SVHC to Have Hermitage Hoedown Fundraiser Oct. 1

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BENNINGTON, Vt. — On the evening of Saturday, Oct. 1, The Hermitage Club in Wilmington, VT, is opening its doors to members and non-members for the Hermitage Hoedown.

The event will raise funds for Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s Vision 2020, A Decade of Transformation Capital Campaign, which includes the renovation and expansion of the institution’s Emergency Department and the construction of an all-new regional Cancer Center. The new Kendall Emergency Department and Hoyt-Hunter Regional Cancer Center will impact care for residents of southern Vermont, northern Berkshire County, and eastern New York.

"This is a fun and relaxed way to have a great Saturday night with friends and also help the hospital make important changes to its key services, ones that we all need and use," said Rich Caplan and his wife Laurie, of Deerfield Valley Real Estate, who are the organizers of the event and serve on the Vision 2020 Capital Campaign’s Public Phase Committee. "We can’t wait to get our community members together in support of this project."

Tickets are $125 and include an open bar 6 to 7 p.m., a barbecue dinner, and live music and dancing with Miss Paula & The Twangbusters. Recommended attire is casual, and cowboy boots are encouraged.

The SVHC Foundation Board and Vision 2020 Steering Committee has been quietly raising funds for the projects for the last four years. To date, nearly $24 million has been raised toward the goal of $25 million. The Public Phase Committee is asking the community to help them raise the final one million dollars.

"We are so grateful to Rich, Laurie, and the Hermitage Club for spearheading this community effort," said Leslie Keefe, vice president for Corporate Development at  SVHC. "We are looking forward to a really entertaining evening that will also make a significant impact our fundraising efforts and help us achieve our goal."

Visit hermitagehoedown.com to purchase tickets and sponsorships.

 

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If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Bandit at Second Chance

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

ARLINGTON, VT. – There is a "spunky" dog waiting for his new forever home at Second Chance Animal Shelter.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. 

Bandit is a one-year-old terrier mix who has been at the shelter since June.

Lead canine care technician Alaura Lasher introduced us to her. 

"He came to us from a pretty neglectful home. He was living with quite a few other animals."

Bandit is a very playful guy who runs and jumps around once he is outside. He has an affinity for squeaky toys and ball to fetch with.

"He is very energetic, loves to play. He loves his canine friends and cats. His favorite thing is just going outside to run and play and explore. He also does love to snuggle once he gets some of that energy out."

Bandit would love another animal to play with and he is good to go home with cats as well. He would also love someone who can take him outside for lots of playtime and adventures.

"The perfect home for Bandit is one that is probably moderately active, so he can go on plenty of walks and adventures to get some of that energy out and explore things. He would definitely probably benefit from having like another canine friend to play with, and we suggest slightly older kids just because he can be a little nervous at times. But other than that, he's a pretty easygoing guy, and he loves all people and animals."

He will play fetch with you and showcase little hops when he gets very excited as well. It would be best that he is not alone the shelter wants to emphasize as he would love another to play with.

"His favorite things are definitely playing. He is again just an energetic young dude who's used to again having other animals around. So, Spunky is what we like to call him. Yeah, he loves the game."

The shelter hopes to find him a home he can be himself and start a new life.

"We're just trying to find him a good happy family. You know, get him used to normal life since he came from a pretty not great situation," she said.

If you think Bandit might be the boy for you, reach out to Second Chance Animal Shelter and learn more about him on their website.

Second Chance Animal Shelter is open Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. It is located at 1779 VT Route 7A. Contact the shelter at 802-375-2898 or info@2ndchanceanimalcenter.org.

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