From 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., when customers mention the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, a portion of their purchases will be qualified as a donation to the center.
Fifteen percent of all sales will be donated to the Center.
The EFRC, founded in 1991, aims to provide medical care, food and shelter for exotic cat species that have been abused, abandoned or left homeless, according to its website.
The center is located in Center Point, Ind., about 40 miles northwest of Bloomington and sits on 108 acres of land.
The EFRC is currently supporting 220 different cats from 24 states, EFRC volunteer Velda Boenitz said.
Some species housed at the center include tigers, lions, leopards and cougars. The most common cats at the center are tigers, she said.
The money obtained from this fundraiser will be put toward the care of the cats, including vet care, dental care and food, ?Boenitz said.
“These cats eat 4,000 pounds of meat a day, so the need for fundraising is constant,” she said.
Many of the cats require additional medical care because of their living conditions in previous environments, Boenitz added.
“These cats come from awful situations,” she said. “They often suffer from poor nutrition, dental and eye problems. At the center, we take care of that.”
The most common eye problem the cats have is cataracts, Boenitz said.
The center also provides a monthly treatment of Ivomec, a medicine that works to prevent parasites such as heartworms, according to its website.
The money raised will also be used to build new habitats for the cats.
Each new habitat costs about $25,000, she said.
In addition to raising money for the cats, Boenitz also said she hopes to educate people about exotic cat species.
“We also have to inform people about these animals,” she said. “We have to let them know that these cats are the ones that do not make good house pets.”
BuffaLouie’s owner Ed Schwartzman said BuffaLouie’s aims to help nonprofit organizations as best it can.
“We work with lots of nonprofits, and we welcome anybody,” he said.
“We try to never say no to nonprofits in terms of fundraising.”
Schwartzman said he recognizes passion and dedication as two qualities that make a good fundraiser.
“We tend to feel as strongly towards the causes as the representatives of the organizations do,” he said.
BuffaLouie’s usually collaborate with about 30 to 50 organizations for fundraisers each year, Schwartzman said.
“We believe in giving back,” he said. “This makes for a very strong and much better community.”
