The fund raiser to reopen the St. John Animal Care Center was sold out and appeared to raise tens of thousands of dollars. Valerie Peters organized the event. She works at the Westin Resort and persuaded the Starwood Hotels management to make the ballroom available. She also worked with chefs from the Westin and Caneel Bay to prepare menu items and came up with the idea for the "animal decor" in the room. Many attendees wore animal masks and costumes.
Tickets went for $100 each, generating $15,000 just for the dinner. There were dozens of donated items sold at silent auction (at left, bidders inspecting the merchandise) at prices from $25 to hundreds of dollars. (A silver-and-turquoise necklace, crafted by Mrs. Inquiring Iguana, sold for $150.) There were almost two dozen other items auctioned after dinner, with the top prize being a week-long trip to Umbria, Italy. It went for $6,500. Proceeds will be used to operate the Center’s neutering and animal adopting programs.
Anybody want a puppy?