Sometimes, I have to think for a time to come up with a blog idea. Sometimes, an idea just comes walking in the door. This was the case last Thursday morning when I was having my coffee at Panera and sitting across the aisle from the tables occupied by the “guys,” retired men about my age who meet in a group of a dozen or more every morning at the “P.” In the door walked a lovely young woman, beautifully dressed and smiling, and she walked right up to the guys and said that they were just the people she had come to see. Holy mackerel! Talk about a bunch of fellas immediately perking up! Eyes widened! Smiles brightened! And some who had put on their coats in anticipation of leaving, took those coats off. I imagine there was a considerable rise in group blood pressure as well. But the guys had to wait a bit to find out why she needed them. They had to wait for Tom, the Mayor of Panera, to return. Not surprisingly, the pretty young woman was mostly there to see Tom.
While all waited for Tom to arrive, the young woman crossed to a table to meet with someone else. I was pretty sure I recognized her when she passed by from a presentation she had done at the Chittenango Lions Club about the Wanderer’s Rest Humane Association. When Tom returned she talked with the guys for awhile. They listened attentively. Before she left, I asked her if she was from Wanderer’s Rest. Indeed, she was.
The young woman was Linda DeMuro, the Executive Director of Wanderer’s Rest Humane Association on Southerland Drive, right off Route 5 in Canastota. Wanderer’s Rest is dear to the Ellstrom family’s hearts. It was there that we adopted Mandy, our boxer/bulldog/hound combo back in 1987. I mentioned Mandy in an earlier blog, I think. She was a sweetheart, an athlete, and a genius kind of dog with an array of tricks, taught to her by my daughter Jan, that people loved to see.
Linda was at Panera to see Tom because he had promised to donate his musical talent to a fundraiser in which Wanderer’s Rest was involved. Linda also took the opportunity of presenting the details of the fundraiser to the bevy of guys who meet there everyday. What a fundraiser is planned!
For the first time, Wanderer’s Rest is hosting a gala at The Landmark Theatre called Black Tie and TAILS. On Saturday, February 21, 2015, from 7:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M., the beautiful and ornate theatre will open its doors to people looking to support the great work Wanderer’s Rest does. Black Tie and TAILS will feature an open bar from 7 to 9, cuisine by Karen’s Catering, music by Perfect Sounds DJ, and casino games by Ralston Supply Center. Tickets for the event are $150 person or two tickets for $250.
Wanderer’s Rest does so much and is such a worthy cause. Not only do they have pet adoption from their Canastota center, which serves Madison and Oneida counties, in particular, but they also have 4 off-site adoption centers in Onondaga County. They distribute spay/neuter certificates, provide emergency food supplies so families can keep their pets, and do Humane Education presentations to civic organizations and schools across Central NY. That’s just a few of the amazing things they do.
So. . .think about attending the event, being an event sponsor, or assisting Wanderer’s Rest in other ways. Tickets can be purchased at the Landmark Box Office, by calling the Landmark at (315) 475-7979, or at the Wanderer’s Rest Humane Association. If you want to help or find out more about this amazing organization go to the website at www.wanderersrest.org. You’ll make some dogs and cats happy!
Greg Ellstrom
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