3rd Annual Hoppin' Cats: A Swing Dance Fundraiser

Join us for a fun evening of dancing, noshing, and toasting to the cats and kittens of Grassroots Animal Rescue! Highlights: Live Music by Bowmanville Jazz * Social Swing Dancing * Beginner Dance Lesson * Cats & Cocktails Hour * Live Dance Performances * Silent Auction & Raffles * Photobooth * Tasty Treats Event Schedule: 6:00pm - Doors Open 6:00pm - 7:15pm - Cats & Cocktails Hour + Bidding Opens 6:15pm - Beginner Swing Dance Lesson (All welcome!) 7:15pm - 8:00pm - VIP Guests: Photos with Cats 7:30pm - Bowmanville Jazz Plays & Dancing Begins 8:30pm - Live Dance Performances by the Chicago Collegiate Shag Team and ChiBal Upholds 10:00pm - Auction Bidding Closes 10:15pm - Winners announced 10:30pm - Event Concludes Beginners and advanced dancers, those who lead or follow, and all genders/gender expressions are not only welcomed--but encouraged--to enjoy our dance floor! THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS: Gold Sponsor Pets First Veterinary Clinic [hidden] Friend Sponsor Northcenter Health Carewww.northcenterhealthcare.com Chesed v'Emet Funeral [hidden] ABOUT THIS EVENT: Do I need to know how to dance? Do I need to come with a partner? Nope! We will do a lesson to kick off the evening. All levels of dance experience are welcome. Bring any friends you think might enjoy the event, but there's no requirement to bring a specific dance partner. In fact, there's also no requirement to dance, either! How are leads/follows determined? A good way to know who can lead vs. who can follow is to simply ask someone their preference. What do I wear? Whatever you might be comfortable in--dressing up, or being casual are equally encouraged! If planning to dance, shoes that allow you to move easily are suggested. If it is raining out, please plan to bring a change of shoes, so as to spare our dance floor the moisture. Is this event queer-friendly? This event is inclusive of all genders, gender expressions, and queer folx. Bathrooms will be for all genders. Nametags will be provided and attendees are encouraged to indicate their preferred pronouns if desired, whether they/them, she/her, or he/him, etc. If you'd like to dance with someone, you're encouraged to ask a potential partner if they lead or follow, rather than assuming gender and their lead/follow preference. What does my registration ticket support? Spay, neuter, vet care, and supplies! Each of our cats and kitten are spayed or neutered prior to adoption, receive a series of age-appropriate vaccines, are snap tested for FIV/FELV, and receive appropriate deworming meds. Each cat sees a vet within 24 hours to a week after being transferred from local high-kill shelters and many require extra vet appointments and medical supplies, such as antibiotics, before being ready for adoption. Approximately 80% of our expenses are medical! What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event? 2nd Unitarian Church is located in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Parking: Reasonably priced parking is available at the Illinois Masonic parking garage, one block south of the church at the corner of Halsted and Wellington. Many of the streets are residential and permitted to zone 383. There are public meters on Clark, Broadway, and Barry, surrounding the Church. Privately owned parking in the immediate area include Interial Parking, 3115 North Broadway [hidden] Sparkling Parking, 3157 North Broadway [hidden] Standard Parking, 2836 North Clark Street [hidden] Public Transit--CTA “L” Trains: Ride the Red, Brown, or Purple lines to the Belmont “L” Stop. Walk East on Belmont to Clark. Barry is 2 blocks south of Belmont. The church is approximately 1⁄2 block east of the Clark/Halsted intersection on the north side of Barry Avenue.Public Transit--CTA Bus: Halsted: #8 bus to Barry Avenue;Broadway: #36 bus to Barry;Belmont: #77 bus to Clark or HalstedClark: #22 bus to Barry How can I contact the organizer with any questions? E-mail: [hidden] I'd like to attend but the event is pricey: do you offer discounted tickets? Yes, please email us at [hidden] and we will be happy to send some your way! Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event? Yes, you must be 21+. What's the refund policy? Refunds won't be offered, as your ticket is considered a donation to Grassroots Animal Rescue. If this presents an issue, please email us at [hidden] More Info below.