Arroyo Grande In Bloom Inc

We still need your help! Hello everyone. As 2023 comes to a close we are still in need of donations to ensure that we can build a Memorial for Foxy (perhaps a bronze fox by the Swinging Bridge atop the brick pedestal by the gazebo) as well as place approximately eight Educational Signs along the creek.  Covid really basically had us at a standstill for two years and we're just all being able to take a breath and get back to work. We may have some sponsors for the educational signs to help with costs and we are trying to work with the city on the design of a bronze fox. All more challenging than we anticipated.

Our minimum goal to attain both was $15,000 but with increasing prices we will likely need much more. To date we have raised a little over $9,000. We still plan on holding silent auction to help raise funds as well. We are currently collecting auction items and we hope we can post a date on our Facebook page sometime in the first quarter of the year. We are also seeking an artist to help work with us to design and make the Foxy Memorial.

We thank everyone who has helped and contributed to date. Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year. Foxy will Never Be Forgotten and we hope our efforts will prevent another tragedy like this.

Original Story...…….

On November 14th our community learned that a friendly CA Gray Fox that played among the roosters and with people's dogs in the park had been trapped and euthanized due to a resident complaint. For months prior, people were sharing photos and videos of this curious friendly little fox playing with their dogs, crossing the Swinging Bridge, sitting on the fence, enjoying the Village and its surroundings. People joked that it pushed aside the Roosters in cuteness and it became the unofficial mascot in the Village of Arroyo Grande. 

The little fox affectionately named (Nacho, Foxy, Miles and Rex, just to name a few) by Village merchants, employees and residents, made its home in the creek after it had been orphaned and rescued by a local family and set free. 

Upon the news of its trapping and euthanization, the community went into mourning, makeshift memorials were made, purple and gray ribbons adorned the areas it loved to play, small fox rocks were painted and hidden in the park for children to find, flowers and photos were left.

Education is critical. We need to educate the community how to live around wildlife. Not to feed it, not to touch it, who to call if an animal is hurt, etc. No one wants to see any people or animals get hurt.

In memory of this little fox and so its precious life wasn't taken in vain, this fund has been set up to help pay for a permanent memorial to be placed in Centennial Park and for Educational Signs about our wildlife to be placed along the creek. We don't want a senseless tragedy to ever happen again. Public workshops, educational materials for schoolchildren and many other efforts are underway.  

At this point we don't know what the actual cost will be, it will likely be more than this, but we need to start somewhere. The funds donated are being placed in a local Village non profit - AGinBloom - to hold until we can purchase the signs and memorial. The funds will be used solely for the fox memorial and educational sign/s.

Our goal is to have something in place sooner than later as time seems to pass. There will be lots of work ahead for ideas and designs. It takes a Village and Love!