TRACS hosts fly-in event to raise funds for animals
<p>Volunteer Ruthie Farrier pours a glass of wine during the TRACS event. The event hosted worldly wines from different regions in the world.</p>
THOMPSON FALLS – Wine, beer, and good food greeted the guests at the annual Thompson River Animal Care Shelter’s fundraising event.
The event, a fly-in, was hosted at the Thompson Falls airport and was located in the large hanger central to the airport. The location provided the perfect setting for people to come together for a great cause and help TRACS with their mission.
Helping to make the world better, one pet at a time, TRACS focuses on saving animals, spaying and neutering them and providing a safe place for them to stay until they find their forever homes.
The idea sparked for the fly-in when Organizer Wanda Thorpe and volunteers were discussing what theme to follow this year. As they brainstormed, they decided a fly-in festival would be the perfect opportunity to use the airport as well as hopefully generate some outside business in the surrounding communities.
Although, planes were scarce, people were plentiful as many drove to the event, filling the hanger. Music serenaded the crowd as three different performances took to the stage.
Artist Teresa Fisher was at the event, detailing a pastel picture of a dog that she donated for auction.
As servers carried platters of hors d’oevres and snacks, people taste tested their drinks, going from table to table and deciding which of the worldly wines they enjoyed the most.
Wines from California, Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, and Chile were featured among others, providing an eclectic taste of pinot noirs to cabernet sauvignons. Big Sky Brewing Company from Missoula was also on hand dishing out some of their favorite microbrews including Trout Slayer and Heavy Horse.
Silent and live auction items lined the tables, each item allowing someone a chance to donate to TRACS while getting something in return.
The event was deemed successful and Thorpe said overall everyone was enjoying themselves at the event. Even with the lack of planes, the amount of attendees made up for the scarce number of pilots.
In its seventh year, TRACS has saved the lives of over 2,800 pets and has helped fix over 2,000 community pets. As the only animal shelter in Sanders County, the organization prides itself on being a no kill shelter facility that survives purely on volunteer hours fueled by the love for animals.