Anderson Animal Shelter of South Elgin's Backyard Bash to deliver food, livestream concert

Wrapping up its annual Walk4Animals on Saturday, Oct. 10, Anderson Animal Shelter is celebrating with a Backyard Bash. The event features livestreaming musical performances from area entertainers, as well as food and drink packages for pre-order to be enjoyed the afternoon of the concert, and drawings for two top-notch prize packages.

“We want this to be an event that really lets us celebrate the unique and wonderful human-animal bond together,” Susan Lyons, the organization’s director of development, stated in a news release. “We are so grateful for all of the people who make up the extended Anderson family. We just really wanted to say ‘thank you’ to everyone and have a fun afternoon together – separately – to celebrate all we’ve accomplished.”

The event kicks off at 1 p.m. on Anderson’s website and Facebook page, providing 90 minutes of entertainment. The featured bands include INFINITY, “Classic to Current: The Ultimate Rock Experience,” with the group's impressive catalog of cover songs designed to have you singing along; The Rocco Loffredi Experience – a toe-tapping, danceable blend of country and rock; and Stu and the Nods with their guitar-driven, rocking renditions of rock ‘n’ roll classics. The music will be streamed from the historic Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, allowing a first peek at some of the improvements made there in recent months by Ron Onesti, who donated the space for the event and will be acting as master of ceremonies.

Also featured will be animals from Anderson’s shelter. People can get a look at some of the pets currently available for adoption and hear the “Happy Tails” of some who have already found their forever homes.

To accompany the varied entertainment, the shelter has worked with local establishments Stockholm’s, DRM European Cafe and Pal Joey’s to put together food packages for pre-order so attendees can sit back, relax and enjoy a meal with friends and family during the show. There are also drink packages available for pre-order covering everything from beer to bourbon to “Kitty Cocktails.”

Two prize packages will be available to win, the Backyard Bash package that includes a Weber Genesis II S450 grill, an outdoor fountain, heavy-duty grilling utensils, a $50 Oberweis gift card, a $500 Meijer gift card and more; and the Ultimate Doggie Bag package, featuring a year’s supply of pet food from Solid Gold, a pet photo session with Laura Gampfer, a luxurious pet bed and a variety of treats, toys and home decor. Entry tickets will be available with a donation of $20 for one and $100 for six.

To learn more about Anderson's Backyard Bash, visit the website at www.andersonanimalshelter.org and click on "Find out more!"

About the shelter

Anderson Animal Shelter and Fox Valley Wildlife Center care for over 7,000 animals each year. Anderson’s mission is to create mutually beneficial connections between people and animals through programs that raise awareness and inspire kindness, empathy, and respect throughout the community. Anderson is a charitable organization and does not receive any federal or state funding. The shelter supports the compassionate and humane treatment of animals through direct care, humane education, and community outreach programs. It has locations in South Elgin, Bloomingdale and North Aurora.

For more information, visit www.andersonanimalshelter.org or call the main shelter at 847-697-2880.