Here are eight reasons why you won’t want to miss this year’s event:

New Location: Innovative Field
Due to exciting renovations as part of our Kindness for All Kind expansion project, this year’s Barktober Fest is moving to Innovative Field in downtown Rochester! This new venue offers more space, easier access, and built-in seating for watching our main stage entertainment. From the third base seating area, enjoy canine contests, live music, and so much more. The vendor village and food options will be located on the stadium concourse, making it easy to grab a snack or browse handmade crafts and pet products.

Please note: Innovative Field has a bag policy, which you can review on our website. Also, high heels and cleats are not allowed on the field.

The Walk for the Animals
At the heart of Barktober Fest is our beloved Walk for the Animals, starting at 10 a.m. on the warning track inside the stadium. Register, fundraise, and walk to support pets at Lollypop Farm. Every dollar you raise helps provide food, shelter, veterinary care, behavior training, and a second chance for animals in need. You can sign up as an individual, join an existing team, or rally your friends and family to create your own!

Canine Contests
The main events are back again; three amazing contests that will be sure to entertain everyone. Look for them all at the main stage located right on the field, and use Innovative Field’s seats to catch all the action. Want to have your pet join in the fun? Register on our website today!

• The Canine Costume Contest presented by Wendy’s Get ready for Halloween early and show off your creativity with a clever canine costume. Dress up your dog, or come as a matching pair. Either way, join in this fun, friendly competition!

• The Pup + Human Whipped Cream Eating Contest presented by Orville’s Home Appliances Does your dog live for pup cups and devour them in record time? Indulge right alongside your four-legged friend as the two of you slurp plates of whipped topping. Yes, you read that right, you eat alongside your dog, and no hands or utensils are allowed!

• The Hot Diggity Dog Contest presented by K9 Resorts Penfield Will your furry friend bring home the title of the fastest hot dog-eating pup in the land? Join your dog onstage and cheer them on as they bob for hot dog bites in trays of water!

Live Music with Hey Mabel
Hey Mabel is back again to crank the tunes! Enjoy their crowd-pleasing songs while you relax in the stands or dance with your dog by your side.

Amazing Local Vendors
Explore our vendor market in the concourse area. You’ll find everything from pet treats and toys to artisan crafts, gifts, and home goods. Visit our website to view an updated list of all of our amazing vendors.

Note: Stadium food vendors like Home Plate and Mama Mitsy’s Pizza are cashless. Some independent vendors may accept cash — an ATM will be available on-site.

Family Fun
Bring the kids and enjoy a day full of activities in our Family Fun Zone, including:

• • Innovative Field’s bounce house and fast pitch station

  • Animal-themed crafts

  • Bubbles

  • Story time and more!

Your Dog is Invited
Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome throughout Barktober Fest. Whether your pup joins in the contests or just soaks in the sights and smells, they’ll have a tail-wagging good time.

Don’t forget to bring waste bags, and please ensure your dog is comfortable in crowds and vaccinated for proper protection against potential diseases.

You’re Making a Difference
When you attend, walk, fundraise, or donate, you’re supporting Lollypop Farm’s mission to create a more compassionate world for pets and the people who love them. Your support helps animals find loving homes and provides essential services to our community.

Register today!

The post Eight Reasons to Join us at Barktober Fest! appeared first on Lollypop Farm.

While it seems like only yesterday, it has been almost a year since we held the groundbreaking ceremony to announce our Kindness for All Kind Campaign. As with all worthwhile endeavors, this journey has had many twists and turns. I am grateful for the support of our community along the way.

May has marked two incredible milestones in our efforts. On May 9th, Assemblymember Jen Lunsford came to Lollypop Farm to announce a five-million-dollar gift from New York State towards the Kindness for All Kind Campaign.

During the press conference, Lunsford referenced the incredible work done daily to help animals and people alike throughout the greater Rochester area as a key reason for the State’s backing. This is the first time in our organization’s 150-year history that we have received funding of this magnitude.

In addition to this support, on Wednesday, May 15th, Lollypop Farm received conditional approval for our project site plan from the Perinton Town Planning Board. This was achieved through immense work between Lollypop Farm staff, Town personnel, construction managers, architects, engineers, environmental specialists, and designers. We defined and redefined our plans to ensure the protection of the surrounding wetlands. The condition of our Town approval is the receipt of a Department of Environmental Conservation permit, which we expect shortly.

It has been an exciting time for all who care about the future of animal welfare in our area. We can now begin the bidding process that will allow us to transform our campus into one of the nation’s leading community-based animal welfare and education centers. We can also look toward the next steps in our master plan, which continue to address issues of pet homelessness, animal cruelty, and pet owners’ struggles. With your support, we move closer every day to our goal—Kindness for All Kind.

