Back from Raleigh & a BCMR Revamp

Hello to you out there in the internet!

I got back from Raleigh, NC earlier this week, after attending the first ever Big Cat Sanctuary Workshop hosted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS).

There were representatives from 22 different big cat sanctuaries across the United States, and I gotta tell ya, it was a pretty neato experience.



I am the glowing bald orb in the center of the top tier.

 We got to do a lot of meeting & greeting, networking, putting faces to names, and hearing a ton about different aspects & experiences regarding the management of big cat facilities. I went with our Development Director & Board President, Jamie Reed and I didn't embarass her too much during the whole ordeal. Success!

It was pretty eye-opening because I was able to hear from others' experiences & what was so remarkable to me was how much in common we all had with each other.

It's an odd existence, being one of CARE's managers, and it can sometimes be an isolated one. We have an awesome volunteer & intern staff, but at the end of it all, those members get to rotate in and out. They can come and go at their leisure, while there are a few of us who always stay behind- the few who have tied their fates to that of the organization. With that, it was very refreshing to be in the company of those likeminded individuals- people who have sacrificed so much for the sake of the animals in their care.

We learned a lot, and we hope to apply a lot of what we learned to CARE to hopefully elevate it to higher levels. We at CARE have a tremendous facility and we truly do take EXCEPTIONAL care of our cats, now we just need to pump some more funds into the facility so that we can keep doing well what we do (providing world class care to big cats in need) and not stress and strain and spend undue amounts of energy worrying over things like the next months bills. I'm tired of it- and that's one of the reasons why I'm doing this mud run.

Which takes me to my next point. We're entering into November, my training regimen is still going strong, and I haven't recieved a SINGLE DONATION for this project. I will not, however, let that stop me. That means, I just haven't found the right angle yet. I think I need to rethink the monetary aspect of the fundraiser- still keep the bare bones elements- donations in exchange for advertising, but I think I need to simplify the process a lot more. I've got boxes and decals & squared inches & a lot of confusing elements, & I think that's off-putting to a lot of people.

Lesson learned. Now it's time to move forward. I'm going to scrap most of the 'How to Donate' section, & I'm going to come out with a new, much more simple way for the BCMR to make money.

This project has to work, the cats deserve it, and I'm determined.

-Derek