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ASTRO Foundation Offers Gift That Keeps On Giving
astro
ASTRO Foundation Director Cassandra Sparks shows the 2016 Rescuers and the Rescued Calendar the non-profit is currently selling as a fundraiser. Teresa Hammond/The Times

 

The ASTRO (Animal Shelter To Riverbank and Oakdale) Foundation has the perfect gift item for the hard to please. As tribute to its rescued pets and the rescuers who put their lives on the line daily, the 501(C)3 non-profit has produced “Rescuers and the Rescued” wall calendars for the 2016 year.

ASTRO Foundation director and calendar point person, Cassandra Sparks credits fellow director Jaydeen Vicente with the fundraising idea.

“This was her vision,” Sparks said.

“All the models were volunteers,” she added of the 12 featured rescuers. “Jaydeen did a call out on our Facebook page. The majority (11 of the 12) are Oakdale, Escalon or Riverbank people. Some (rescued) are with their owners. They are all with rescued pets.”

Calendars are available for a donation of $20 or $25 if purchased online. They are currently being sold at Creative Water Gardens in Escalon; Noble Kennels, Oakdale Veterinary Group, Oakdale Animal Shelter and Susan Creeden, CPA, all in Oakdale. They are also available at the newspaper office for Oakdale, Riverbank and Escalon at 122 S. Third Ave., Oakdale.

“I think the really nice thing about it, is it’s local people and local pets,” Sparks said. “We’ve had really positive feedback and it’s for a great cause.”

All photography for the calendar was done courtesy of Marian Miller of Hudson Photography and Kimberly Junqueiro of Rustic Blue Photography.

For additional information regarding ASTRO Foundation visit www.astrofoundation.org or their Facebook page ASTRO Foundation, Inc.