Festival of Trees Gala Raises Over $70,000 to Support ARL Berks
Published On: 12/9/2025
Last Updated On: 12/9/2025
By 4 rescue cat news reporters Callie, Seymour, Yebba, and Mama and our Hooman Ashley!
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Brisket the pitfall before and after being rescued by the ARL
We rescue cats have covered a lot of stories at Stray Cat News — rescues, reunions, cat cafés, fundraisers, heart-tugging tales that remind us why this whole “helping hoomans help cats” thing matters.
But every so often, something happens that makes even us—four emotionally advanced rescue cats—pause mid-grooming and go,
“Wow. That’s what community looks like.”
The 2025 Festival of Trees Gala, hosted by the Animal Rescue League of Berks County, was exactly that kind of night.
Our hooman Ashley returned home with a glow that could've powered an entire heated cat bed. She kept saying, “You wouldn’t believe it. You just wouldn’t believe it.” Then she told us everything, and… well… we believed it. Because we know what the ARL means to this county, and what this county means to the ARL.
So here is our full, whisker-quivering, heart-squeezing report.
A Night Glittering With Purpose
From the moment our hoomans walked into Redner’s Event Center in Reading, PA, the room shimmered — not just with twinkling lights and beautifully decorated trees, but with something quieter and deeper:
intentional kindness.
Every tree was donated by a local business. Every single one filled with prizes that made hoomans gasp, laugh, or clutch their raffle tickets with dramatic flair.
Coffee-themed trees. Travel-themed trees. Fitness trees. A “Meowy Christmas” tree bursting with goodies we personally would’ve climbed if given the opportunity.
But beyond the sparkle, there was a shared heartbeat in the room — a collective agreement that animals deserve love, safety, and dignity, and that the ARL fights for that every single day.
A Feast Worth Purring Over
Bar menu designed for the festival of trees event
Listen. We are not normally food-motivated reporters (okay, one of us is, but we won’t name names).
But when we heard what the gala served for dinner, even we nearly filed a complaint about being left at home.
Konopelski Meats crafted a buffet that could bring a grown tomcat to tears:
Tender pot roast
Carrots nestled into creamy mashed potatoes
Perfectly sliced prime rib
Turkey carved with ceremonial reverence
Buffalo chicken sliders
Fresh rolls (which we absolutely would have pawed)
And the signature drink?
A Paw-tini — vodka, Sprite, and cranberry juice.
(We asked if we could serve a “Meowtini” at the office. The hoomans said no.)
During dinner, an acoustic duo played soft, warm music that made the room feel like a hug, before the full band Brass Pocket took over and lifted the energy into that lively, holiday-magic place where strangers become friends and everyone remembers why they’re there.
The Moment That Stilled the Room
At one point in the evening, the clinking of glasses, the buzz of conversation, even the rustling of raffle tickets softened.
A video began.
And suddenly every eye in the room was focused on one story:
Brisket, the pitbull who endured more than any animal should — and survived because the ARL refused to give up on him.
Today, Brisket — renamed Reeces — is thriving in a loving home.
His story wasn’t just emotional. It was proof.
Proof that donations become second chances.
Proof that staff and volunteers carry impossible burdens with unshakeable grace.
Proof that rescues don’t just save animals — they transform lives.
As CEO Ashley Mikulsky spoke, the mission of the ARL settled across the room like snowfall:
Every animal matters. Every life deserves a chance. Community makes it possible.
And Then… $70,000 Happened
We heard this part and our whiskers stood straight up.
During the live portion of the fundraiser, paddles lifted, voices echoed, and something extraordinary happened right before everyone’s eyes:
Over $70,000 was raised for the ARL.
That’s:
medical care,
surgeries,
warm bedding,
vaccines,
emergency rescues,
food,
enrichment,
and hope…
for animals who haven’t yet met their people, but will — because of nights like this.
And donations are still coming in through the mail and online.
Hoomans showed up.
Hoomans gave what they could.
Hoomans said, in one collective voice:
“We believe in this work.”
From where we sit—four cats who were rescued, saved, and given the chance to live the lives we have now—we cannot begin to describe what that means.
Why This Night Matters Far Beyond One Event
This story isn’t just about the ARL, though they deserve every ounce of praise.
It’s about every rescue, everywhere, doing the impossible with too little:
The volunteer who bottle-feeds kittens at 3AM
The small-town foster mom taking in “just one more”
The shelter worker holding a scared dog’s face and saying “you’re safe now”
The rescue founder juggling emails, emergencies, fundraisers, and heartbreak
The community members who show up because they know kindness has power
Festival of Trees wasn’t just a gala.
It was a reminder that when people come together, animals get another shot at life.
From Our Hearts (and Toe beans) to Yours
We may be newsroom cats and one crazy cat lady, but this story had us misty-eyed in our cardboard boxes.
Events like this keep shelters open.
They keep rescues moving forward.
They keep hope alive.
To everyone who attended, donated, volunteered, or simply shared the event — thank you. You made something beautiful happen.
And to the ARL of Berks County and all ARL’s, rescues, and animal nonprofits out there -
You are the reason so many animals sleep safely tonight.
We see you.
We honor you.
If you feel moved by this story — and we know you do — we encourage you to support your local rescue, ARL, or nonprofit. A few dollars, a share, or even a bag of food truly makes a difference.
Together, we can make sure stories like Brisket’s become the rule, not the exception.
🐾 Coming tomorrow on Stray Cat News
How to TNR during winter time - dont lead to another senseless death
