Gingerbread Homes Return to Chelsea Market in December - Fall/Holiday 2007 - Out of the Cage!, the E-Newsletter of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals

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Gingerbread Homes Return to Chelsea Market in December

Rational Animal's fifth annual Gingerbread Homes for Animals pastry exhibit kicked off the holiday season on December 1 at Chelsea Market in Manhattan. You can visit the Gingerbread Homes exhibit:

December 1–2, 8–9, and 15–16, 2007

10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Chelsea Market

75 9th Avenue (16th Street and 10th Avenue Entrance)

Admission is free!

Gingerbread Homes for Animals is the legendary humane education event produced by Rational Animal, NYC's non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness about NYC's at-risk animals. This year's event is produced with the support of the ASPCA, PastryScoop.com, The French Culinary Institute, HEART, Avian Welfare Coalition, and Chelsea Market.

Gingerbread Homes for Animals has captivated New Yorkers during the holiday season for the past five years.

Since 2003, Gingerbread Homes for Animals has been a family holiday favorite. This unique event, based upon animal themes expressed in traditional holiday gingerbread and sweets, draws people who love animals, people who love pastry, and plenty of people who love both!

Leading NYC pastry chefs participating this year include Martin Howard, Brasserie 8½; Victoria Love, The Water Club; Lauri Ditunno, Dianne Rossomando, The French Culinary Institute; Judiaann Woo, Raina Bien, Danielle Wong, and Sampurna Satpathy, PastryScoop.com. For the second year, Gingerbread Homes for Animals is set in the ideal venue: the popular Chelsea Market. Chelsea Market has a long tradition in satisfying the sweet tooth — the building is the former home to the National Biscuit Company, where the first animal cracker and Oreo cookie were made, and which now thrives with individually owned bakeries.

Photos of fanciful gingerbread homes from previous exhibits are featured this year in a series of eight holiday greeting cards.

"We love using these beautiful gingerbread creations as a means to learning more about NYC's at-risk animals," says Susan Brandt, executive director of Rational Animal. "And we are proud that this event has become a family favorite — folks come back each year to see what the chefs have dreamed up and feel good about donating to at-risk animals."

This year Rational Animal has created a set of commemorative holiday cards featuring some favorite gingerbread houses of years past. The set of eight cards will be sold as a fundraiser, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Picasso Veterinary Fund of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals. This fund pays for extraordinary medical care for sick and injured animals taken in by Mayor's Alliance participating organizations.

This whimsical image is featured on another one of Rational Animal's holiday greeting cards.

Activities for the kids include animal cookie decorating and a chance to meet Maddie, the people-size Miniature Schnauzer mascot from Maddie's Fund. Event-goers also are invited to buy raffle tickets, for a chance to win one of the featured gingerbread houses.

For more information about Gingerbread Homes for Animals, visit www.gingerbreadhomesforanimals.org.

Rational Animal is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that creates media and special events to increase awareness about New York City's at-risk animals. Rational Animal has produced TV spots, four annual editions of the first five-borough animal adoption map series Trails to Tails, the Orange Ribbons for At-Risk Animals campaign, Gingerbread Homes for Animals, a humane education exhibit, and the Gimme Shelter: Rock & Rescue NYC concert series celebrating NYC's goal of ending euthanasia in city shelters. In addition to campaigns for homeless companion animals, Rational Animal also campaigns for wild or captive and performing animals. To learn more, visit www.rational-animal.org.