Fundraiser for the birds: the eighth annual Chips and Chirps fundraiser

The Alabama Wildlife Center will present the eighth annual Chips & Chirps fundraiser event on Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens from 7 to 10 p.m.

One of the center’s largest fundraisers of the year, the event is sponsored by its Junior Board of Directors, known as the Raptor Force.

“This is always a pretty fun event that people seem to enjoy,” said AWC Executive Director Doug Adair.

The event will feature live music from High Tide, casino-style games, food, drinks and a silent auction that will include everything from original artwork to vacation packages.

The education ambassador raptors will also be on hand to meet guests and take photos with them.

“We are able to use our rehabilitation work as the backdrop to introduce guests up close and personal to these beautiful animals that call Alabama home,” Adair said.

All funds raised go back to the AWC, which is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit and is the state’s oldest and largest wildlife rehab and education center. Its dual mission involves the rescue, rehabilitation and release back into the wild of Alabama’s wild avian species and presentation of conservation education programming to raise awareness of the extraordinary wildlife resources in Alabama.

“We take care of almost 2,000 patients each year from over 100 different species,” Adair said. “We also present almost 500 conservation education programs each year throughout the state to audiences of over 100,000.”

Tickets for Chips & Chirps are $50 each and may be purchased through the AWC website at alabamawildlifecenter.org or by calling the office at 663-7930. While tickets will be available at the door, Adair encourages pre-purchasing them since the event is so popular and space is limited.