janice J. Torgersen |
| Soil and Water Conservation, Dist. 1 | Tammy Harman |
| State Representative, Dist. 47 | Kevin C. Ambler |
| State Representative, Dist. 48 | Carl Zimmerman |
| State Representative, Dist. 57 | Faye Culp |
| State Representative, Dist. 57 | Brian Becker |
| State Senator, District 10 | Stephen J. Gorham |
| U.S. Representative, Dist. 11 | Jim Greenwald |
| Chief Financial Officer | Tom Lee |
| U.S. Representative, Dist. 9 | Phyllis Busansky |
| U.S. Representative, Dist. 9 | David Langheier |
Get your name on the list so that your constituents know that animal issues matter to you.
Contact:
Carole Baskin, Director ofHumane USA PAC at
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625 or cell phone 813.493.4564 to reserve your "spot" now.
Tim Watters is the Presidential Impersonator who will be interacting with you at the Kids, Cats and Candidates Day.
You can hire him for your own event by calling 813-989-3925