BALDWINSVILLE — When leaving treats for Santa Claus, some families will put out a few carrots for Rudolph and his fellow reindeer as well. In the spirit of giving back to furry — and feathered — friends, Purpose Farm is holding a handful of holiday fundraisers.
Founded in 2012, the farm sanctuary on the Seneca River connects at-risk youth with rescued animals. Sandra Seabrook and her family rely on donations to feed and house their menagerie of horses, goats, rabbits, cats and more. Unfortunately, Purpose Farm lost more than 20 of its animals in a devastating fire in February 2021.
Purpose Farm is once again one of the beneficiaries of CountryMax’s annual Christmas Spirit Photo Contest. Customers can snap a pic of their furry friend in front of the Santa backdrop at one of 18 CountryMax locations and upload it to CountryMax.com/2022-Christmas-Spirit-contest by Dec. 24.
The company will donate $1 for each entry to four Upstate New York charities: Purpose Farm, Friends Forever Animal Rescue in Pennellville, Pet Pride of New York (a no-kill cat sanctuary in Victor) and Heritage Christian Stables, a Webster-based therapeutic horseback riding program.
The public can vote on their favorite pet pics, and the top four winners will receive CountryMax gift cards.
“Last year, more than 100 people (and their pets) entered the contest by submitting photos online at CountryMax.com. Over 1,000 participants voted leading to donations totaling $2,000 spread among four Upstate NY charities,” read a press release from CountryMax.
In addition, Purpose Farm is hosting an online charity auction. Among the items up for bid are gift cards to area businesses such as Fashion Rescue 911 Boutique and Olive’s Eatery, photography packages and spa services, and wreaths, jewelry and artwork from local artists like Gina Tonello and Kenneth Camp.
Visit charityauctionstoday.com/auctions/purpose-farm-holiday-auction-35035 to bid or donate. The auction ends Dec. 16.
The farm is also hosting a holiday food drive for its horses. Since the horses require both hay and a particular type of grain, the farm has set a $5,000 fundraising goal. Here’s how to help:
- Donate via Facebook
- Visit purposefarm.org/donate.html
- Donate gift cards from CountryMax, Tractor Supply or Runnings
- Purchase a 50-pound bag of Nutrena SafeChoice Senior Horse Feed from CountryMax, Tractor Supply or Runnings. Drop off the feed at the farm and leave it under the blue tarp in the carport.
Finally, Purpose Farm is holding a drawing for the naming rights of a male rabbit they recently rescued. People can buy a number for $10, and the person with the winning number gets to choose a name for the sweet little black bunny.
There are several ways to enter the drawing:
- Visit facebook.com/PurposeFarm
- Donate via Venmo @PurposeFarm
- Mail a check to Purpose Farm (1454 W. Genesee Road, Baldwinsville, NY 13027) with the number(s) you want in the memo line
- Visit purposefarm.org/name-me.html
Make sure you email [email protected] to confirm your number.
