We are delighted that the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Hadley, Massachusetts, has offered to host a fundraiser for Bright Spot Therapy Dogs! This is a great opportunity to buy those books you’ve had on your reading list or shop early for holiday gift-giving and help Bright Spot receive a donation from Barnes & Noble.
PLEASE – SAVE THE DATE: NOVEMBER 14TH – AND SPREAD THE WORD
Here’s how it works: On November 14, 2015, any purchase made at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Hadley, Massachusetts – if accompanied by our Book Fair ID 11678117 – will count toward the donation Barnes & Noble will make to Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, Inc. Vouchers with the BSTD ID number will be available at our in-store Bright Spot information booth and cashiers will help, too, by asking all purchasers if they support the BSTD book fair. A simple “yes” from the purchaser does the trick. Not able to be in the store that day? No problem. Online purchases count, too. In fact, any purchases made online (must put in the Book Fair ID 11678117 at checkout) from November 14-18 will count! You can live anywhere and help the fundraising effort for Bright Spot by making your purchases online during this time period.
While in-store purchasers peruse the bookshelves, magazine racks, stationery section, and sip coffee from the café, they can also enjoy a series of dog activities sponsored by Bright Spot that will be on-going throughout the day. The following is a list of the events happening from 10:00-4:30 at the Barnes & Noble in Hadley, Massachusetts:
Agility Demo: Tibby Chase, well known AKC Obedience/Rally Judge and dog trainer, will be running an Agility Demo with her dog Arlo. Agility is a fun activity to do with your dog. It helps with overall training and builds a close bond between you and your dog. Come watch!
Meet the Breeds: Thinking of getting a dog, but not sure what to get? Come Meet the Breeds! A variety of breeds & all-Americans will be scheduled throughout the day. Event attendees will have the chance to meet the breeds in person and talk to the dogs’ owners.
How to Prevent Dog Bites: Not all dogs are friendly! Tibby Chase will give a talk on this important subject.
Bright Spot Reading Buddies: Young children will have the opportunity to read to one of the Reading Buddy dogs for a 15-minute time slot. Different Reading Buddy dogs will be scheduled throughout the day. Bring a favorite book or choose one from the store to read. Dogs are wonderful listeners and enjoy all kinds of books!
Learn about Therapy Dogs: Have you been thinking of getting your dog certified as a therapy dog? Our Bright Spot information booth will be set up with photos of our therapy dog teams visiting in healthcare and educational settings. Copies of our print publications will be available as handouts, and our knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand to describe the meaningful work our therapy dogs do and explain how dogs get trained and certified as therapy dogs through Bright Spot.
Free Raffle: Everyone loves a FREE raffle! Shoppers can take a chance on winning a yummy and exciting gift basket donated by The Outlook Farm in Westhampton, MA. Stop by our Bright Spot booth to view the gift basket and fill out a ticket to take a chance on winning. Winner need not be present at the time of the drawing.
We will be publicizing the Barnes & Noble Book Fair on our Bright Spot website and on social media (our Bright Spot Facebook page and Twitter). With your help, social media and word-of-mouth advertising are our best avenues to success. SHARE the Facebook info about the Barnes & Noble event and Tweet about it.
We will be posting more information in the upcoming weeks, but it’s important to get the ball rolling now – and calendars marked! Questions? Please feel free to contact executive director, Cynthia Hinckley, at cynthia@bright-spot.org