1715 Reasons To Say Thank You!!

Well, I’m glad to say we all got safely back from NipClub’s African Safari – though that was actually in doubt a couple times!

I didn’t see what happened for myself, but I’ve heard Sekurity were called to certain incidents involving @mattiedog, and then apparently they had to deal with monkeys and a lion.

I’m told the lion bore a striking resemblance to @TheNascarKitty, and that some attempts at nomming were involved.

No wonder Sekurity staff were worn out by Sunday, and @SnoopDoggDoxie had to work a triple shift!

However, we all got back to NipClub safe and sound – and with a pawesome $1,715 bagged for our charity this month, NY Abandoned Angels!

That means a lot of homeless doggies have 1,715 reasons to bark a heartfelt “Thank you” to all who’ve made that possible.

That doesn’t just mean NipClub management and staff (even though some have extremely little sleep this weekend!), but all who’ve given money, time and prizes, too.

And a special word of thanks, as well, for all who’ve spread the word and sent RTs, and all who’ve joined in having fun and creating the lively atmosphere without which we could never hope to raise that kind of total!

Please remember that if you’re at NipClub and you’re joining in the fun, YOU’RE helping us and all those shelter animals who need us, too.

You can read about our adventures and follow up Abandoned Angels on the NipClub website, but there’s a special aspect of it that I want to tell you all about right now.

Someone asked me last night what NipClub management and staff get from promoting charity events.

It’s a very valid question, and one which I expect is in a lot of other people’s minds, as well, so I’m going to go into a lot more detail here where I don’t have the 140 character limitation that there is on Twitter.

First of all, here’s what we DON’T get – money, or any other material incentive or reward.

NipClub management and staff are purely volunteers who do the things we do because we want to help as many no-kill shelter animals as possible.

We ask for donations through FirstGiving, Canada Helps, JustGiving or a shelter/rescue PayPal account for Chip In.

That way, NipClub patrons can be sure that any money they give is going to a genuine, responsible and well-run charity.

Also, it means that patrons can be certain neither NipClub itself nor any member of its management or staff has access to any funds that are collected.

Unlike some fundraising groups, we don’t get a percentage of the funds raised, or any other kind of financial gain whatever.

We’d be insulted to be offered it.

So, what DO we get from helping out at NipClub?

Top of the list is the pleasure that we get from helping shelter animals – those affectionate and loyal critters who through no fault of their own have no-one to look after them.

Some are strays or ferals – most are just abandoned.

Many of the management and staff at NipClub came to live with their humans from exactly such a place, and want to help those who are there now.

Regardless of our origins, we all regard it as a privilege to help, and take a pride in being part of a team which collectively can make a difference.

We get creative satisfaction from it, too.

Whether we’re DJs, barktenders, quizzers, graphic artists, organizers or whatever, we get to indulge our creativity in ways that bring a lot of fun and laughter to the NipClub patrons – and ourselves.

Sometimes we get DMs or tweets to tell us we’ve made people laugh, or dance, or sing, introduced them to a new friend, lifted their spirits on a bad day, or helped them focus for a little while on something happier than their current situation.

We love that.

Sometimes we learn new and very useful skills.

That’s a spin-off, of course – but making graphics, using Facebook, running spreadsheets and finding my way around a variety of blogging platforms are just a few the skills I’ve developed or even learned from scratch because of NipClub, and now use in other contexts, too.

We get to make a lot of pawesome friends.

To make a thing as big as NipClub function, we have to work closely together behind the scenes. We have no choice but be a team – it won’t work any other way.

That means that in addition to the many pawesome friendships that we make with fellow NipClub pawty-goers we have the opportunity to make some closer ones with colleagues, too.

We often laugh together, occasionally cry together, bounce ideas off each other, help to solve each other’s tech issues and encourage each other’s creativity, and share a tremendous sense of achievement when something like this weekend comes together.

That’s a priceless asset many people off-line only dream of.

And, most obvious of all…

We have a lot of fun!!

So, yes – NipClub management and staff do gain a great deal from working for our goals of helping shelter animals and having, and providing, fun.

But you can be quite sure NONE of it is money.