Orioles set to unveil BARCS pet calendar
O's have helped to raise more than $190,000 to care for animals in need
BALTIMORE -- In support of the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) and its efforts to find safe homes for area dogs and cats, the seventh annual Orioles Pet Calendar will go on sale on Saturday, Aug. 22.
The 16-month calendar features photos of Orioles players and manager Buck Showalter with their pets and BARCS animals. All proceeds from the $15 calendars -- which will be available online at www.orioles.com/petcalendar, as well as the Official Orioles Team Store and the York Galleria in York, Pa. -- will benefit BARCS.
On Sunday, Aug. 23, the first 20,000 fans 15 and over at Camden Yards will receive an Orioles pet leash.
O's players Brad Brach, Miguel Gonzalez, J.J. Hardy, David Lough and Matt Wieters will appear at BARCS (301 Stockholm Street) for an autograph signing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 22 to further support BARCS' mission to care for all animals in need.
Fans must purchase a 2016 Orioles Pet Calendar at the event in order to receive an autograph, and fans attending the event may park for free in Lot J adjacent to BARCS.
During a pregame ceremony that night at Oriole Park, representatives from Pet+E.R., including chief of staff Dr. Tanya Tag and hospital administrator Andy Furtado, will present a check for $8,000 to BARCS executive director Jennifer Brause and Maria Wieters, wife of Matt, to support BARCS' ongoing work.
The O's have helped to raise more than $190,000 for BARCS, including $46,000 through Orioles Pet Calendar sales last year. The largest companion animal shelter in Maryland, BARCS takes in more than 12,000 dogs and cats and 1,000 wildlife and other small mammals annually. On any given day, BARCS cares for 110 dogs and 110 cats in the shelter, plus more than 800 animals in foster care.