Two years ago, Lori Paul’s parents found a homeless cat under their deck in the dead of winter.
The animal was not healthy. He was emaciated and sick, so Paul called the SPCA to come and help. Unfortunately the SPCA was not able to rescue the cat, but they did refer her to Community Animal Projects (CAP) who came to the aid of Wizard the cat.
Everyone expected that Wizard would soon die. Day after day, Paul and her parents waited for the call from CAP saying that Wizard had passed, but that day never came. He kept getting better. Wizard fattened up and soon he was healthy.
Paul couldn’t believe it. Because of the love she saw in CAP’s dedication to nursing him back to health, she wanted to help them out.
As an animal lover herself, she knew she couldn’t help by fostering animals, as she would want every single pet that came into CAP’s care — her home would soon turn into the crazy cat lady house.
So fundraising was the way to go.
Mixing her love of vintage ties, up-cycling, and music, Paul started Tie One On. It’s a vintage necktie sale and silent auction, with music, food and wine, all wrapped into one event.
Now in its second year, Tie One On is the largest fundraiser for CAP. It brought in $4,000 last year, and this year they’re hoping to raise $5,000.
The event takes place this Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Royal Hotel. One room will be home to the musical entertainment and another room will be full of food and items for sale.
Paul will have 200 of her vintage ties for sale ranging in price from $10 to $100.
“Some are designer ties in perfect condition that are absolutely gorgeous,” she says.
In addition to her tie collection, she will also be donating her musical talent.
Paul and her friends from Spiderlodge studio will be performing live music throughout the night.
The venue and wine has been donated by the Royal Hotel. Home Hardware has donated the cost of appetizers. Mary Lindsay is donating cupcakes.
There are about a dozen silent auction items, all of which have also been donated, and many of which tap into Paul’s creative personality.
There will be a handmade quilt made from ties, a ladder made from rolling pins, and other crafty upcycled creations up for bidding.
The raffle prize is a three-day cottage stay on Vancouver Island, and the door prize is another quilt made from ties.
“Your $30 gets you one free glass of wine, edibles, cupcakes, and a door prize entry for the tie quilt.”
All costs have been paid for by sponsors and every single dollar raised at Tie One On will go to CAP.
In addition to raising money for CAP, another goal for Paul is to inform the public of what the animal rescue organization does.
“I believe that the SPCA, Chilliwack Animal Safe Haven, and Ena’s Community Cats are all doing excellent work, however the need is so great that CAP is also a vital force in helping homeless pets,” says Paul.
If you’ve never heard of CAP, you’re not alone.
The animal rescue organization was founded by Carolyn Pinsent and Jennifer Arnold in 2008. They’ve been quietly working with a handful of volunteers under the radar and that’s how they want to stay. They don’t want the public to know how to reach them, rather other animal rescue organizations including the SPCA will call upon CAP when there’s the need. Or, CAP will hear about the animals by word of mouth or social media.
CAP rescues homeless animals and attempts to re-home them, they offer financial help and pet food for families who are in crisis, and they tend to the most forgotten animals — feral cats.
“The animals that don’t get the necessary attention are the feral cats,” says Paul.
They’re the spitting, hissing, clawing, biting cats that no one wants to touch. But CAP will.
“One of the things that CAP does is called the TNR — trap, neuter, and release,” she says. “You can’t take a wild feral animal and re-home it. It discombobulates them.”
Spaying and neutering feral and other cats is a great way to lower the animal population.
“We know that we have a terrible problem — we are having to destroy perfectly healthy pets. Why? Because we are not spaying and neutering and there are too many unwanted pets. Every day thousands of perfectly healthy pets are euthanized,” says Paul.
But taking a cat to a veterinarian to get spayed or neutered comes at a cost. With all of the work that CAP does with homeless pets, feral cats, and its pet food bank, they don’t have time to fundraise.
Tie One On is Paul’s way of contributing and bringing a “fun, social event” to Chilliwack.
Tickets for Tie One On are $30. There are 125 tickets for sale and they will only be sold in advance by calling 604-795-9523 or by emailing lori@loripaul.com.
The event is Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Royal Hotel (45886 Wellington Ave.).
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