The CanINE Express Transport Project has invited The Big Fix of Jackson County to join in a fundraising effort this fall.

Both nonprofit organizations will be running a concession kiosk at six Indiana University home football games selling snacks, beer and wine and will keep a portion of the proceeds.

For those planning to come to IU home games this fall, stop by to get your food and beverages at The CanINE Express/The Big Fix kiosk, which is in E3 to the left of Memorial Stadium’s East Gate, and support companion animal spay/neuter efforts in Jackson County. The first home game is Saturday. The other games are Sept. 14 and 21, Oct. 12 and Nov. 2 and 23.

This is the first year that IU will be selling alcohol at the games, and it’s estimated that the total raised for The Big Fix will be enough to spay or neuter, vaccinate and ear tip 150 cats in a three-month period at SPOT Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic in Terre Haute, said Cathi Eagan, founder and director of CanINE Express Transport Project who has led efforts for The Big Fix.

Every other Monday, beginning Sept. 23, 30 Jackson County feral and stray cats will be transported to SPOT for their surgeries, rabies vaccinations and ear tips. Ear tipping is the universal sign of a fixed cat. Once fixed, they are called a community cat.

CanINE Express is a volunteer project that transports shelter cats and dogs from 15 south central Indiana counties, including Jackson, to receiving shelter partners in New England; Cleveland, Ohio; northwestern Illinois; and northern Indiana.

Since the project began in 2004, CanINE Express has transported 11,951 Indiana shelter dogs and 653 shelter cats to receiving shelter partners, where they have been adopted, Eagan said.

Red Sky Rescue in Medora joined CanINE Express in 2007 and since then has sent close to 2,000 Jackson County dogs on the transport. SOS Animal Rescue of Jackson County has sent several cats and dogs on the transport, too.

The Big Fix of Jackson County is a volunteer project that helps citizens of Jackson County spay and neuter their cats and dogs through a monthly public transport to low-cost spay/neuter clinics.

As one of the programs operating under the umbrella of the Humane Society of Jackson County, The Big Fix is a collaboration between Jackson County animal welfare organizations working to reduce companion animal overpopulation through spay and neuter.

Since the project began in 2017, 675 Jackson County feral and stray cats have been trapped, spay or neutered, vaccinated and ear tipped, Eagan said.

For information about The Big Fix of Jackson County, visit jchumane.org/The_Big_Fix.html or email [email protected].