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.
From August 13 - 16, 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. on Thursday, August 13 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 16, 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.
Corporate Sponsorship Information
By sponsoring The Fast & The Furriest®, your business can heighten its corporate image, show community support, and increase brand awareness while reaching concerned and committed participants from the Greater Rochester Area. Your support sends a message that your company is a recognized partner in this important community effort that reaches a broad demographic of pet owners who are concerned with the welfare of animals in their community. View the various sponsorship opportunities outlined in the Sponsorship Packet. If you have questions, please email us. Note: Print deadline for graphics is July 24th, so any sponsorship commitments after that date may not have recognition in all printed materials.
Still have questions about the event?
Contact us at vsasinc@gmail.com