Making a Difference Wih Every Step You Take!
Animal Acres Walk for Country Critters
Sunday, July 13th Noon - 4 p.m. Venice Beach

Registration
All walkers need to register for the walkathon by July 10th. The registration fee is just $10 per person and includes a vegan lunch, beverages, and a chance to win walkathon prizes! Please click here to register today.

Location & Time
We will be walking along the ocean, beginning in Santa Monica, and proceeding along the Venice Beach boardwalk - it’s a great location to reach and teach thousands that farmed animals need protection, and love, too! The walkathon will begin in Santa Monica at the beach, behind the Hotel Casa Del Mar at 1910 Ocean Way, Santa Monica. Look for the grove of palm trees on the beach with the Animal Acres banner.

The walkathon begins at noon with registration check-in, and will end at 4:00 p.m. with a beach picnic. Walkers should bring their completed walkathon packet with sponsor pledge sheets and collected pledges. After registering, walkers may start the walk on their own, or wait for the group walk that begins at 12:30 p.m. The walkathon is a 10 kilometer walk (approximately 6.2 miles). It generally takes two to three hours to complete. You are welcome to walk with the group holding signs and passing out literature, or walk at your own pace. The walk is designed as a loop, beginning and ending at the same location. Parking is available in the beach parking lot #4 at 2030 Barnard Way (fee required) and some free street parking is also available in the area.

Raising Funds for the Walk
As a walkathon participant, you will be collecting pledges from people (your sponsors!) Since the walk is 10K, we suggest asking for a minimum pledge of $10 ($1.00 per kilometer.) A $20 pledge at $2.00 per kilometer entitles the sponsor to an Animal Acres membership, which includes event invitations and other member benefits. You will find it helpful to give sponsors examples of what their sponsorship will do for animals. For example: "A donation of $25 will feed a rescued pig for an entire month." The best people to ask for pledges tend to be your relatives, friends, fellow students and coworkers. Neighbors, particularly ones with animals, are often good sources too. Be sure to ask the owners or managers of businesses you support, including veg restaurants or other animal friendly companies. Don’t be afraid to ask anyone you know. Keep in mind that most people are accustomed to contributing to worthy causes, and many will be pleased to have been given the opportunity to help end animal suffering! We are asking walkers to raise a minimum of $100 in pledge support. That’s only ten people who sponsor you at one dollar per kilometer! Make this your starting goal and then keep the momentum going once you achieve this amount. Remember, every pledge you receive will help save the lives of abused and neglected farm animals.

Pledge Collection
Pledges must be collected before the walk and turned in at the walkathon registration the day of the walk, along with your sponsor pledge sign up sheets. For each of your sponsors, list their name, address, phone, email and amount of pledge, on your pledge sign up sheet. Please be sure to write clearly, and indicate if the person wishes to be on the Animal Acres Membership list. If you need additional pledge sheets, please click here to download your walkathon packet and pledge sheets. If your sponsors give you a cash pledge, you may find it easier to keep the cash and write one check from your own personal checking account (or a money order). If your sponsors write you a check, please have them make the check payable to Animal Acres.

Walkathon Prizes
We would like to reward all of our top earning walkers with a prize for really getting out there and working hard to get sponsorships. Think of these prizes as a little "thank you" from all of the future farmed animals that you are helping to rescue and care for. Here’s what you can win!

$1,000 Rescuer: Walkers raising over $1,000 will receive two complimentary tickets to our star-studded Country Gala and walkathon t-shirt.

$500 Rescuer: Walkers raising over $500 will receive a gift certificate to a veg restaurant, veg cookbook and walkathon t-shirt.

$250 Rescuer: Walkers raising over $250 will receive an Animal Acres totebag and walkathon t-shirt.

$100 Rescuer: Walkers raising over $100 will receive a walkathon t-shirt.

Clothing & Walking Essentials
Comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen lotion, sun hat, sun glasses, and a light jacket are recommended. Many walkers like to carry a backpack with extra water bottles and other walking essentials. Walkers are welcome to wear the official walkathon t-shirt at the event. Many people like to share with other passersby their support for farmed animal protection, and we draw more attention to our cause! Of course, you are not required to wear the walk tshirt, the choice is up to you. Walkers who raise $100 or more in pledges will receive a FREE walkathon t-shirt at the walk. T-shirts will also be available for purchase for $10 at the walk.

Companion Animals
Walkers are welcome to bring their dog companions, however, city regulations require that dogs be on a leash at all times. We also ask that you please bring a water bowl and extra water to carry with you on the walk for your companion.