Hi everyone, I am so excited to announce the kickoff of Friends of Ferret Shelters! Every month, we'll put together a special theme gift basket and several other items to benefit a different ferret shelter in need. Every single penny of the proceeds from our inaugural raffle will benefit the FerretsFirst shelter in Annandale, Virginia <http://ferretsfirst.org/> Hurry up and buy your tix! The raffle deadline is Feb. 9!! This month's raffle has five terrific items: a big box of carefully selected toys; beautifully plush, handmade hammie and cage mat sets; a delightful Bath & Body Works gift set with coupons and attractive tote bag; and a large, lovely gift basket crammed with all kinds of Valentine's Day goodies! To enter, go to <http://www.shelterfriends.blogspot.com/> Click on the PayPal logo to purchase your tickets: $2 for one, three for $5 or six tickets for $10. Follow the instructions on the website to purchase your tickets - it's very simple and totally secure!! The idea for this monthly raffle came from all the recent posts about shelters closing, shelters overflowing with ferrets, and shelter operators struggling to survive against a never-ending river of need. Lisa Oestereich and I decided to start this monthly raffle to try and help out. We wouldn't even tell you our names, except we thought you'd want to know whose email address you're being asked to send money to on the PayPal form. Be sure to include your own name, email address AND a snailmail address (so we can mail you the goodies!) in the Notes section of your PayPal form. A phone number is helpful, too. Again, entries are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9. The raffle will be drawn Sunday, Feb. 11. Winners will be notified via email and the items will be mailed out Priority right away. Please don't hesitate to contact me or Lisa, or post on the blog, if you have any questions or concerns. And if you'd like to join us and help out with future raffles, we'd love to hear from you! Good luck, and have a very happy Valentine's Day! Susann Thiel [Posted in FML 5496]