Picture this: you want to raise money for a good cause but don’t know where to start. Then, during an evening walk, you notice the neighbourhood cats lounging on porches and sidewalks. Suddenly, you wonder: what if their charm could be used for good? That’s exactly what Emily Fields did. After seeing the success of the Fernwood Catwalk [https://www.sookenewsmirror.com/community/whiskers-and-purrs-greater-victorias-first-catwalk-hailed-as-a-hit-8043640], Fields decided to launch her own cat-themed fundraiser for Solid Outreach Society [https://www.cutestcat.ca/], an organization providing harm-reduction services in Greater Victoria. “I’m a huge supporter of harm-reduction, Indigenous-led and peer-centred initiatives,” she said. “I work in mental health, so I wanted to find a way for the community to come together and show support for Solid.” Simple and straightforward, the fundraiser, launched in September, invited cat owners of Fernwood and North Park to enter their feline companions in a contest to determine the neighbourhood’s “cutest cat,” with the winners to be featured in a calendar. After submitting a small entry fee along with photos and bios, 25 cats entered the competition. Voting opened on Sept. 25, with community members pledging $1 per vote for their favourite cat. Voting closed a month later, and the results were announced on Oct. 26 at Fernwood Square. In front of a small crowd under a rainy sky, Fields revealed the winners: Juno, a beautifully rotund tabby, took first place; Penelope, a tiny black cat described as “a little lump of coal,” placed second; and Fran, a chicken-loving “diva”, came in third. > View this post on Instagram > > > > [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQStdaxCTZK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading] > > A post shared by Who’s the Cutest Cat in Fernwood-Northpark? > (@cutestcatfernwood) > [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQStdaxCTZK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading] Shortly after announcing the winners, Fields revealed the fundraiser had raised $1,943 – far exceeding her original target of $500. “I wanted to keep the goal to myself,” she said. “I was hoping to get four cats participating, but we ended up with so many.” Humbled by the turnout, Fields already plans to make the contest an annual tradition. With calendars expected before the end of November, Fields thanked all those who participated. “It’s a pretty good chunk of money,” she said. “But it’s also a reflection of contributions from so many people. It’s symbolic of our support as a community, which is what I wanted it to be.” For updates on when the calendars are available, visit the fundraiser’s Instagram page at instagram.com/cutestcatfernwood [https://instagram.com/cutestcatfernwood]. web1_251027-vne-cat-fundraiser-fernwood-1_3 [https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/shared/feeds/gps/2025/10/web1_251027-vne-cat-fundraiser-fernwood-1_3.jpg;w=960]Fran, a chicken-loving “diva”, came in third place in a fundraiser supporting Solid Outreach Society. (Cutestcat.ca)
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