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Raptor Rendezvous Raises Over $72,000 for Carolina Raptor Center

July 8, 2024
On Saturday, June 29, 2024, the Carolina Raptor Center hosted a packed venue at DuGaren Vineyards in Denver, North Carolina for Raptor Rendezvous, the organization’s first seated-meal fundraising event since 2019’s Talon to Table.  A live band and silent auction accompanied five avian ambassadors on the glove for photo opportunities with guests – an American Kestrel, Mississippi Kite, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, and Red-shouldered Hawk. 



Erin Katzner, President and CEO, shared many stories of impact: 
  • Kristy Crist completed her two-year term as Board Chair and six years of service on the Board of Directors that saw many great accomplishments, including surpassing 26,000 birds treated in the Raptor Hospital. 
  • Mathias Engelmann, Senior Rehabilitation Coordinator, was recognized for over 40 years of service to the Carolina Raptor Center. 
  • Board Member Riley Clements was congratulated for activating volunteers at DPR Construction to build 49 bird boxes as a requirement of earning a Class C – Exhibitor license by the United States Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act.   
  • The Raptor Hospital set a record with 113 admissions in May…the busiest month ever with an incredible 14 new patients on the final day!   
  • In partnership with private, state, and federal organizations the Carolina Raptor Center hosted an emergency vaccine trial to help protect critically endangered California Condors from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). 28 Black Vultures were part of a study that has resulted in the vaccination and protection of wild California Condors.  
The event succeeded in raising over $72,000 to support Carolina Raptor Center’s mission to ignite a passion for raptors and a responsibility for our shared natural world.  The evening concluded with a raucous live auction, culminating in the release of a Barred Owl that spent 91 days in the care of the dedicated professionals at the Raptor Hospital. 

Raptor Rendezvous concluded with a special moment where a rehabilitated Barred Owl returned to the wild. Thank you to the event sponsors, without whom the evening could not have been a success: 



Should you have any questions about opportunities for impact, please contact Robert Koch, Vice President of Development, at [email protected].  

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