The Petco Foundation selected Rainbow Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kurtistown as a 2019 Honorable Mention recipient of its Holiday Wishes grant campaign — an annual nationwide campaign that asks adopters to share how their pet brightens their life to help the animal welfare organization they adopted from earn a lifesaving grant.
Now Rainbow Friends can earn up to an additional $25,000, but the sanctuary needs the community’s help.
Through 8 a.m. Dec. 20 the public can vote for their favorite Holiday Wishes story at petcofoundation.org/vote.
“We’re so excited to have been named a Holiday Wishes honorable mention recipient, now we need our community’s help,” said Rainbow Friends Animal Sanctuary Vice President Kathy Buono. “Vote for Rainbow Friends in the People’s Choice competition. Help our holiday wishes come true by voting for our story and help us extend our lifesaving work this holiday season and beyond.”
The top five People’s Choice vote recipients will receive:
• First place: One prize of $25,000.
• Second place: Two winners, $10,000 each.
• Third place: Two winners, $5,000 each.
Winners will be announced in late December. To view all 105 Holiday Wishes stories and vote for a favorite, visit petcofoundation.org/vote.
The public also is invited to join Rainbow Friends at 11 a.m. Dec. 19 to celebrate the Holiday Wishes grant award with an event at the Hilo Petco located at 111 E. Puainako St.
Since 2013, more than $4 million in Holiday Wishes grants have been awarded to help make the holidays brighter for pets in need during the holiday season and all year. Thousands of pet adopters throughout the United States submitted stories about how their pets brighten their life.
In 2019, 105 selected stories earned the animal welfare organization where the pet was adopted from a Holiday Wishes grant.
For more information, visit petcofoundation.org/holidaywishes and join the conversation on social media using #HolidayWishes.
Rainbow Friends Animal Sanctuary is a no-kill sanctuary. It is home to 70 dogs and 400 cats.
Contact Rainbow Friends at 982-5110 or email mail@rainbowfriends.org for additional information.