With Lollypop Love,

Alice Calabrese, CAWA
President & CEO
Lollypop Farm

Construction Update

An immense amount of activity has occurred over the last several years to get us to the point of breaking ground. We look forward to seeing excavators and large equipment as a regular fixture on our campus this summer. Over the past two years, a small army of Lollypop staff, construction managers, architects, engineers, environmental specialists, and designers have developed and refined highly detailed plans for site improvements, buildings, stormwater management, and other systems required to turn our dreams into reality. We continue to work with the town, county, and state authorities to receive approvals – no small task! A project of this size and scope has many layers of approvals, from site plan approvals to building permits and beyond. Along our journey, we will work with many agencies, including the Town of Perinton, the NYS Department of Transportation, the Monroe County Water Authority, the DEC, the Army Corps of Engineers, the NYS Department of Historic Preservation, Fairport Electric, and others.

If you are wondering, “What took so long?” We have been navigating a rigorous approval process to receive approval for our site plans from the Town of Perinton. We are now awaiting approval from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which we expect to receive shortly. Due to the presence of wetlands on our property, this process has been extensive and time-consuming. While we are eager to begin, we recognize the importance of protecting our surrounding wetlands.

Groundwork will begin as soon as possible, marking the exciting start of our project. This will include excavators and bulldozers on site at Lollypop Farm, at Egypt Park, where we will add pig pastures, and across the street on our new East Campus!

We fully expect to continue our shelter operations throughout construction, including holding our Barktober Fest Walk for the Animals in September. Our farmyard and trails will also be open, with occasional closures as we take deliveries of construction supplies.

We promise to keep you updated on our progress!

Imagine the Future…

Rochester’s poverty rate is just over 33%, higher than any other city of similar size in the country. Often, those struggling to feed their families also struggle to feed their pets. We know this first hand as last year, Lollypop Farm’s Pet Pantry provided the community with almost 30,000 lbs of pet food. We believe if a family is struggling through a difficult time, be it the loss of a job or family member, downsizing, or a threatening event, it should not mean losing a beloved pet. With so much need in our community our staff is challenged to find ways to collect and store pet food to help satisfy this growing need. Thankfully, the new Donation & Support Center will enable us to safely gather and organize supplies donated by the community until we can get these supplies to their ultimate destination – the pets in our community.

Together, with our generous community members who donate to our Pet Panty, we look forward to the even greater life-changing impact we will have on the pets and people who need us most.

Support from Our Community…

“Lollypop Farm is a beacon of hope and the voice for animals in our region. This capital campaign is essential to accelerating their expansion, expanding their reach, and saving even more lives.”

-William L. Schoff
Capital Campaign Supporter

Learn More

We look forward to sharing pictures, videos, and more with you as we get underway with construction. As excavators make their way on to the campus and we begin to break ground, we will be sharing regular updates on our website.

If you would like to receive information or have questions about the Kindness for All Kind Campaign, please email donations@lollypop.org.

The post Campaign Update: Kindness for All Kind appeared first on Lollypop Farm.

While cash gifts pack a punch for charitable organizations like Lollypop Farm and can create a meaningful tax write-off, giving other, less obvious assets can be equally beneficial and save you big during tax season. Here are four tax-wise vehicles to help you give more and pay less!

Gifts of Appreciated Securities
Gifting long-term capital assets, such as appreciated stock, not only has the potential to decrease your capital gains exposure, but you’ll also receive a tax deduction equal to the security’s fair market value. And the charitable upside? Rather than selling your assets and making a cash donation, by gifting stock directly, you are able to give, on average, 20% more, making your impact even greater.

• Think outside the box: gifts of unique appreciated assets such as real estate, farmland, bonds, mutual funds, and even artwork can help you avoid capital gains tax.

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD)
QCDs are a great option for making tax-free gifts to charity from your IRA retirement fund; upon reaching 70 ½ years, you are eligible to make a QCD. And at 72, when you must take a required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA, you can gift all or a portion of your RMD to your chosen qualified charitable organization(s). This allows you to give more and avoid additional income tax.

Donor Advised Fund
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a third-party-held account where you can deposit assets to be dispersed to charity over time. You can claim the tax deduction in the year you contribute a donation to your DAF. While in the DAF, this donation can grow tax-free, increasing your charitable impact over the life of the gift through your Donor Advised Fund.

You will need to work with a donor-advised fund-sponsoring organization to make this type of gift.

Charitable Gift Annuities
Charitable Gift Annuities (CGA) offer a secure charitable investment yielding fixed, steady income for life. When you pass, the remainder of the annuity is transferred tax-free to your chosen charitable organization.

A portion of your CGA income will be tax-free, and in the year of your investment, you’ll receive a partial tax deduction on the total value of the annuity.

Interested in learning how you can save this tax season?
Learn more on our website..
Let’s talk! Philanthropy@lollypop.org or call:
Abby Kochan (585) 223-1330 x197
Robin Harisis (585) 223-1330 x202

The post This tax season: Give More and Pay Less appeared first on Lollypop Farm.