Eagle Mountain animal sanctuary hosts ‘Christmas in July’ fundraiser event

EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah (ABC4) — The Friends in Need Animal Sanctuary, in Eagle Mountain, hosted a ‘Christmas in July’ event to raise funds and involve the community in their sanctuary.

The Friends in Need Animal Sanctuary currently cares for over 250+ animals, ranging from household pets to water buffalo. Their non-profit organization is 100% volunteer driven, and they host a variety of events throughout the year to collect donations and meet with the community.

On Monday, July 28th, Friends in Need hosted a ‘Christmas in July’ event for the public. The event included a variety of vendors. They also had face painting, photos with Santa, and horse and carriage rides. Reportedly, some visitors travelled from as far as Pocatello, Idaho

David Curneal, Executive Director at Friends in Need, told ABC4 that he always loved animals and started raising pigeons at eight years old. He started volunteering at Friends in Need before purchasing the business in September of 2020.

While his main motivation to initially work with Friends in Need was animals, Curneal said his favorite thing has been, “to see people progress and help them.”

According to Curneal, they host small fundraisers every Tuesday, where they raffle off items donated by local businesses. They also sell flowers and other goods at local Farmer’s Markets.

Friends in Need also follows what they call a Self-Sustaining Sanctuary (SSS) model. The first step involves growing plants that attract pollinators and can be sold to the community. The second step occurs when community members donate in exchange for plants, allowing the sanctuary to purchase food for their animals. Finally, the animal waste creates nutrient-rich soil to grow the plants.

Friends in Need is completely volunteer-driven and always has projects for anyone willing to donate their time, with tasks including cleaning up after animals and feeding them, helping with fundraiser events, and tending to the garden.

Individuals who are hoping to volunteer or want to visit the Friends in Need Animal Sanctuary can learn more here.

Nicholas Rewey contributed to this story.