UPCOMING WEEKEND EVENTS: SATURDAY, 11/8 11:00a to 3:00p Animal Adoption Event, Coat Drive, and Pet Boutique Stratford Animal Respite and Control Stratford, CT The Stratford Animal Rescue Society will be hosting an Animal Adoption Event and Pet Boutique at the Stratford Animal Control Facility located at 225 Beacon Point Road on Saturday, November 8th from 11:00am-3:00pm. STARS will also be holding a coat drive at this event for those in need. Please help us by donating gently used or new coats for adults and children.

Unfortunately, life happened and we weren't able to give the blog much attention lately. While we were away, there have been many exciting charitable events we participated in. The most recent was the Leukemia and Lymphoma Light the Night Walk at Lighthouse Point in New Haven. This is an amazing night! For more information, and to get involved in future walks, log onto: www.lightthenight.org

Walk for Wishes 2014 Wishes Will Come True at the Zoo! Join us on May 10, 2014 for Make-A-Wish® Connecticut's Walk for Wishes at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport! This year's event will become the largest wish send-off party in our chapter's history when we surprise a six-year old girl with her wish to go on a Disney cruise! A limo will drive into the zoo and open to reveal some of her favorite characters. The characters will invite the little princess and her family on stage where they'll find out that their luggage is in the limo and that they are leaving THAT MINUTE for the airport! To be able to include our supporters in such a magical moment is a thrill for us. We can tell you about how a wish affects a child, but nothing compares to seeing a child's face light up with hope and possibility when they discover that their one true wish is about to come true. Not only will we be giving this little girl and her family an unforgettable memory to cherish, we'll be impacting the lives of everyone in attendance as we collectively share the power of a wish®. Help us reach our goal of $100,000! At the average cost of $10,000 per wish, this will enable us to grant wishes to 10 Connecticut kids! Each participant is asked to raise money to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. You can make wishes come true by walking as an individual, starting or joining a team, sponsoring a participant or making a donation. Each participant who raises the suggested goal amount of $25.00 will receive a special "Wish Kit" for the wish send-off. - See more at: http://ctwish.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1093222#sthash.h7o3KESo.dpuf

April is Autism Awareness Month. During this month take some time to familiarize yourself with some great resources about this disorder. Educating yourself about an issue is the best way to know what your advocating for and increases your determination to help. Two names to research are Temple Grandin and Jesse Saperstein. I had the privilege to attend an autism conference over the past weekend and was so inspired after learning about these two individuals. A diagnosis is only a characteristic of an individual's personality and it is what makes them....them. Boundaries shouldn't be set for anyone, and it is amazing to see what people are capable of when given the opportunity. Go G.O.S.S.I.P!

April 2, 2014 is World Autism Awareness Day, and to celebrate, hundreds of thousands of people are coming together to Light It Up Blue. Join Autism Speaks to help shine a light on autism! You have the entire month of March to spread the word. Wear blue on 4/2, put a blue light bulb outside of your home in one of your fixtures so that anyone driving by knows you are a supporter, bring blue cupcakes or cookies to work...anything that gets people involved and aware of such an important cause. Go G.O.S.S.I.P

March Health Awareness Events & Observances 2014..... Brain Injury awareness Month, Hemophilia Awareness Month, March to Health - NCAA, National MS Education and Awareness Month, National Nutrition Month, Red Cross Month, Specific Weeks to observe..... National Aplastic Anemia and MDS Awareness Week 3/1-3/6, National Sleep Awareness Week 3/2-3/9, Endometriosis Awareness Week 3/3-3/9, National Poison Prevention Week 3/16-3/22, Specific days to observe.... American Diabetes Alert Day 3/25 Go G.O.S.S.I.P and have a great March

FEBRUARY, 2014 Health and Wellness Observances...... American Heart Month (www.americanheart.org); National Cancer Prevention Month American Institute for Cencer Research (www.aicr.org) American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org); National Children's Dental Health Month American Dental Association (www.ada.org); National Snior Independence Month Administration on Aging (www.aoa.gov). Go G.O.S.S.I.P

Superbowl Sunday, February 2, 2014 is also St. Jude's Game Day Give Back. If you eat in or order out from Chili's Grill & Bar, Chili's will donate 10% of your order to St. Jude's. All you have to do is mention St. Jude's when you order. Go G.O.S.S.I.P!