The Fast & The Furriest®

 Our Major Annual Fundraiser Is Virtually Here 

  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rochester’s favorite pet event is going virtual this year. This means participants can run and walk anywhere and anytime, while making a difference in the lives of animals in need! We have also changed the date of The Fast & The Furriest® to Saturday, August 15th to correspond with International Homeless Animals Day and our mission to help pets in need find a home. This gives participants more time to train, donate, and raise funds for this great cause. 

  On Saturday, August 15th, animal lovers are invited to participate in The Fast & The Furriest® by taking a walk around the block or completing a 5K or 10K on the streets, trails or treadmill. No matter how you participate, know you are helping homeless pets within the Rochester community.  

  The Fast & The Furriest® is the biggest fundraising event of the year for Verona Street Animal Society and, during these uncertain times, it is more crucial than ever that we meet our fundraising goal of $80,000 for Rochester’s animals.  

Event Information

  You have from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, August 15th to complete a walk, 5K or 10K on the streets, trails or treadmill. Run, walk, or hike, with or without your dog—it doesn’t matter! When done, share your results with us (instructions to follow) to prove you’ve completed the event.  The Overall Male and Female winners in each race will win a store voucher to Fleet Feet Sports. All other finishers will be placed into a raffle drawing to win some great prizes from our sponsors. 

  Registration is $30 for the event (choose 5K, 10K, and/or walk). Registered participants will receive a T-shirt (redemption details to follow) and access to a virtual marketplace with exclusive offers from sponsors and vendors. 

  While registering, make sure to set up your fundraising page as an individual or team to help increase our impact. Personalize the page with your own story, link it with Facebook Fundraising, and set your personal goal.  

  During this challenging time, we all need to support and encourage each other. Throughout the journey and on event-day, you are encouraged to engage with Verona Street Animal Society on Facebook and Instagram and on The Fast & The Furriest® Facebook   event page by sharing photos and videos of your training sessions and participation in the virtual event. Don’t forget to include your furry friends and fitness companions! Use the hashtags #TheFast&TheFurriest and #Fundraising4RAS to connect with other fundraisers and event supporters.  

  All runners and participants are welcome. Pets are not required, but we encourage dogs and cats (and any other companion animal) to participate virtually as well. We also encourage all runners to   fundraise for the shelter animals at Rochester Animal Services either individually or with a team.

    RACE REGISTRATION    

Fundraising Prizes

  If You Raise:                     Your Prize Is: 

  $50                                     VSAS Buff 

  $250                                   VSAS Backpack 

  $1,000                               GPS Pet Tracker 

  $2,000                              Automatic Dog Ball Launcher 

    START FUNDRAISING/DONATE 

Why is your paw-ticipation so important?

 By supporting the Verona Street Animal Society, you are helping animals get the second chance they deserve. Any donation made directly impacts the animals in our community by:   

• Providing food, shelter, enrichment and medical care at the shelter 
• Promoting adoption, lost and found, and spay/neuter programs 
• Supporting under-served communities by providing access to pet resources 

  

  If you are not able to participate in this virtual event but want to help the shelter animals, you can still become an online fundraiser and be eligible to receive one of our great prizes. 

For more information on how to set up your fundraiser and tips and tricks to reach your goal visit our instructions sheet.     

    START FUNDRAISING/DONATE 

 NOTE: Fundraising prize totals will be determined by ONLINE donations as of midnight on August 15th, 2020. Donations after that time will be accepted but will not be used toward determination of prizes. Checks made payable to Verona Street Animal Society should be mailed to Verona Street Animal Society, PO Box 22874, Rochester, NY 14692 before August 15th.