On April 10th 2007, the ASPCA will be celebrating ‘ASPCA Day’ and encouraging animal lovers nationwide to ‘Go Orange for Animals’. In our hometown of New York City, many Big Apple buildings will be lighting up in orange—the official ASPCA color—on our birthday, April 10th. Other big cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin and Philadelphia, will be going orange, too.
But we can’t forget the most important participants of all. Without the support of animal lovers like you, we wouldn’t still be the oldest humane organization in the Western Hemisphere. Please join us in celebrating the work that we do and the animals that we serve by ‘Going Orange for Animals’ on April 10th.
To get you started, we’ve provided the following ideas on how you can ‘Go Orange’ in your city, town, classroom or community for animals on April 10. Whether you organize a pet parade in your community, petition to get your town hall to light up orange, or decorate your office door with an orange bow, we thank you.
GO ORANGE! GLOW ORANGE! SHOW ORANGE FOR ANIMALS!
LIGHTEN UP
OK, so you don’t have a tower like the one on the Empire State Building on top of your house, but you can still let the world know that animal lovers live in your home. Purchase orange string or rope lights, available online and at hardware and specialty lighting and novelty stores, and wrap your house, terrace, trees, lamppost, porch steps, mailbox…even the family swing set. Start small by replacing your porch light or driveway light with an orange bulb, and see where that takes you.
SIGN LANGUAGE
Let our posters do the talking. You can download our specially designed ASPCA Day posters and use them to inspire others to show their orange colors for animals on April 10. Download Now: Dog Poster | Cat Poster
HOW ‘GLOW’ CAN YOU GO?
Get that orange GLOW by wearing and handing out orange glow sticks and glow jewelry. How about a glow light party or parade in your town? (Glow sticks and glow jewelry can be found online or purchased at party supply stores.)
TIE ONE (OR TWO!) ON
Be a wrap star when you decorate with orange bows. They’ll look great wherever you put them—on trees, over your office door, hanging from your dashboard, on your pooch…and so on and so on.
PLAY DRESS-UP
Open your closet and get out those bright orange pants, shirts, ties, shoelaces and socks that you don’t wear because you don’t think they match anything. Fear not—you’ll be majorly en vogue on April 10, we promise. If you suffer from a dearth of citrus-colored clothing, simply visit the online ASPCA Store.
ON THE MOVE
Plan a dog walk in your town where dogs and their humans go orange! For the organizationally challenged, walking through town with your friends (both furry and human) is just as good, but do be sure you’re all wearing something orange.
TAKE A BIG GULP
Mix up some batches of orangeade or orange Kool-Aid and have a sale to benefit your local humane organization or animal shelter. There’s a reason this is the quintessential kid’s fundraising activity—it’s inexpensive, and it works!
SWEET TREATS
Organize an orange bake sale for animals. Make orange cupcakes, orange cookies, orange-frosted cakes or animal shaped cats and dogs wearing orange frosted collars. (P.S. Remember, a little food coloring goes a long way!)
Bake orange cookies or cupcakes for your friends, co-workers, classmates, etc. You could also convince your local bakery to do this, and donate some of the proceeds to your local animal shelter or animal welfare group.
ESPECIALLY FOR TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS
Organize a Wear Orange For Animals Day on Tuesday, April 10, and give out orange animal cookies or cupcakes. Use this day as an opportunity to educate your students or library clients about how and why the humane movement began in the United States, and why it is important to be kind to those who cannot speak for themselves.
Have your students read Black Beauty and other humane children’s books. You can also work with your students or local theater group to present a play or speech about kindness to animals, or a brief history of the ASPCA. For more ideas, our ASPCA Humane Education department has prepared lesson plans and a list of ASPCA-approved books about animals and animal welfare, which you can find at ASPCAEducation.org.
LET IT SHINE
Ask your town hall and local officials to help you ‘Go Orange for Animals’ in your neighborhood to help raise awareness about kindness and compassion. Remind your representatives that kindness to animals means kinder citizens—who are more compassionate to each other.
SEEK SHELTER
Coordinate an ASPCA Day event with your local animal shelter or animal welfare group, and be sure to alert your local media. Wrap your shelter in an orange glow and hold an awareness event or fundraiser on or near April 10. To find a shelter or rescue group near you, visit our shelter database.
CONSTRUCTION WORK
Know of a cool building in your town or city that would look great lit up orange? Find out who the management company is and ask them to join in with New York City’s tower buildings and the many buildings that will be lighting up orange on April 10. As an added incentive, let them know that their building could receive great coverage if they light up for animals; good idea to alert the media first.
MIND YOUR (LOCAL) BUSINESS
Have your local pet store or tack shop go orange, and ask them to offer special promotions or discounts on April 10, with some proceeds going toward local animal welfare efforts.
Encourage your local bookstore to go orange by promoting and displaying humane literature for kids and adults. Local students and teachers could create the display, too. Visit ASPCAEducation.org for a list of top animal-themed titles.
GROW ORANGE
Got a green thumb? Plant an orange garden for animals. Ask your local garden center what orange flowering plants work best in your area, and do some creative landscaping. Trim your shrubs into animal shapes, and decorate them in orange bows or lights.
No garden? Try window boxes or flower pots, but do let people (and the media) know that your orange garden is all for and all about animals. (Be careful though, as some plants can be toxic to animals and wildlife. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at to find out which ones.)
GIVE A HOMELESS ANIMAL A SECOND CHANCE
Sponsor an advertisement in your local paper for an animal from your local shelter who needs a home. You can even ask to feature a photo of the animal wearing an orange bow—either real or graphically created. Make sure the ad says that you sponsored that animal for ASPCA Day, and encourage others to do the same.
Got any more ideas? Cool! And please remember, BE CREATIVE but BE CAREFUL, and always BE KIND!
For more information about ASPCA Day, please email
melissat@aspca.org.
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer...ay_orangeideas
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