JCARL gearing up for inaugural fundraiser and auction

The Jasper County Animal Rescue League will be hosting its inaugural JCARL Fundraiser and Auction at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 at The Cellar Peanut Pub in Newton.

The event is designed to raise money for the shelter to continue to operate. As a nonprofit, donations and fundraisers are vital to help staff and volunteers provide this service to Jasper County.

“It’s basically to raise funds to keep these doors open,” JCARL volunteer Marlene Main said.

The event will include a live auction and a silent auction. Bidding for the silent auction opened remotely Thursday online at accelevents.com/e/jcarlshindig.

“There is a lot of cool stuff,” director of JCARL Jennifer Mouchka said.

Items up for grabs include donations from local businesses such as gift baskets, chairs and gift certificates among other products for people to bid on.

“We appreciate the community support ... Nothing was purchased by us. We had people reach out to us offering to donate stuff which was super great too,” Mouchka said.

Main added, “It’s not just Newton. There are gifts from other towns.”

Besides the auction, the event will also feature other entertainment for attendees. A DJ will be providing music, a freewill offering meal will be served and of course drinks will be available for purchase at the pub.

“It is going to be fun,” Mouchka said but the location does put an age restriction on the event. “Unfortunately you have to be 21 or over to go.”

The auction is one way for the shelter to raise money but the community has other ways to support JCARL by donating items the shelter needs such as food or other things to help them with the animals in their care.

“Yesterday we got 200 pounds of kitty litter, we didn’t have any,” Main said. “That is so nice to see the community coming together.”

This event will not only allow the community to support JCARL but also allow people to meet the staff of JCARL.

“It makes you feel good, it really does, to have the community support. It makes us feel like we are doing something right,” Mouchka said.

More information about the event is available on the JCARL Facebook page as well as a sneak peak at the items that will be up for auction.

Contact Dustin Teays at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or dteays@newtondailynews.com