PORT ANGELES — A fundraiser for the Northwest Raptor &Wildlife Center, “Birds of a Feather,” will feature local art, music and raptors from the center this Saturday.
Doors will open at the all-ages gallery show and fundraiser at 5 p.m. at Studio Bob, 118½ E. Front St. The suggested donation is $10 at the door.
“The few fundraisers we do each year are really important to the survival of the center and taking care of the critters we’ve gotten,” said Jaye Moore, executive director of the raptor center, who hasn’t taken even a penny in wages from the center in about 30 years.
“There’s never been enough [money]. It all needs to come back to the birds and animals for their care.”
Moore and volunteers will present a number of birds from the center at 7 p.m.
Two hawks, a barred owl, a barn owl and a screech owl will be featured in the educational presentation, said Merryn Welch, who organized the fundraiser.
Moore said she’ll be talking about why each animal is in captivity and answer questions.
Live music, performed by bands donating their talents, will follow the hourlong presentation.
All money raised will go to the raptor center, which Moore estimated Wednesday was caring for about 40 raptors and one resident coyote.
Welch hopes to raise $6,000 for the Sequim nonprofit that rehabilitates birds of prey and other wild animals.
“The Northwest Raptor &Wildlife Center is facing the busiest time of year, which is baby season,” said Welch, who has volunteered with the center for almost two years.
“This is when donations really mean the most because we are about to get hit really hard with the babies.”
Welch said donations of supplies are needed, too.
The raptor center also needs such items as dry dog and cat food, paper towels, puppy pads, Dawn dish detergent and bleach, she said.
The gallery will feature art by Welch, Chuck Burnell and other area artists.
I+Isotopes will perform organic dub before Rúin plays a mix of Celtic- and traditional-inspired music.
Country musicians Eric Lawton — who wrote a tribute to the Pacific Northwest — and the 8 Second Ride will headline the event.
The center has been busy with four injured bald eagles recently, including Sparky, an eagle that was electrocuted March 12 by a 7,200-volt power line before falling 45 feet.
The raptor center also began caring for another bald eagle injured in a territory fight.
Both Sparky and that eagle have been moved into outdoor enclosures and continue to heal, Welch said.
“Sparky is doing very well,” she said. “What we’re doing now is watching.”
Sparky will be moved into a larger enclosure once he’s stronger to see how well he can fly.
A third bald eagle is healing after it was hit by a car and its wing dislocated.
“Right now we’re just hoping for the best,” Welch said, referring to the three eagles.
A fourth eagle’s injuries were so bad it had to be euthanized, Moore said.
Sparky and the other bald eagles will not be at the event because Moore has hopes they can be released back into the wild, Welch said.
“Any of the birds that are releasable, we keep contact with people to an absolute minimum because we want them to retain their wild behavior,” she said.
Last year’s benefit, also spearheaded by Welch, raised about $12,000, she said.
The gallery also will be open from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com. He also is a member of Rúin, one of the bands performing Saturday.
