Blue Bell raises $10,000 for cats in need

The recent Cats Meow fundraiser generated $10,000 for the Blue Bell Foundation for Cats in Laguna Beach.

Blue Bell houses cats whose owners are no longer able to tend to them. The owners pay a one-time fee of $7,500 to have the facility care for the animals for the remainder of their lives.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the facility’s Community Cat Fund, which provides money for cats placed by the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter and animals placed under qualifying hardship circumstances.

The champagne brunch was held Feb. 8 at Tivoli Too. A silent auction offered works from Laguna Beach artists Maggie Spencer, Roderick Reed and Jesse Bartels.

The event also featured a new category of recognition for volunteers called the Blue Bell Cat awards. Christine O’Hare-Pomponi earned the Lifetime Achievement award, while Pamela Knudsen was named Volunteer of the Year and Dennis Myers was named New Volunteer of the Year.

Knudsen has been a volunteer for two years and Myers for 10 months.

Attendees included Rick Balzer, chairman of the Laguna Beach Community Foundation; Ruben Flores, chairman of the Laguna Beach Beautification Council and owner of Laguna Nursery; Larry Nokes, past president of the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce; Jorja Puma, president of the Laguna Beach Garden Club; and Laura Tarbox, Laguna Beach Community Foundation board member.

Blue Bell board Chairwoman Susan Hamil and her husband, John, received a commemorative placard honoring them for more than 25 years of service to the nonprofit organization.

For more information about Blue Bell, located at 20982 Laguna Canyon Road, visit bluebellcats.org.

—Bryce Alderton

Twitter: @AldertonBryce