Tanya Rice stood behind her booth at Reif’s Holiday Market on Sunday with a warm smile on her face as she greeted visitors. But her mind was on something bigger.
For Rice, founder of the Community Initiative for Animal Rescue, her booth at Reif’s Holiday Market was a pathway to connect with the community and share the cause she holds so close to her heart.
“We only launched ourselves as a new nonprofit earlier this year, in May, so we wanted to have a venue where we could introduce ourselves, our community, our Facebook page and our email address,” she said. “It’s been a wonderful response from the community.”
She founded the Community Initiative for Animal Rescue because of her deep love for animals. When she sees a pet in need, she can’t turn her back. It’s as simple as that, she said.
The animal rescue group focuses on raising funds for rescues struggling to meet their own fundraising goals. This is why a portion of the money raised from Rice’s booth will go to NOTL Cats, with the remainder being saved for future initiatives.
She said storing funds for future initiatives enables the group to act quickly when urgent needs arise.
For example, Journey Fosters Niagara, which reunites lost pets with their families across Niagara, reached out to the animal rescue group for help.
They needed 10 microchip readers to expand their efforts, and with reserved funds available, the group was able to purchase the readers.
Held on Dec. 7 and 8, the holiday market at Reif Estate Winery showcased local artisans, featuring over 50 vendors spread throughout the winery.
The market, which offered free admission and ran from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, welcomed the community to shop, explore and support local businesses while enjoying live music, art classes, food and complimentary wine tastings — available both inside and on the patio, which was open exclusively for the market.
Beside a donation box, Rice had for sale a variety of treats, red pepper jelly, homemade pickles, and various homemade jams by treasurer Carolyn Greenfield.
Rice faced a situation this week in her own backyard involving not one, but two stray cats. With the owner of NOTL Cats away for the week, she had to turn to an external rescue organization for help.
“By being here this weekend, we’re educating people that there’s more than just one rescue option,” said Rice.
A visitor to the booth, Cameron Kipp, was drawn to the Community Initiative for Animal Rescue’s mission as soon as she saw the sign stating all proceeds were donated to animal rescue.
As a proud pet parent of three cats, Kipp couldn’t resist stopping by.
“I have three cats myself. I’m just such a sucker for cats out there that need help. I wish I could take them all in, but I can’t. So, I think this is really great, and I wanted to come see what it was all about,” she said.
After learning more about the animal rescue group, Kipp was on her way to get her wallet to purchase a treat in support of the cause.
“I wanted to get the Rice Krispies chocolate squares,” she said. “Then, eight dollars can go to the organization.”
Rice also has a raffle table run by Tracey Palleschi and her sister, Sue McCafferty at Husky on York Road.
With nearly 40 new and homemade items, tickets can be purchased directly at Husky for $5 per sheet and are available until 2 p.m. on Dec. 13. All proceeds benefit the animal rescue group.
Sharon Frayne and Paul Masson, members of NOTL Writer’s Circle, also enjoyed their first experience at Reif’s Holiday Market at their booth.
They were there promoting awareness of their writing group, and each of their novels — Frayne’s ”The Sound of a Rainbow” and Masson’s “Memories of Evil.”
“It’s our first time at Reif, and it’s been fabulous. Yesterday was a very busy day — the books were flying off the shelf,” said Frayne.
While many visitors were from Niagara-on-the-Lake, she said she also welcomed people from Port Colborne, Thorold, St. Catharines and Fonthill, and appreciated the broad exposure for her work across the Niagara region.
“It’s been a really good show for us,” said Frayne.
