ONEIDA — The 3rd yearly Catstock is slated for Saturday, May 20 at midday, with the objective of raising money to help the location’s cat companies.
John Chesebro, an Oneida regional, is among the organizers of the occasion and mores than happy to see this occasion growing every year.
“It all started in 2021 with my son Logan Chesebro, who’s co-founder of One Man. The Band. He wanted to give back and help Finnland’s Fosters, a local cat shelter,” Chesebro said. “So we had the inaugural Catsock at Nothin’ Fancy in Vernon with three bands, baskets and raffles, and raised a good amount of money. And that gave us the incentive to do it again.”
Catstock 2 had 5 bands playing, and while they wished to have food suppliers, time restraints suggested they needed to provide their own food. “We sold hot dogs and pizza, and we did good. We even raised more than last year,” he said. “We even had seven to eight artisans. And this year, we’re at the Kallet Civic Center.”
Chesebro said Catstock is dealing with her cousin, Lori Seef, owner of Bella Vita, to arrange an occasion that’s even larger than in 2015.
“We want people to come out, enjoy the event, and support the cats,” Seef said.
Six bands are slated to play and consist of Before August, Shane Archer Reed, The D-Dubb Experience, Not Robots and One Man. The Band, and The 169 Rhythm Experience.
“We’ve got around 10 artisans at this point, five local food vendors, including Bella Vita, The Blend, D-Ray’s Pizzeria, Rossi Catering out of Canastota, and Tube Steaks out of Morrisville,” Chesebro said.
With Finnland’s Fosters no longer functional, all money raised from Catstock 3 will go to the Oneida Cat Committee and Operation Wild Cat.
“This money will go towards trying to control the stray and feral cat population in the area,” Chesebro said. “There’s a lot more than I knew existed, and it’s a serious problem.”
The trap-neuter-release program utilized by these companies is the most gentle method to handle the population by stopping its development.
“And some of them might not be feral cats,” Chesebro said. “Some might have been left behind after someone moved. Or they became pregnant and their owner put them outside. And it adds to the problem, making it spiral out of control. But these organizations have done so much.”
On top of that, Chesebro wished to thank much of the regional business who have contributions for the raffle. “I’ve gotten donations from Thompson Appliances, Direct Factory Furniture, Lowe’s, Walmart, Tractor Supply, D-Ray’s Pizzeria, and so many more and more coming in.”
All in all, Chesebro said he understands that they aren’t going to raise a fortune — however they’re raising whatever they can to help a good cause.
“We might not be able to raise $1 million, but we’re gonna help,” Chesebro said. “And we want to continue to help.”
Admission to Catstock 3 is complimentary and available to the general public, however contributions in the form of money, cat food, cat litter, or comparable products are welcome.
