The fourth annual Lolapalooza was the biggest yet for the Street Cats Club of Emporia on Saturday and served as a precursor to great things to come.
The fundraiser, supporting the agency’s Lola Love Fund, took place in a new location this year as it moved from the green space at 9th and Commercial to Kellogg Circle on the campus of Emporia State University, a move the Street Cats founder Victoria Partridge believes played a big role in the big turnout, calling it a fun time for a great cause.
In addition to a wide variety of vendors, the event also featured inflatables, children’s yard games, prize drawings, food trucks and more. In total, the event raised just under $2,800 at a time when the club has been extremely busy providing TNR services to local feral and unhoused cats, working towards a goal of 1,000 TNR services by the end of the year.
Partridge says the dollars raised Saturday will help along with that goal, but the awareness and community interaction Lolapalooza brought with it is immeasurable.
Partridge also noted Saturday that the club has received word on a few major developments that will help bolster their presence in the community; however, she was unable to provide specifics at this time other than to say a lot of “good things” are coming together for the club, which has spent five years working to get to the level it is currently at.
With this in mind, Partridge stated that Saturday’s event felt just as much like a celebration as it did a fundraiser.
On top of the aforementioned activities Saturday, the club also had a van on display which it is planning to purchase for transportation services to get cats to their various TNR and medical appointments in the future. Donations were accepted for the van’s purchase Saturday with a goal of $20,000 at this time.
Partridge says there were not many donations to that cause Saturday; however, she is very confident they will hit their goal soon and invited anyone with questions or a desire to donate to the cause to contact the Street Cats club either through social media, StreetCatsClub.org, or by calling or texting 620-366-1215.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News
