Ready. Set. Goat! Catskill Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit, 155-acre farm animal refuge in New York's Hudson Valley, is hosting the second annual Goat Games from August 14 through August 21, 2021. The Goat Games, which will rally the support of farmed animal sanctuaries across the U.S., are co-hosted with the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), the certifying body for sanctuaries. Each participating sanctuary is GFAS Certified.
The Goat Games is a virtual event that challenges human participants to run, walk, bike, hike, or create an activity of their choosing–even binge-watching is a win–to raise funds for a participating sanctuary. A goat champion has been designated for each of the ten sanctuaries, and “athletes” will rally behind the goat representing the sanctuary they want to support. Catskill Animal Sanctuary is represented by Chester, an energetic adolescent rescued from a local “humane” farm that was forced to close its doors.
“We came up with the idea of The Goat Games in 2020 as a way to inspire friendly competition, raise critical funds and instill hope in people who support our urgent work,” said Kathy Stevens, founder and executive director of Catskill Animal Sanctuary. “The Games are a fun, interactive experience for people of any age and ability located anywhere in the world, and the collective voice of ten sanctuaries will speak loudly for farmed animals everywhere. Funds raised through donations and sponsorships will support the life-saving mission of each participating sanctuary.”
When the 2020 Tokyo games were canceled, Catskill Animal Sanctuary set out to create a friendly virtual competition people could get excited about in the midst of a global pandemic and one that also supported an important cause – The Goat Games 2020. Last year, Catskill Animal Sanctuary raised $42,601 through the support of 73 athletes and 532 donors. This year, The Goat Games 2021 present an incredible opportunity to support sanctuaries all across the U.S. that provide a safe haven for farmed animals who’ve been abused, abandoned, or worse.
"GFAS is thrilled to co-present Goat Games 2021 - a first-of-its-kind event benefitting an alliance of certified farmed animal sanctuaries,” said Jessica Harris, farmed animals program director. “We are dedicated to supporting our members, building collaboration and promoting the sanctuary movement on a global level. This inaugural event showcases the leadership and excellence our members are known for and is just one more way we can help sanctuaries help animals."
Goat Games Co-Host Team Catskill Animal Sanctuary is joined by:
● Team Barn Sanctuary, MI
● Team Farmaste Animal Sanctuary, MN
● Team Heartwood Haven, WA
● Team Indraloka Animal Sanctuary, PA
● Team Kindred Spirits Sanctuary, FL
● Team Little Bear Sanctuary, FL
● Team Pasado's Safe Haven, WA
● Team Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge, NC
● Team Wildwood Farm Sanctuary & Preserve, OR
For more information on The Goat Games 2021 including registering and/or making a donation, visit thegoatgames.org.
Why were The Goat Games created?
The Goat Games were created inspire friendly competition, raise critical funds and instill hope in people who support the urgent work of farmed animal sanctuaries.
Why can virtual competitions still be fun for the family to do?
The Goat Games is a virtual event that challenges human participants to run, walk, bike, hike, or create an activity of their choosing to raise funds for a participating sanctuary. Families can choose any activity – one that brings them joy or gives them a fun goal to work toward. In a virtual environment, families can complete their challenges together and during a time frame that works within their schedule. The games are a fun, interactive experience for people of any age and ability located anywhere in the world.
Can you share a little more about how the Catskill Animal Sanctuary reaches out to people outside of their local community to raise awareness and improve animal welfare?
Catskill Animal Sanctuary founder, Kathy Stevens, hosts a weekly podcast called Herd Around the Barn where she unpacks three main reasons to go vegan: minimizing animal suffering, improving our personal health, and reducing our environmental impact. The podcast intersperses conversations with game- changing thought leaders, activists, plant-based chefs and others with intimate animal moments.
In addition, Catskill Animal Sanctuary offers a unique program called Animals on Call. People have the opportunity to get “nose-to-screen” on a virtual tour with snuggly sheep, mischievous goats, gentle turkeys, and so many other rescued farmed animals. Meet them, hear their stories and learn about their unique personalities and their lives at the Sanctuary. Groups of all kinds, from individual happy hours, to digital school trips, to corporate calls, are welcome to book with the Sanctuary. In this meaningful endeavor, CAS staff also seek to educate visitors on animal cruelty and exploitation while inspiring people to adopt a vegan lifestyle.
CAS also has a Compassionate Cuisine program. The program offers the Compassionate Cuisine cookbook, vegan cooking classes and the Add Love + Stir blog featuring more content for those looking to eat a plant-based diet.
Our Acclaimed Cookbook: Compassionate Cuisine
The first vegan cookbook EVER written by a farmed animal sanctuary contains 125 savory and sweet recipes, from Swedish Meatballs to Macadamia Cheesecake, plus tips and tricks for easy plant-based eating. Each recipe, penned by Linda Soper-Kolton or Sara Boan, is shaped by eight years of vegan food demos, recipe writing and testing, and a whole lotta love! Interwoven with the recipes are stories about some of the Sanctuary’s beloved animals, written by Founder and Director Kathy Stevens.
Take A Cooking Class (Live or recorded)
Classes cover a wide variety of topics, from making awesome vegan cheeses, decadent desserts, vegan “101”, creative entertaining, with a generous helpings of vegan, culinary, and wellness information. Also includes a digital recipe booklet and video recording, plus a cameo from a rescued animal!
Add Love + Stir: The Blog
Whether you want to eat less meat, go vegan, or add more fun to your vegan journey, our professionally trained vegan chef has it covered! Here you’ll discover hundreds of recipes for everyday eating, social occasions, and special diets. Want healthy eating tips and kitchen techniques to take the stress out of cooking? We can help with that, too! Dig in!
About Catskill Animal Sanctuary
Founded in 2001, Catskill Animal Sanctuary is a non-profit, 155-acre refuge in New York's Hudson Valley. It is home to eleven species of rescued farmed animals with between 275 and 400 residents at any given time. In addition to direct animal aid, the Sanctuary offers on-site tours, a weekly podcast, vegan cooking lessons, and educational programs that advocate veganism as the very best way to end animal suffering, improve human health, and heal an ailing planet.
For more information, call (845) 336-8447 or go to www.casanctuary.org.
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