Potsdam readies hearty welcome for Zootoo.com officials

POTSDAM — Potsdam is gearing up to show its spirit when Zootoo.com officials come to town on St. Patrick's Day.

Businesses, colleges and officials are stepping up their support of the Potsdam Humane Society in the hopes of securing even more funding for the animal shelter's $850,000 expansion through the Web site's million-dollar makeover competition.

Wireless World, 11 Market St., sponsored a "Skate for the Animals" event at Clarkson University's Cheel Center Arena on Sunday afternoon. The downtown shop decided to put the free ice time it gets as an arena advertiser toward a public skating event to collect money and supplies for the Humane Society.

"We want to raise any kind of donation — monetary, food, blankets, even cans and bottles to take to the depository — anything we can do to help their cause," said Patricia A. Penny-Cutler, senior sales associate for Wireless World.

That spirit will continue Tuesday, as most downtown businesses plan to get their employees and customers on the street at noon for an impromptu parade when Zootoo founder Richard A. Thompson is driven into the village.

The former chief executive officer of the Meow Mix cat food company will fly into the area with other Web site officials, and shelter representatives will lead the group on a loop through downtown before heading to the 17 Madrid Ave. shelter.

"We want to have the stores out, with signs in their windows and balloons, with people out on the street waving, hollering and whooping it up," said Bonnie S. Boyd, Humane Society president. "We're hoping to line the whole section leading up to the shelter with people with balloons, posters and pictures of their pets."

The Humane Society also is trying to persuade Lucas Manning, owner of the Partridge Cafe in Canton, to sit on the shelter roof along with his dog on Tuesday. Mr. Manning raised $3,500 for the shelter when he sat on the roof of his business for 12 hours in February.

Even after Zootoo officials head to Watertown to visit the Jefferson County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at 2 p.m., the fundraisers will continue throughout St. Patrick's Day.

Deputy Mayor Ruth F. Garner, 93, is sure to attract a curious crowd as she gets her first tattoo at 1 p.m. The village government has raised hundreds of dollars for the shelter in Mrs. Garner's name since she agreed to the stunt. Sleepy Hollow Studios, 8 Market St., is giving a portion of its St. Patrick's Day sales to the Humane Society.

McDuff's Tavern is giving all of the proceeds from its cover charge to the shelter Tuesday, while SUNY Potsdam's Greek Association plans to collect cans and bottles to raise money for the shelter the next day.

"We're just thrilled. We've gotten people excited about us," Ms. Boyd said. "We raised more than half a million points just by clicking on a computer. If we can do that with dollars, we're set."